We evaluated a 4x accession of Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. and four 2x accessions of Ipomoea triloba for 2n pollen production. Approximately 90% of the genotypes of accession 81.2 (I. batatas, 4x) produced 2n pollen with different frequencies. In contrast, none of the genotypes of I. triloba produced 2n pollen. The diameter of the 2n pollen was approximately 30% ((3) sqrt 2) larger than that of t...

Despite much effort, a robust protocol for in vitro germination of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen has been elusive. Here we show that controlled temperatures, a largely disregarded factor in previous studies, and a simple optimized medium, solidified or liquid, yielded pollen germination rates above 80% and pollen tube lengths of hundreds of microns, with both Columbia and Landsberg erecta (Ler) e...

There is little clinical evidence for a correlation between the severity of atopic eczema (AE) and pollen exposition. To obtain more data, we performed a clinical cohort pilot study about the influence of pollen on AE between sensitized and nonsensitized subjects and an experimental study addressing the cutaneous penetration of pollen into the skin. Fifty-five patients were monitored during bir...

The effect of anther-derived substances on pollen function was studied using pollen produced by in vitro culture of immature pollen of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and petunia (Petunia hybrida). Addition of conditioned medium consisting of diffusates from in situ matured pollen strongly increased pollen germination frequency and pollen tube growth, as well as seed set after in situ pollinatio...

Variation in the number of pollen apertures has been widely described among and within angiosperm species. Apertures are weak points of the pollen wall where the pollen tube germinates. Pollen aperture heteromorphism (pollen grains with different numbers of apertures in a single individual) is common in flowering plants, whereas polymorphism (among-individual variation) is rare. Previous work o...

BACKGROUND Aeroallergen sampling provides information regarding the onset, duration and severity of the pollen season that clinicians use to guide allergen selection for skin testing and treatment. OBJECTIVES This atmospheric survey reports (1) airborne pollen contributions in Adana in one-year period (2) pollen onset, duration and peak level (3) the relationship between airborne pollen and s...

BACKGROUND Specific allergen from various pollen types has been found to be carried through the outdoor air, not only by intact pollen grains, but also by much smaller, paucimicronic particles. There is no complete agreement on whether, for birch (Betula), the seasonal appearance of atmospheric pollen allergen follows the fluctuation pattern of the pollen season. METHODS Assessment of birch-p...

The actin cytoskeleton is absolutely required for pollen germination and tube growth, but little is known about the regulation of actin polymer concentrations or dynamics in pollen. Here, we report that latrunculin B (LATB), a potent inhibitor of actin polymerization, had effects on pollen that were distinct from those of cytochalasin D. The equilibrium dissociation constant measured for LATB b...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Most pollinators are generalists and therefore are likely to transfer heterospecific pollen among co-flowering plants. Most work on the impacts of heterospecific pollen deposition on plant fecundity has utilized hand-pollination experiments in greenhouse settings, and we continue to know very little about the reproductive effects of heterospecific pollen in field settings. ...