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Sofio SPC, Caeiro A, Ribeiro ACF, Cabral AMTDPV, Valente AJM, Canhoto J, Esteso MA. On Interactions of Sulfamerazine with Cyclodextrins from Coupled Diffusometry and Toxicity Tests. Biomolecules 2024; 14:462. [PMID: 38672478 PMCID: PMC11048702 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This scientific study employs the Taylor dispersion technique for diffusion measurements to investigate the interaction between sulfamerazine (NaSMR) and macromolecular cyclodextrins (β-CD and HP-β-CD). The results reveal that the presence of β-CD influences the diffusion of the solution component, NaSMR, indicating a counterflow of this drug due to solute interaction. However, diffusion data indicate no inclusion of NaSMR within the sterically hindered HP-β-CD cavity. Additionally, toxicity tests were conducted, including pollen germination (Actinidia deliciosa) and growth curve assays in BY-2 cells. The pollen germination tests demonstrate a reduction in sulfamerazine toxicity, suggesting potential applications for this antimicrobial agent with diminished adverse effects. This comprehensive investigation contributes to a deeper understanding of sulfamerazine-cyclodextrin interactions and their implications for pharmaceutical and biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara P. C. Sofio
- CQC-IMS, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal; (S.P.C.S.); (A.J.M.V.)
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Ávila, Calle Los Canteros s/n, 05005 Ávila, Spain;
| | - André Caeiro
- Laboratory Associate TERRA, Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.C.); (J.C.)
| | - Ana C. F. Ribeiro
- CQC-IMS, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal; (S.P.C.S.); (A.J.M.V.)
| | | | - Artur J. M. Valente
- CQC-IMS, Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal; (S.P.C.S.); (A.J.M.V.)
| | - Jorge Canhoto
- Laboratory Associate TERRA, Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; (A.C.); (J.C.)
| | - Miguel A. Esteso
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Ávila, Calle Los Canteros s/n, 05005 Ávila, Spain;
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Christensen SM, Munkres I, Vannette RL. Nectar bacteria stimulate pollen germination and bursting to enhance microbial fitness. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4373-4380.e6. [PMID: 34324834 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Many organisms consume pollen, yet mechanisms of its digestion remain a fundamental enigma in pollination biology,1-3 as pollen is protected by a recalcitrant outer shell.4-8 Pollen is commonly found in floral nectar,9,10 as are nectar microbes, which are nearly ubiquitous among flowers.11-13 Nectar specialist bacteria, like Acinetobacter, can reach high densities (up to 109 cells/mL), despite the fact that floral nectar is nitrogen poor.14-17 Here, we show evidence that the genus Acinetobacter, prevalent nectar- and bee-associated bacteria,12,18-20 can induce pollen germination and bursting, gain access to protoplasm nutrients, and thereby grow to higher densities. Although induced germination had been suggested as a potential method in macroscopic pollen consumers,2,21-23 and fungal inhibition of pollen germination has been shown,24-27 direct biological induction of germination has not been empirically documented outside of plants.28-32Acinetobacter pollinis SCC47719 induced over 5× greater pollen germination and 20× greater pollen bursting than that of uninoculated pollen by 45 min. When provided with germinable pollen, A. pollinis stimulates protein release and grows to nearly twice the density compared to growth with ungerminable pollen, indicating that stimulation of germination benefits bacterial fitness. In contrast, a common nectar-inhabiting yeast (Metschnikowia)33 neither induced nor benefited from pollen germination. We conclude that Acinetobacter both specifically causes and benefits from inducing pollen germination and bursting. Further study of microbe-pollen interactions may inform many aspects of pollination ecology, including floral microbial ecology,34,35 pollinator nutrient acquisition from pollen,2,3,21,36 and cues of pollen germination for plant reproduction.37-39.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M Christensen
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Ivan Munkres
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rachel L Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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3
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Flores-Tornero M, Vogler F, Mutwil M, Potěšil D, Ihnatová I, Zdráhal Z, Sprunck S, Dresselhaus T. Transcriptomic and Proteomic Insights into Amborella trichopoda Male Gametophyte Functions. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 184:1640-1657. [PMID: 32989009 PMCID: PMC7723084 DOI: 10.1104/pp.20.00837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Flowering plants (angiosperms) are characterized by pollen tubes (PTs; male gametophytes) carrying two immobile sperm cells that grow over long distances through the carpel toward the ovules, where double fertilization is executed. It is not understood how these reproductive structures evolved, which genes occur de novo in male gametophytes of angiosperms, and to which extent PT functions are conserved among angiosperms. To contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolution of gametophyte functions, we generated RNA sequencing data from seven reproductive and two vegetative control tissues of the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda and complemented these with proteomic data of pollen grains (PGs) and PTs. The eudicot model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) served as a reference organism for data analysis, as more than 200 genes have been associated with male gametophyte functions in this species. We describe methods to collect bicellular A. trichopoda PGs, to induce their germination in vitro, and to monitor PT growth and germ cell division. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses indicate that A. trichopoda PGs are prepared for germination requiring lipids, energy, but likely also reactive oxygen species, while PTs are especially characterized by catabolic/biosynthetic and transport processes including cell wall biosynthesis and gene regulation. Notably, a number of pollen-specific genes were lacking in Arabidopsis, and the number of genes involved in pollen signaling is significantly reduced in A. trichopoda In conclusion, we provide insight into male gametophyte functions of the most basal angiosperm and establish a valuable resource for future studies on the evolution of flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Flores-Tornero
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Frank Vogler
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marek Mutwil
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - David Potěšil
- Mendel Centre for Plant Genomics and Proteomics, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Ihnatová
- Mendel Centre for Plant Genomics and Proteomics, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Zdráhal
- Mendel Centre for Plant Genomics and Proteomics, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Stefanie Sprunck
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Dresselhaus
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Fadón E, Herrero M, Rodrigo J. Anther and pollen development in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) in relation to winter dormancy. PROTOPLASMA 2019; 256:733-744. [PMID: 30506265 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-018-01332-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Anther and pollen development is a highly conserved process in angiosperms, but while pollen formation in annual plants occurs in a few days, in temperate woody perennials, it requires several months. How anther and pollen development is framed in terms of seasonality plays a clear part in reproductive success. In this study, seasonal anther and pollen development is characterized in two sweet cherry cultivars over 2 years, paying special attention to the period of dormancy and unveiling the role of starch in this process. We evaluated starch content from the autumn until bud burst with the help of an image analysis system fitted to a light microscope. Microscope observations allowed the temporal relationship of pollen development to the phenological stages of flower and bud development to be determined. In both cultivars and years, anther and pollen development followed the same pattern. Development was halted by dormancy, when the anthers showed no morphological changes until several weeks after chilling fulfillment, until the milder temperatures reactivated development. After dormancy, starch was accumulated in the connective tissue until tracheary element differentiation. Quantification of starch in the connective tissue of anthers revealed its importance in supporting pollen meiosis and subsequent anther growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Fadón
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón. Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Av. Montañana 930, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain
- Estación Experimental Aula Dei, CSIC, Av. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - María Herrero
- Estación Experimental Aula Dei, CSIC, Av. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Javier Rodrigo
- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón. Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón - IA2 (CITA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Av. Montañana 930, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain.
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5
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Abstract
With the origin of pollination in ancient seed plants, the male gametophyte ("pollen") began to evolve a new and unique life history stage, the progamic phase, a post-pollination period in which pollen sexual maturation occurs in interaction with sporophyte-derived tissues. Pollen performance traits mediate the timing of the fertilization process, often in competition with other pollen, via the speed of pollen germination, sperm development, and pollen tube growth. Studies of pollen development rarely address the issue of performance or its evolution, which involves linking variation in developmental rates to relative fitness within populations or to adaptations on a macroevolutionary scale. Modifications to the pollen tube pathway and changes in the intensity of pollen competition affect the direction and strength of selection on pollen performance. Hence, pollen developmental evolution is always contextual-it involves both the population biology of pollen reaching stigmas and the co-evolution of sporophytic traits, such as the pollen tube pathway and mating system. For most species, performance evolution generally reflects a wandering history of periods of directional selection and relaxed selection, channeled by developmental limitations, a pattern that favors the accumulation of diversity and redundancy in developmental mechanisms and the genetic machinery. Developmental biologists are focused on finding universal mechanisms that underlie pollen function, and these are largely mechanisms that have evolved through their effects on performance. Here, we suggest ways in which studies of pollen performance or function could progress by cross-fertilization between the "evo" and "devo" fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph H Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States.
| | - John B Reese
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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6
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Losada JM, Bachelier JB, Friedman WE. Prolonged embryogenesis in Austrobaileya scandens (Austrobaileyaceae): its ecological and evolutionary significance. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017. [PMID: 28631322 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The embryology of basal angiosperm lineages (Amborella, Nymphaeales and Austrobaileyales) is central to reconstructing the early evolution of flowering plants. Previous studies have shown that mature seeds in Austrobaileyales are albuminous, with a small embryo surrounded by a substantial diploid endosperm. However, little is known of seed ontogeny and seedling germination in Austrobaileya scandens, sister to all other extant Austrobaileyales. Standard histochemical techniques were used to study ovule/seed development and germination of Austrobaileya. Early development of the endosperm in Austrobaileya is ab initio cellular with pronounced cell proliferation. The nucellus transiently accumulates some starch, but is obliterated by expansion of a massive endosperm, where all embryo-nourishing reserves are ultimately stored. Twelve months elapse from fertilization to fruit abscission. Seeds are dispersed with a minute embryo, requiring 12 additional months for seedling establishment. The 2 yr required for seedling establishment is an apomorphic feature of Austrobaileya, probably related to germination in extremely dark understory conditions. Remarkably, although Austrobaileya seeds are nearly 50 times larger (by length) than the smallest seeds of extinct and extant members of early divergent angiosperm lineages, the embryo to seed ratio (E : S) falls squarely within the narrow range that characterizes the albuminous seeds of ancient flowering plant lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Losada
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 1300 Centre Street, Boston, MA, 02131, USA
| | - Julien B Bachelier
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Institute of Biology, Structural and Functional Plant Diversity Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstrasse 6, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - William E Friedman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 1300 Centre Street, Boston, MA, 02131, USA
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7
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Pérez Di Giorgio JA, Soto GC, Muschietti JP, Amodeo G. Pollen Aquaporins: The Solute Factor. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1659. [PMID: 27881985 PMCID: PMC5101680 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
In the recent years, the biophysical properties and presumed physiological role of aquaporins (AQPs) have been expanded to specialized cells where water and solute exchange are crucial traits. Complex but unique processes such as stomatal movement or pollen hydration and germination have been addressed not only by identifying the specific AQP involved but also by studying how these proteins integrate and coordinate cellular activities and functions. In this review, we referred specifically to pollen-specific AQPs and analyzed what has been assumed in terms of transport properties and what has been found in terms of their physiological role. Unlike that in many other cells, the AQP machinery in mature pollen lacks plasma membrane intrinsic proteins, which are extensively studied for their high water capacity exchange. Instead, a variety of TIPs and NIPs are expressed in pollen. These findings have altered the initial understanding of AQPs and water exchange to consider specific and diverse solutes that might be critical to sustaining pollen's success. The spatial and temporal distribution of the pollen AQPs also reflects a regulatory mechanism that allowing a properly adjusting water and solute exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana A. Pérez Di Giorgio
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasBuenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela C. Soto
- Instituto de Genética Ewald A. Favret – Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas – Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasBuenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge P. Muschietti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasBuenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos AiresBuenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Amodeo
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos AiresBuenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada – Universidad de Buenos Aires–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasBuenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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Di Giorgio JAP, Bienert GP, Ayub ND, Yaneff A, Barberini ML, Mecchia MA, Amodeo G, Soto GC, Muschietti JP. Pollen-Specific Aquaporins NIP4;1 and NIP4;2 Are Required for Pollen Development and Pollination in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE PLANT CELL 2016; 28:1053-77. [PMID: 27095837 PMCID: PMC4904668 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.15.00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
In flowers with dry stigmas, pollen development, pollination, and pollen tube growth require spatial and temporal regulation of water and nutrient transport. To better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in reproductive processes, we characterized NIP4;1 and NIP4;2, two pollen-specific aquaporins of Arabidopsis thaliana. NIP4;1 and NIP4;2 are paralogs found exclusively in the angiosperm lineage. Although they have 84% amino acid identity, they displayed different expression patterns. NIP4;1 has low expression levels in mature pollen, while NIP4;2 expression peaks during pollen tube growth. Additionally, NIP4;1pro:GUS flowers showed GUS activity in mature pollen and pollen tubes, whereas NIP4;2pro:GUS flowers only in pollen tubes. Single T-DNA mutants and double artificial microRNA knockdowns had fewer seeds per silique and reduced pollen germination and pollen tube length. Transport assays in oocytes showed NIP4;1 and NIP4;2 function as water and nonionic channels. We also found that NIP4;1 and NIP4;2 C termini are phosphorylated by a pollen-specific CPK that modifies their water permeability. Survival assays in yeast indicated that NIP4;1 also transports ammonia, urea, boric acid, and H2O2 Thus, we propose that aquaporins NIP4;1 and NIP4;2 are exclusive components of the reproductive apparatus of angiosperms with partially redundant roles in pollen development and pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Andrea Pérez Di Giorgio
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gerd Patrick Bienert
- Metalloid Transport Group, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Nicolás Daniel Ayub
- Instituto de Genética Ewald A. Favret (CICVyA-INTA), Castelar, CC25 (1712) Buenos Aires, Argentina Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1033AAJ Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Yaneff
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA-CONICET-UBA), Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Laura Barberini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín Alejandro Mecchia
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Amodeo
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA-CONICET-UBA), Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Cynthia Soto
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina Instituto de Genética Ewald A. Favret (CICVyA-INTA), Castelar, CC25 (1712) Buenos Aires, Argentina Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1033AAJ Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Prometeo Muschietti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
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9
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Vieira AM, Feijó JA. Hydrogel control of water uptake by pectins during in vitro pollen hydration of Eucalyptus globulus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2016; 103:437-451. [PMID: 26960349 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Upon pollination, dehydrated pollen grains take water out of the stigma surface, an event that constitutes the first functional checkpoint of sexual reproduction in higher plants. Little is known about possible functional connections between rehydration speed and further steps of fertilization. Here we addressed the mechanisms of water uptake control by dehydrated pollen grains. Because dehydrated cells have no energy-driven active mechanism such as membrane-based osmoregulation for controlling water movement, we tested the hypothesis that another mechanism might exist, namely, the use of hydrogel-behaving molecules. METHODS We developed an imaging protocol to visualize and quantify the rate of water entry into pollen grains of Eucalyptus globulus and tested the influence of different treatments linked to hydrogel-behaving molecules. We complemented these analyses by immunostaining pectins in the pollen grain with monoclonal antibodies JIM5 and JIM7. KEY RESULTS Water entry seemed to proceed exclusively through the germination apertures of the pollen grain, and the changes observed in different hydration media are compatible with hydrogel behavior. When JIM5 and JIM7 were used to characterize pectins on the germination apertures during hydration, pectin localization and esterification changed during hydration and were affected by the hydration solutions. These results suggest that chemical modification of the pectins may change their hydrogel behavior, thus modifying the hydration speed. CONCLUSIONS The hydrogel behavior of pectins and pectin localization on apertures strongly suggest that pectins act like "valves" for water entry, enabling a regulated process of water uptake into the dehydrated pollen grain. We propose that this regulation evolved in terms of achieving the correct self-organization of molecules and cellular components to resume metabolism and pollen tube growth, especially in species that are subject to demanding environmental water stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José A Feijó
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência; Oeiras, 2780-156, Portugal University of Maryland, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, 0118 BioScience Research Building, College Park, Maryland 20742-5815 USA
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10
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Lora J, Hormaza JI, Herrero M. The Diversity of the Pollen Tube Pathway in Plants: Toward an Increasing Control by the Sporophyte. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:107. [PMID: 26904071 PMCID: PMC4746263 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Plants, unlike animals, alternate multicellular diploid, and haploid generations in their life cycle. While this is widespread all along the plant kingdom, the size and autonomy of the diploid sporophyte and the haploid gametophyte generations vary along evolution. Vascular plants show an evolutionary trend toward a reduction of the gametophyte, reflected both in size and lifespan, together with an increasing dependence from the sporophyte. This has resulted in an overlooking of the importance of the gametophytic phase in the evolution of higher plants. This reliance on the sporophyte is most notorious along the pollen tube journey, where the male gametophytes have to travel a long way inside the sporophyte to reach the female gametophyte. Along evolution, there is a change in the scenery of the pollen tube pathway that favors pollen competition and selection. This trend, toward apparently making complicated what could be simple, appears to be related to an increasing control of the sporophyte over the gametophyte with implications for understanding plant evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Lora
- Department of Subtropical Fruit Crops, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora – University of Málaga – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasMálaga, Spain
| | - José I. Hormaza
- Department of Subtropical Fruit Crops, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora – University of Málaga – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasMálaga, Spain
| | - María Herrero
- Department of Pomology, Estación Experimental Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasZaragoza, Spain
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11
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Lankinen Å, Karlsson Green K. Using theories of sexual selection and sexual conflict to improve our understanding of plant ecology and evolution. AOB PLANTS 2015; 7:plv008. [PMID: 25613227 PMCID: PMC4344479 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Today it is accepted that the theories of sexual selection and sexual conflict are general and can be applied to both animals and plants. However, potentially due to a controversial history, plant studies investigating sexual selection and sexual conflict are relatively rare. Moreover, these theories and concepts are seldom implemented in research fields investigating related aspects of plant ecology and evolution. Even though these theories are complex, and can be difficult to study, we suggest that several fields in plant biology would benefit from incorporating and testing the impact of selection pressures generated by sexual selection and sexual conflict. Here we give examples of three fields where we believe such incorporation would be particularly fruitful, including (i) mechanisms of pollen-pistil interactions, (ii) mating-system evolution in hermaphrodites and (iii) plant immune responses to pests and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Åsa Lankinen
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Plant Protection Biology, PO Box 102, S-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Kristina Karlsson Green
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Plant Protection Biology, PO Box 102, S-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
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12
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Losada JM, Herrero M. Glycoprotein composition along the pistil of Malus x domestica and the modulation of pollen tube growth. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 14:1. [PMID: 25316555 PMCID: PMC3890559 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-14-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The characteristics of pollen tube growth are not constant, but display distinct patterns of growth within the different tissues of the pistil. In the stigma, the growth rate is slow and autotrophic, whereas in the style, it is rapid and heterotrophic. Very little is known about the interactions between these distinct maternal tissues and the traversing pollen tube and the role of this interaction on the observed metabolism. In this work we characterise pollen tube growth in the apple flower and look for differences in glycoprotein epitope localization between two different maternal tissues, the stigma and the style. RESULTS While immunocytochemically-detected arabinogalactan proteins were present at high levels in the stigma, they were not detected in the transmitting tissue of the style, where extensins were abundant. Whereas extensins remained at high levels in unpollinated pistils, they were no longer present in the style following pollen tube passage. Similarily, while abundant in unpollinated styles, insoluble polysaccharides such as β-glucans, were depleted in pollinated pistils. CONCLUSIONS The switch from autotropic to heterotrophic pollen tube growth correlates spatially with a change of glycoprotein epitopes between the stigma and the style. The depletion of extensins and polysaccharides following pollen tube passage in the style suggest a possible contribution to the acceleration of heterotrophic pollen tube growth, which would imply an active contribution of female tissues on prezygotic male-female crosstalk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Losada
- Pomology Department, Aula Dei Experimental Station CSIC, Apdo 13034, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain
- Present address: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, 1300 Centre Street, 02131 Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Herrero
- Pomology Department, Aula Dei Experimental Station CSIC, Apdo 13034, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain
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