Anther opening, pollen biology and stigma receptivity in the long blooming species, Parietaria judaica L. (Urticaceae)

Franchi, Gian Gabriele; Nepi, Massimo; Matthews, Merran L.; Pacini, Ettore

doi:10.1016/j.flora.2006.03.005

Cited by 35 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…In grasses, for example, the pollen remains viable for only a very short time (a few minutes to a few hours), even under the most favorable environmental conditions (54,55). This short period of viability forces plants with desiccation-sensitive pollen to carefully restrict pollen release to humid periods of the day (39,56). Such plants would certainly benefit from any intrinsic adaptation (possibly associated with increased GC content) that would assure pollen viability at lower water potential.…”

Section: Increased Gc Content and Response To Cold And Dry Climates Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and evolutionary significance of genomic GC content diversity in monocots

Šmarda

Bureš

Horová

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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289

220

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Genomic DNA base composition (GC content) is predicted to significantly affect genome functioning and species ecology. Although several hypotheses have been put forward to address the biological impact of GC content variation in microbial and vertebrate organisms, the biological significance of GC content diversity in plants remains unclear because of a lack of sufficiently robust genomic data. Using flow cytometry, we report genomic GC contents for 239 species representing 70 of 78 monocot families and compare them with genomic characters, a suite of life history traits and climatic niche data using phylogeny-based statistics. GC content of monocots varied between 33.6% and 48.9%, with several groups exceeding the GC content known for any other vascular plant group, highlighting their unusual genome architecture and organization. GC content showed a quadratic relationship with genome size, with the decreases in GC content in larger genomes possibly being a consequence of the higher biochemical costs of GC base synthesis. Dramatic decreases in GC content were observed in species with holocentric chromosomes, whereas increased GC content was documented in species able to grow in seasonally cold and/or dry climates, possibly indicating an advantage of GC-rich DNA during cell freezing and desiccation. We also show that genomic adaptations associated with changing GC content might have played a significant role in the evolution of the Earth's contemporary biota, such as the rise of grass-dominated biomes during the mid-Tertiary. One of the major selective advantages of GC-rich DNA is hypothesized to be facilitating more complex gene regulation.plant genome | genome size evolution | Poaceae | phylogenetic regression | geographical stratification D eep insights into the genomic architecture of model plants are rapidly accumulating, especially because of advances being made in high-throughput next generation and third generation sequencing techniques (1). However, the genomic constitution of the vast majority of nonmodel plants still remains unknown (2), impeding our understanding of the relationship between particular genomic architectures and evolutionary fitness in various environments. One of the important qualitative aspects of genomic architecture is the genomic nucleotide composition, which is usually expressed as the proportion of guanine and cytosine bases in the DNA molecule (GC content). In prokaryotes, the GC content is a well-studied and widely used character in taxonomy (3), and numerous studies have shown both the impact of GC content on microbial ecology and the influence of the environment in shaping the DNA base composition of microbial communities (4-7). The DNA base composition is also frequently discussed in relation to the evolution of the isochore structure in humans and other homeothermic (warm-blooded) vertebrates (i.e., birds and mammals) (8-10). In contrast, considerably less attention has been paid to the biological relevance of genomic GC content variation in plants (11), with genomic GC co...

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Section: Increased Gc Content and Response To Cold And Dry Climates Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological and evolutionary significance of genomic GC content diversity in monocots

Šmarda

Bureš

Horová

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

289

220

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“…3.4h ). Their walls have transverse thickenings (ribs) in their upper two-thirds, whereas there is no mechanical layer in the anther (Franchi et al 2007 ) . When the anthers dehydrate, they shrink and lose contact with one another.…”

Section: Anther Dehiscencementioning

confidence: 99%

The Onset, Course and Intensity of the Pollen Season

et al. 2012

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The onset, duration and intensity of the period when pollen is present in the air varies from year to year. Amongst other things, there is an effect upon the quality of life of allergy sufferers. The production and emission of pollens are governed by interacting environmental factors. Any change in these factors may affect the phenology and intensity of the season. Readiness to fl ower in a plant, and the amount of pollen produced, is the result of conditions during an often long period foregoing fl owering. When a plant is ready to fl ower, temporary ambient circumstances e.g., irradiation and humidity, determine the timing of the actual

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“…shedding problem is the generation of internal forces causing pollen grains to catapult or explode from the anther into the air column [10][11][12]; but these mechanisms appear to be quite restricted taxonomically and do not likely represent the general case for wind-pollinated angiosperms. Alternatively, pollen may be removed passively from the anther by aerodynamic forces (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turbulence-induced resonance vibrations cause pollen release in wind-pollinated Plantago lanceolata L. (Plantaginaceae)

Timerman

Greene

Urzay

et al. 2014

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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In wind pollination, the release of pollen from anthers into airflows determines the quantity and timing of pollen available for pollination. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance of pollen release, wind-stamen interactions are poorly understood, as are the specific forces that deliver pollen grains into airflows. We present empirical evidence that atmospheric turbulence acts directly on stamens in the cosmopolitan, wind-pollinated weed, Plantago lanceolata, causing resonant vibrations that release episodic bursts of pollen grains. In laboratory experiments, we show that stamens have mechanical properties corresponding to theoretically predicted ranges for turbulence-driven resonant vibrations. The mechanical excitation of stamens at their characteristic resonance frequency caused them to resonate, shedding pollen vigorously. The characteristic natural frequency of the stamens increased over time with each shedding episode due to the reduction in anther mass, which increased the mechanical energy required to trigger subsequent episodes. Field observations of a natural population under turbulent wind conditions were consistent with these laboratory results and demonstrated that pollen is released from resonating stamens excited by small eddies whose turnover periods are similar to the characteristic resonance frequency measured in the laboratory. Turbulencedriven vibration of stamens at resonance may be a primary mechanism for pollen shedding in wind-pollinated angiosperms. The capacity to release pollen in wind can be viewed as a primary factor distinguishing animal-from wind-pollinated plants, and selection on traits such as the damping ratio and flexural rigidity may be of consequence in evolutionary transitions between pollination systems.

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Anther opening, pollen biology and stigma receptivity in the long blooming species, Parietaria judaica L. (Urticaceae)

Cited by 35 publications

References 32 publications

Ecological and evolutionary significance of genomic GC content diversity in monocots

Ecological and evolutionary significance of genomic GC content diversity in monocots

The Onset, Course and Intensity of the Pollen Season

Turbulence-induced resonance vibrations cause pollen release in wind-pollinated Plantago lanceolata L. (Plantaginaceae)

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