| Abstract: | In view of the fact that pollen deprived of exine has been shown by electroporation to be a superior receptor of foreign genes in tobacco, the authors developed a technique to isolate and artificially germinate the de-exined pollen in Brassica. Pollen grains of B. chinens/s and B. campestris var. purpurea were first hydrated at 4 ℃ in a medium containing Roberts' salts, 24% sucrose, 7.3% mannitol, 0.05% lactoalbumin hydrolysate (pH 8.5) for 18 h, followed by heat shock at 34 ℃ for 40～60 min and osmotic shock for 20 min subsequently. Through this three-step procedure the exine could dehisce along the germination furrows and completely detached off, resulting in the release of pollen coated with naked intine with an isolation rate as high, as over 60%. The de-exined pollen were germinated in a modified medium containing 15%～20% polyethylene glycol (MW 6000), 5% sucrose, 0.05% lactoalbumin hydrolysate and Roberts' salts (pH 8.5) with a rate of 41% in B. chinensis and 33% in the other species. However, in sharp contrast with the behavior of the intact pollen, the de-exined pollen did not germinate in the carbon and nitrogen sources free media. Scanning electron microscopic and light microscopic observations on the processes of isolation and germination of de-exined pollen were carried out. The phenomenon of exine detachment in a few plant species is reviewed. There might be some corresponding association between pollen wall characteristics and methods of isolation. The de-exined pollen may be a useful experimental system not only for introducing and transferring foreign genes, but also for investigating the role of exine in pollen germination and in sporophytic self-incom- patibility. |
