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Updated: Oct 3, 2026

A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana
Published on: June 30, 2023
Pollen hydration status at dispersal: cytophysiological features and strategies
M Nepi1, G G Franchi, E Pacini
1Department of Environmental Sciences, Siena University, 4 Via P.A. Mattioli, 53100 Siena, Italy.
Abstract:
The aim of this paper is to draw attention to partially hydrated pollen, namely, pollen grains having a high water content (> 30%); this type of pollen is more frequent than previously thought. Various cyto-physiological strategies are used to retain water during exposure and dispersal such as cytoplasm carbohydrates; in the absence of such strategies, fast pollination must be ensured, because uncontrolled loss of water leads to pollen death. On the other hand, a state of partial hydration allows a fast tube emission (even within 3-5 min). Several methods for determining the hydration status of pollen at anthesis are proposed.
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