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Interaction of lipid bodies with other cell organelles in the maturing pollen of Magnolia × soulangeana (Magnoliaceae)

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Abstract

The pollen grain maturation in Magnolia × soulangeana was studied ultrastructurally and cytochemically using both the light and transmission electron microscope. Emphasis was given on the storage lipid bodies of the vegetative cell (VC) and their interaction with other cell organelles. Stereological analysis of electron micrographs was performed to evaluate the variation in volume density (VV), surface density, and surface-to-volume ratio (S/V) of various cell organelles during pollen maturation. The size and numerical density of the lipid bodies, and their frequency of association with other cell organelles, were also determined. It was noted that during pollen ontogeny and maturation, the lipid bodies changed their pattern of distribution in the VC cytoplasm, which may be a good marker for the succeeding stages of pollen development. Also, the size, osmiophily, and VV of the lipid bodies were progressively reduced during pollen maturation whereas the S/V was significantly increased. This seems to indicate that the lipid bodies are mobilized in part during this period of pollen maturation. In particular, the intermediate and mature pollen showed a high percentage of lipid bodies establishing a physical contact with either glyoxysomes, either protein storage vacuoles, or small vesicles presumably originated from dictyosomes. This physical contact was found in both the chemically fixed and rapid freeze-fixed pollen indicating that it is neither artifactual nor casual. On the basis of this intimate association with other cell organelles and the morphometric analysis performed, we suggest that the mobilization of lipid bodies is likely mediated not only by glyoxysomes but also by other catabolic pathways involving the interaction of lipid bodies with either protein storage vacuoles or small Golgi vesicles.

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Acknowledgements

We thank JD Santos Dias for technical assistance and Dr R Teixeira for improving the English. This work was supported by grants from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Electron Microscopy and Palynology, and Center for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Augusto M. Dinis & A. Pereira Coutinho

  2. CEF, Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Augusto M. Dinis

  3. Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3001-455, Coimbra, Portugal

    Augusto M. Dinis

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  1. Augusto M. Dinis
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  2. A. Pereira Coutinho
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Correspondence to Augusto M. Dinis.

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Dinis, A.M., Coutinho, A.P. Interaction of lipid bodies with other cell organelles in the maturing pollen of Magnolia × soulangeana (Magnoliaceae). Protoplasma 238, 35–46 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-009-0071-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-009-0071-6

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