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Pollen cultures as a tool to study plant development.
O Vicente1, R M Moreno, E Heberle-Bors
1Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Vienna, Austria.
Cell Biology Reviews : CBR
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Isolated microspores and pollen grains can develop into functional pollen or haploid embryos under different in vitro conditions. Stress treatments like starvation or heat shock induce sporophytic development by activating specific gene transcription and cell cycle progression.
Area of Science:
- Plant reproductive biology
- Cellular and developmental biology
Background:
- Isolated microspores and pollen grains exhibit two developmental pathways in vitro: gametophytic (normal pollen) or sporophytic (haploid embryos).
- Simulating tapetal conditions promotes gametophytic development, while stress conditions induce sporophytic development.
- In vitro pollen maturation yields 'minimal' pollen, lacking substances for reproductive success, serving as a model for studying pollen development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct developmental pathways of isolated microspores and pollen grains in vitro.
- To explore the role of stress conditions in inducing sporophytic development.
- To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying embryogenic induction in pollen.
Main Methods:
- In vitro culture of isolated microspores and pollen grains.
- Application of specific stress treatments (starvation for binucleate pollen, heat shock for microspores).
- Analysis of gene transcription and cell cycle regulation during induced sporophytic development.
Main Results:
- Starvation or heat shock treatments successfully induced sporophytic development in isolated microspores and pollen grains.
- Specific messenger RNA (mRNA) transcription was activated during stress-induced treatments.
- Derepression of the cell cycle in the G1-arrested vegetative cell was identified as a key event in embryogenic induction.
Conclusions:
- In vitro culture systems provide a valuable platform for studying pollen development and its interaction with the tapetum.
- Stress-induced sporophytic development involves specific transcriptional activation and cell cycle regulation.
- Understanding these pathways can offer insights into plant embryogenesis and haploid plant production.