Ab stractCom po si tion and lev els of sol u ble α-galactosides: raffinose fam ily oli go sac cha rides (RFOs) and galactosyl cyclitols (Gal-C) in de vel op ing seeds were mea sured by high res o lu tion gas chro ma tog ra phy (HRGC) method. The stud ies were performed on ma tur ing seeds of sev eral wild and cul ti vated Vicia spe cies: Vicia angustifolia L. (com mon vetch), Vicia cracca L. (bird vetch), Vicia grandiflora Scop. (large yel low vetch), Vicia hirsuta (L.) S.F.Gray (tiny vetch), Vicia sativa L. (garden vetch, spring-grow ing cultivar Kwarta), and Vicia villosa Roth (win ter vetch).In all Vicia spe cies sim i lar pat terns in the ac cu mu la tion of RFOs were ob served. Galactinol -the do nor of galactosyl moieties in α-galactosides biosynthesis was pres ent in the mid dle stage of seed de vel op ment, be fore ap pear ing mea sur able levels of RFOs. Ac cu mu la tion of RFOs started par al lel with seed des ic ca tion pro cess. At first ac cu mu la tion of the raffinose, then few days later stachyose and fi nally verbascose was noticed. In the fi nal stage of seed mat u ra tion the verbascose was the main sol u ble α-galactoside (up to 3 % of dry weight, V. sativa). Be sides the RFOs seeds of three Vicia spe cies (V. cracca, V. hirsuta, and V. villosa) ac cu mu lated D-pinitol and its α-ga lactosides (Gal-C). Mono-galactosylpinitols (sim i lar to raffi nose) ap peared in these spe cies 2-4 days af ter galactinol, di-galactosyl pinitol A (com mon name: ciceritol) and di-galactosyl myo-inositol were pres ent sev eral days later than raffinose, and ac cu mu la tion of tri-galactosyl pinitol A (TGPA) be gan af ter ac cu mu la tion of stachyose. Ma tured seeds of V. hirsuta con tained much more RFOs than Gal-C, op po site to seeds of V. villosa, and V. cracca where con cen tra tion of Gal-C was 4-8-fold higher than RFOs. In V. cracca seeds RFOs were al most re placed by Gal-C.In seeds of V. cracca and V. villosa the level of D-pinitol was sig nif i cantly higher, than the level of myo-inositol. Con tents of both cyclitols de clined rap idly at the be gin ning of seed des icca tion, when ac cu mu la tion of RFOs and Gal-C quickly increased. We sug gest that α-galactosides of D-pinitol can substi tute raffinose fam ily oli go sac cha rides and play sim i lar role dur ing seed maturation and storage.List of ab bre vi a tions: RFOs = raffinose fam ily oligo sac cha rides; Gal-C = galactosyl cyclitols; DAF = day af ter flow er ing; FW = fresh weight; DW = dry weight In tro duc tionRaffinose fam ily oli go sac cha rides (RFOs) are com mon in the plant king dom, mainly as con stit uents in seeds. To RFOs be longs raffinose (α-1→6-D -ga lactoside of su crose), and its ho mol ogous com pounds: stachyose, verbascose and 163

In the present study we have investigated the effect of exogenous cyclitols on the accumulation of their galactosides and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), as well as on some enzymes important for their biosynthesis in seeds of tiny vetch (Vicia hirsuta [L.] S.F. Gray). Immature seeds during 6-day incubation with D-chiro-inositol (naturally does not appear in seeds of tiny vetch) were accumulated cyclitol and its galactosides (fagopyritols: B1 and B2). Short 4-hour incubation with D-chiro-inositol, and subsequent slow desiccation process caused accumulation of free cyclitol only, without biosynthesis of its galactosides. Feeding D-chiro-inositol to pods of tiny vetch induced accumulation of high levels of its galactosides (fagopyritol B1, B2 and B3) in maturing seeds. Similarly, feeding D-pinitol increased accumulation of its mono-, di- and tri-galactosides: GPA, GPB, DGPA and TGPA in tiny vetch seed. Accumulation of both cyclitols and their galactosides drastically reduced accumulation of verbascose. Inhibition of RFOs biosynthesis by elevated levels of free cyclitols suggests some competition between formation of both types of galactosides and similarity of both biosynthetic routes in tiny vetch seeds. Galactinol synthase (GolS) from tiny vetch seeds demonstrated ability to utilize D-chiro-inositol as galactosyl acceptor, instead of myo-inositol. Presence of both cyclitols, as substrates for GolS, caused synthesis of their galactosides: fagopyritol B1 and galactinol. However, formation of galactinol was more efficient than fagopyritol B1. D-chiro-Inositol and D-pinitol at concentrations several-fold higher than myo-inositol had inhibitory effect on GolS. Thus, we suggest that a level of free cyclitols can have an influence on the rate of galactinol biosynthesis and further accumulation of RFOs and galactosyl cyclitols in tiny vetch seeds

Our macroscopic observations and microscopic studies conducted by means of a light microscope (LM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) concerning the re− production biology of Colobanthus quitensis (Caryophyllaceae) growing in natural condi− tions in the Antarctic and in a greenhouse in Olsztyn (northern Poland) showed that this plant develops two types of bisexual flowers: opening, chasmogamous flowers and closed, cleistogamous ones. Cleistogamy was caused by a low temperature, high air humidity and strong wind. A small number of microspores differentiated in the microsporangia of C. quitensis, which is typical of cleistogamous species. Microsporocytes, and later micro− spores, formed very thick callose walls. More than twenty spheroidal, polypantoporate pol− len grains differentiated in the microsporangium. They germinated on the surface of recep− tive cells on the dry stigma of the gynoecium or inside the microsporangium. A monosporic embryo sac of the Polygonum type differentiated in the crassinucellar ovule. During this differentiation the nucellus tissue formed and stored reserve materials. In the development of generative cells, a male germ unit (MGU) with differentiated sperm cells was observed. The smaller cell contained mainly mitochondria, and the bigger one plastids. In the process of fertilization in C. quitensis only one nucleus of the sperm cell, without cytoplasm frag− ments, entered the egg cell, and the proembryo developed according to the Caryophyllad type. Almost all C. quitensis ovules developed and formed perispermic seeds with a com− pletely differentiated embryo both under natural conditions in the Antarctic and in a green− house in Olsztyn.

No abstract

A b s t r a c tThe shaggy soldier [Galinsoga ciliata (Rafin) S. F. Blake], family Asteraceae] is an invasive species that poses a growing threat to crop production. This annual plant produces heteromorphic achenes in a capitulum type inflorescence. The objective of this study was to compare selected morphological and phenological parameters and the success of generative reproduction in plants developed from peripheral and central achenes of the capitulum. The somatic variability of G. ciliata diaspores contributed to differences in the growth rates, development and fertility of the resulting populations. The progeny of central diaspores developed at a slower rate than the individuals derived from peripheral achenes, but at the end of their life cycle, the offspring of dimorphic achenes formed homogenous groups as regards height values. On average, the initial phenophases of G. ciliata plants derived from central achenes began one day later, and they entered the flowering stage eight days later than the individuals developed from peripheral seeds. At the initial growth stage (experimental day 65 to 83), the progeny of central achenes produced fewer capitula. On day 133, the individual fertility of the plants derived from central diaspores was 10% higher on average in comparison with the offspring of peripheral achenes.