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


RESULTS
Cryo-fixation revealed a new view of the interplay between sporophytic anther tissues and gametophytic microspores over the course of pollen development, especially with respect to the intact microspore/pollen wall and the continuous tapetum epithelium. These data reveal the ultrastructure of tapetosomes and elaioplasts, highly specialized tapetum organelles that accumulate pollen coat components. The tapetum and middle layer of the anther also remain intact into the tricellular pollen and late uninucleate microspore stages, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This high-quality structural information, interpreted in the context of recent functional studies, provides the groundwork for future mutant studies where tapetum and microspore ultrastructure is assessed.
Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6 T 1Z4, Canada.
Teagen D
TD
Quilichini
Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6 T 1Z4, Canada.
Carl J
CJ
Douglas
Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6 T 1Z4, Canada lsamuels@mail.ubc.ca.
A Lacey
AL
Samuels
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D018087:Plastids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011058:Pollen / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
D001704:Biopolymers; C009800:sporopollenin; D002338:Carotenoids
Anther; Arabidopsis thaliana; elaioplast; exine; microspore; plant cell wall; pollen; pollen coat; pollen wall; sporopollenin; tapetosome; tapetum ultrastructure