Links between morphology and function of the pollen wall: an experimental approach

The wall of pollen grains exhibits morphological variation in many features including apertures, ornamentation and thickness, but the function of these characters remains to be clarified. It has been suggested that they are involved in the accommodation of volume changes (harmomegathy). To investigate this further, we developed a protocol that induces a controlled hydration of the pollen without affecting its metabolism and we applied it to six species differing in their pollen wall morphology. The entry of water caused pollen swelling and volume increase leading to breakage of the wall and/or of the plasma membrane, such that the per cent of intact grains was negatively correlated with the level of hydration. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed between the species. Breakage of the exine was observed only in pollen lacking apertures and with thin exine. Variation in the exine ornamentation and thickness could explain the interspecific differences observed for the rates of breakage of the plasma membrane. Our results suggest that pollen wall morphology matters for survival and maintenance of pollen integrity further to volume increase due to hydration. We propose a rationale for future studies that should allow disentangling the contribution of different pollen morphological and physiological features to harmomegathy.     

Pollen diversity in Aquifoliales

Aquifoliales, as currently circumscribed, comprise five families and 20 genera, most of which have not been compared with regard to their pollen. Generic relationships within the order have not been fully resolved with molecular data, but pollen can provide a potential source of characters for future phylogenetic studies. To assess diversity in the order, pollen from 19 genera was examined with light and scanning electron microscopy. Pollen is typically tricolpate to triporate, although grains with one to nine pores were observed. Grains are small to medium, with a polar axis of 6–44 μm and an equatorial axis of 10–47 μm. Irregular pollen was recorded from nine genera. Exine patterning is diverse at the generic level and includes psilate, microechinate, striate to reticulate and clavate types, and is quite complex in some genera. All but four genera of Aquifoliales can be readily distinguished by their pollen, if heavy deposits of pollenkitt (present in 11 genera) are removed during and after acetolysis. Pollen from multiple taxa of Gomphandra, the second most diverse genus in the order, was surveyed to investigate species boundaries. Specimens of Gomphandra from continental Asia exhibited seven different pollen morphologies, suggesting that exine patterns may be useful for the recognition of species in that region. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 175 , 169–190.     

The ultrastructure of fossil dispersed monosulcate pollen from the Early Cretaceous of Transbaikalia,Russia

The general morphology, surface sculpturing, and exine ultrastructure have been studied in dispersed monosulcate pollen from the Early Cretaceous of Transbaikalia, Russia. The pollen grains dominate the palynological assemblage extracted from coal deposits of the Khilok Formation in the Buryat Republic, which also contain ginkgoalean leaves of Baierella averianovii as the only constituent of the assemblage of plant megafossils. The relationship between the pollen grains and ginkgoalean leaves from this autochthonous burial is hypothesised on the basis of taphonomical analysis and palaeobiogeographical data. It is shown that the ectexine of the pollen grains includes a thick solid tectum, a thin granular infratectum and a thin foot layer; the endexine is fine-grained, slightly more electron-dense than the ectexine, and is preserved only in places. The distal aperture is formed by a thinning of the exine. No analogous ultrastructure has been described so far in fossil pollen grains of this morphotype studied ultrastructurally from in situ material. For comparison, we also studied the exine ultrastructure of pollen grains Ginkgo biloba. The fossil pollen is not identical to pollen of extant G. biloba, but shows several significant similarities in the exine ultrastructure, which does not contradict the presumable ginkgoalean affinity of the fossil pollen.     

南水青冈属及壳斗科其他属花粉壁超微结构比较研究

对主要分布于南美和新西兰的南水青冈属Nothofagus 花粉外壁的超微结构进行了观察和研究, 同时与壳斗科其他属花粉外壁的结构进行比较,结果表明,南水青冈属花粉外壁的厚度、结构、萌发孔类 型以及花粉外壁表面的纹饰与壳斗科其他属花粉外壁的超微结构存在明显差别。主要表现为：南水青 冈属花粉外壁的柱状层和内层发育差,为颗粒状;基层和覆盖层无分化结构;覆盖层上为刺状纹饰;萌发 孔为5～8沟。壳斗科其他属花粉外壁的小柱发育好,形成明显的柱状层;覆盖层和基层常具一定的结 构;花粉表面较光滑,或为波状、颗粒或瘤状纹饰;内层发育较好;多数花粉具3孔沟,少数为3沟或3拟 孔沟。本研究认为南水青冈属花粉外壁的结构属于较原始类型,支持kuprianova等将南水青冈属独立为南壳斗科。     

Pollen Cell Wall Patterns Form from Modulated Phases

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Shape and Size Modification of Recent Pollen Grains under Acetolysis

In this paper, the shape and size modification of recent pollen grains have been studied. 63 species of recent pollen grains that belongs to 55 genera, 26 families were observed before and after the acetolysis treatment with LM. The length of polar axis and equatorial axis and the thickness of exine were measured from about 20 pollen grains for each species (the thickness of exine were only measured for acetolysed pollen grains). The significance of shape and size modification was examined with the statistical method "ttest". From this investigati0n it can be concluded that: The pollen modification in size and shape 'was related to aperture type, pollen size, wall thickness and sculpture depth. Pantoporate, spheroidal pollens and small perporlate pollens usually change little in there size and shape after acetolysis. The size of colpate pollens was generally increased, or their shape changed. The size or shape change usually got bigger as the pollen size, wall thickness and sculpture depth became bigger and bigger. Oblate pollens were apter to change their size and shape than prolate pollens. The P/E ratio of most colpate pollens became a little bigger after acetolysis.