Endogenous polyamine content during in vivo maturation and in vitro culture of maize pollen

Changes in polyamine content during in vivo maturation and in vitro culture of maize (Zea mays L.) pollen were studied. The endogenous content of free, conjugated and bound polyamines was analyzed during 30 days of pollen evolution, in both developmental pathways (microsporogenesis and androgenesis). The induction of androgenesis from cold-pretreated uninucleate pollen results, in most of cases, in a lower total polyamine content than that of the in vivo uninucleate pollen. These differences indicate that polyamine metabolism is altered during the induction of androgenesis, and this could be a consequence of increased polyamine assimilation. In general, pollen stages that involve cell division (tetrades, pre-anthesis pollen and four-day cultured pollen) are characterized by a predominance of free Spd. The increase of Spd and Spm in 15-day cultured pollen, when the first embryoids are formed, outline the possible implication of these polyamines in embryogenetic processes. Furthermore, these findings may contribute to the improvement of maize androgenesis yield, especially in recalcitrant genotypes, by the exogenous application of polyamines or polyamine-inhibitors to the culture medium.Abbreviations PAs polyamines - Put putrescine - Spd spermidine - Spm spermine - S free polyamine fraction - SH conjugated polyamine fraction - PH bound polyamine fraction     

谷子不育系及其相应可育系小孢子发育的细胞学观察

以谷子2个品种的不育系及其保持系为材料,对其小孢子发育的细胞形态学进行了观察研究。结果表明:昭盟A花药的外部形态及花粉母细胞的发育过程与昭盟B相似,能形成外观正常的三核花粉,但其花药不能开裂散粉。石炮A表现出了败育时间和方式的多样性,且不育系与保持系间在花药长度上有显著差异。此外,两种不育系的维管束都表现出不同程度的发育不良。不良程度与药囊退化程度相关。     

Der cytologische Nachweis von doppelter Restitution beiFragaria

Double restitution has been observed cytologically for the first time in microsporogenesis of a F₁ hybridFragaria virginiana ×F. chiloensis . Restitution is probably due to irregularities affecting the spindle mechanism. Single or double restitution may depend upon the duration of the effect or upon the stage of meiosis affected. The occurrence of triades is indicative of a possible intracellular diversity. Although the reason which may cause restitution remains to be ascertained, maternal inheritance indicates an extrachromosomal cause.

     

Cell division study in ‘pollen mother cells’ and ‘pollen grains’ of in vivo and ex vitro plants in Drimiopsis botryoides

The various normal and abnormal stages of meiosis and pollen mitosis of Drimiopsis botryoides are described, and a comparison between naturally propagated in vivo and tissue culture derived ex vitro plants in respect to their cytological behaviour presented. We also describe the floral morphology and investigate the relationship between the floral developmental stages and the progression of microgametogenesis. In total, 33 bivalents are observed in diakinesis, which indicate the diploid number 2n = 66 and this number is cross-checked by a haploid set of n = 33 chromosomes in pollen mitosis. Only 6.8% and 4.9% meiotic abnormalities were recorded on in vivo and ex vitro plants, respectively, which led to the formation of non-viable pollen. Finally, the microspores have to develop into tri-cellular male gametophyte. Only 0.2% pollen grains are found with a micro-nucleus. Though the higher pollen viability was recorded on both in vivo (89.3 ± 4.1%) and ex vitro (92.1 ± 4.6%) plants, but surprisingly the pollen germination rate is extremely low with 13.6 ± 1.74% and 21.3 ± 1.55%, respectively. The present study obviously enriches the cytological database of D. botryoides and may help future research on androgenesis and genetic improvement.     

传统傣药竹叶兰的花粉团发育及分类学意义

该研究利用石蜡切片技术观察并描述了兰科单型属竹叶兰属的花粉团发育过程,包括花形态解剖特征、8个花粉团的形成机制、花药壁发育模式、小孢子发生及雄配子体发育等特征,为该属复杂的系统亲缘关系提供胚胎学证据。结果表明:(1)成熟花药有两个药室,每个药室有4个一簇金色的花粉团,被白色花药帽;早期花药原基分化出的一对并列侧生药室,每个药室中央的小孢子囊在极面观方向分化出两条十字交叉的纵向不育隔膜组织,将其沿花药室纵轴方向深切为4个不等大的棒状次生孢子囊,最后发育为4个花粉团。(2)花药成熟时,靠花药开裂处的隔膜组织比近药隔膜组织的降解速度快且彻底,因此每个药室内的4个花粉团在花药开裂处粘合成一簇。(3)发育完好的花药壁共有6～7层,由外到内为表皮、3～4层药室内壁、中层和双核绒毡层,符合多层型花药壁的发育模式;花药成熟时,表皮退化,纤维性加厚发生在3～4层药室内壁,中层和绒毡层彻底降解。(4)小孢子母细胞通过同时型胞质分裂产生了正四面体型、左右对称、十字交叉型排列的小孢子四分体;小孢子四分体继续保持在同一胼胝质内完成了雄配子体发育,形成了2-细胞型的四合花粉;四合花粉两两或松散或紧密排列,构成了粉质花粉团。在前人的研究基础上,本文证实、补充并分析了竹叶兰属的花粉团发育特征,为该属的亲缘关系提供了胚胎学证据。     

Manipulation of division symmetry and developmental fate in cultures of potato microspores

The effect of media composition on microspore culture was investigated in one tetraploid and two diploid potatoes. The viability of microspores isolated from 4.5 to 5 mm buds was in the range of 33 to 52%. In media for anther culture, microspores showed no further development and lost viability within 2 days. In M1 medium containing mineral components, sucrose, uridine, cytidine, myo-inositol, glutamine and lactalbumin hydrolysate, 18 to 37% of microspores underwent mitosis within 14 days. Up to 95% of the divisions were symmetric and produced equal nuclei. Some symmetrically divided microspores eventually produced structures with 3 to 10 nuclei. The proportion of the total microspore population producing multinuclear structures reached 9% in diploid clones responsive to anther culture and 1 to 2% in recalcitrant cv. Borka. Symmetric mitoses in M1 medium were induced in the presence of glutamine and lactalbumin hydrolysate. Nucleosides and myo-inositol had no effect on microspore division. In the absence of all organic components except sucrose, most mitoses were asymmetric, formation of multinuclear structures was reduced and most pollen accumulated starch indicative of gametophytic fate. In complete M1 medium, starch accumulation was suppressed. Suppression also occurred in asymmetrically divided microspores, indicating a direct inhibition of pollen development independent of the mode of microspore division. This inhibitory effect of M1 medium might present a stress which triggers the induction of symmetric microspore division and subsequent formation of multinuclear structures. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pollen wall development in flowering plants

The outer pollen wall, or exine, is more structurally complex than any other plant cell wall, comprising several distinct layers, each with its own organizational pattern. Since elucidation of the basic events of pollen wall ontogeny using electron microscopy in the 1970s, knowledge of their developmental genetics has increased enormously. However, self-assembly processes that are not under direct genetic control also play an important role in pollen wall patterning. This review integrates ultrastructural and developmental findings with recent models for self-assembly in an attempt to understand the origins of the morphological complexity and diversity that underpin the science of palynology.     

Specific features of meiosis in the Siberian fir (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies sibirica</Emphasis> Ledeb.) artificial populations

Meiosis was studied in the Siberian fir (Abies sibirica Ledeb.) at the arboretum of the Sukachev Institute of Forest. Specific features of meiosis in planted trees have been described. Both general and specific types of irregularities have been identified. The range of irregularities under the arboretum conditions was much wider than in natural ecosystems.