New views of tapetum ultrastructure and pollen exine development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The Arabidopsis thaliana pollen cell wall is a complex structure consisting of an outer sporopollenin framework and lipid-rich coat, as well as an inner cellulosic wall. Although mutant analysis has been a useful tool to study pollen cell walls, the ultrastructure of the arabidopsis anther has proved to be challenging to preserve for electron microscopy.

Methods

In this work, high-pressure freezing/freeze substitution and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the sequence of developmental events in the anther that lead to sporopollenin deposition to form the exine and the dramatic differentiation and death of the tapetum, which produces the pollen coat.

Key results

Cryo-fixation revealed a new view of the interplay between sporophyt

SUBMITTER: Quilichini TD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4195548 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature