Summary
This study follows the maturation of the pollen grain of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), particularly the development of the vegetative cytoplasm and the various storage products formed. CTEM, HVEM, stereoscopy, and cyto-histochemistry were used to examine the events occurring during the 9 days before anthesis. Starch began to accumulate in plastids at anthesis minus 9 days and reached a peak concentration shortly before anthesis; lipid deposition followed a similar pattern, but started at 6 days before anthesis. Lipid bodies were always seen closely oppressed to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Dictyosomes appear active during the entire 9 days; first producing vesicles involved in the formation of the intine and, later, producing vesicles stored in the pollen grain. The dictyosome vesicles appear to contain polysaccharides and concentrate in layers around the lipid bodies. Ribosomes increase in number from 6 days before anthesis and are particularly numerous in the mature pollen. From anthesis minus 6 days until anthesis, the ER cisternae become increasingly inflated and, in the hours immediately before pollen release, form pockets filled with lipid bodies and dictysosome vesicles. The mature pollen has a core region filled with ER pockets and a peripheral cytoplasm in which such pockets are generally lacking.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker HG, Baker I (1979) Starch in angiosperm pollen grains and its evolutionary significance. Am J Bot 66:591–600
Chardad R (1958) L'ultrastructure des grains de pollen d'Orchidees. Rev Cytol Biol Veg 19:223–235
Fisher DB, Jensen WA, Ashton ME (1968) Histochemical studies on pollen: storage pockets in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Histochemie 13:169–182
Jensen WA, Fisher DB (1970) Cotton embryogenesis: the pollen tube in the stigma and style. Protoplasma 69:215–235
Jensen WA, Fisher DB, Ashton ME (1968) Cotton embryogenesis: the pollen cytoplasm. Planta 81:206–228
Mepham RH, Lane GR (1970) Observations on the fine structure of developing microspores of Tradescantia bracteata. Protoplasma 70:1–20
Sassen MMA (1964) Fine structure of Petunia pollen grain and pollen tube. Acta Bot Neerl 13:175–181
Stanley RG, Linskens HF (1974) Pollen: biology, biochemistry and management. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Thiery JP (1967) Mise en evidence des polysaccharide sur coupes fines en microscopic electronique. J Microsc 6:987–1018
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported in part by NSF Grant BMS575-22-23 and Grant N.RR-00592 from the Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wetzel, C.L.R., Jensen, W.A. Studies of pollen maturation in cotton: the storage reserve accumulation phase. Sexual Plant Reprod 5, 117–127 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00194870
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00194870