Light and electron microscopy of embryo development in perennial and annual Medicago species

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 837-849 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Sangduen ◽  
G. L. Kreitner ◽  
E. L. Sorensen

The embryo of perennial Medicago sativa L. and annual M. scutellata (L.) Mill. have similar growth stages, but the perennial embryo is smaller and its rate of growth is slower than that of the annual by about 3 days. Transfer cells in the suspensor and embryo sac of late heart stages suggest different major pathways of nutrient flow in the two species. Transfusion tissue at the base of the embryo sac in the ovule of M. scutellata may facilitate solute transport and promote rapid embryo growth. Plastids in the suspensor cells of heart and late heart stages of the two species contain a dense matrix, membrane-bounded plastid vacuoles, starch, and a dense core. The plastid core in M. sativa has stacked tiers of straight tubules about 24 nm in diameter, suggesting that these specialized plastids are like tubular chromoplasts. Plastid vacuoles arise from the periphery of dense cores and apparently discharge electron-translucent contents into the suspensor cytoplasm. Plastid vacuoles may play a role in suspensor metabolism and thus influence embryo development.


1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 1241-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Sangduen ◽  
G. L. Kreitner ◽  
E. L. Sorensen

Using light and transmission electron microscopy, we studied embryo development from 3 to 14 days after pollination in an interspecific Medicago cross (perennial M. sativa L., 2n = 4x = 32 × annual M. scutellata (L.) Mill, 2n = 4x = 32) to determine factors contributing to abortion in wide crosses. An intraspecific M. sativa cross and an M. sativa self-mating were used for control embryos. Nucellus and integumentary tapetum at the base of the embryo sac appear to be important sources of nutrition during the first 2 weeks of embryo development. Micrographic evidence supports the conclusions that maternal and embryonic tissue of interspecific ovules fail to carry out a timely sequence of metabolism involving lipid, starch, and nucellar crystals. Delayed breakdown of starch and lipid in the integumentary tapetum and nucellus is a probable factor in reduced development of coenocytic endosperm. At the late heart stage of embryo development, relative inactivity of dictyosomes and endoplasmic reticulum in hybrid ovules suggests failure of nutrient metabolism and transport in all nutritive tissue including the nucellus, integumentary tapetum, endosperm, and suspensor of the embryo. Early embryo development in Medicago appears to be a complex phenomenon requiring a high degree of coordination between anabolism and catabolism in both maternal and embryonic tissue.



1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 813-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Kreitner ◽  
E. L. Sorensen

The self-fertile annual Medicago species evolved from the cross-pollinated perennial species. We used light and electron microscopy to study the development and structure of the stigma in annual tetraploid Medicago scutellata (L.) Mill to help elucidate the mechanism of self-pollination. Immature stigmatic cells have extensive lipid deposits. During development, stigmatic cells become separated and cellular lipid is transferred to intercellular spaces as part of the copious stigmatic secretion. The cuticle of the stigma is lifted away from underlying cell walls and confines secretion around stigmatic cells. The cuticle is thin, about 75 nm, and is composed mainly of a single layer traversed by dense strands. The cuticle is virtually always disrupted during late stages of flower maturation, as evidenced by penetration of stain into the stigma. Self-pollination may occur without flower tripping.



Author(s):  
H. Clarke Anderson ◽  
Priscilla R. Coulter

Epiphyseal cartilage matrix contains fibrils and particles of at least 5 different types: 1. Banded collagen fibrils, present throughout the matrix, but not seen in the lacunae. 2. Non-periodic fine fibrils <100Å in diameter (Fig. 1), which are most notable in the lacunae, and may represent immature collagen. 3. Electron dense matrix granules (Fig. 1) which are often attached to fine fibrils and collagen fibrils, and probably contain protein-polysaccharide although the possibility of a mineral content has not been excluded. 4. Matrix vesicles (Fig. 2) which show a selective distribution throughout the epiphysis, and may play a role in calcification. 5. Needle-like apatite crystals (Fig. 2).Blocks of formalin-fixed epiphysis from weanling mice were digested with the following agents in 0.1M phosphate buffer: a) 5% ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) at pH 8.3, b) 0.015% bovine testicular hyaluronidase (Sigma, type IV, 750 units/mg) at pH 5.5, and c) 0.1% collagenase (Worthington, chromatograhically pure, 200 units/mg) at pH 7.4. All digestions were carried out at 37°C overnight. Following digestion tissues were examined by light and electron microscopy to determine changes in the various fibrils and particles of the matrix.



2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 10152-10164 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Gharaghani ◽  
F. Rafiei ◽  
N. Mirakhorli ◽  
E. Ebrahimie


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1329 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Pathipanawat ◽  
RAC Jones ◽  
K Sivasithamparam

An improved technique for successful artificial hybridization in annual medic (Medicago spp.) is described. Using a previously reported method, only four out of seven species were successfully crossed, with the percentage of success ranging from 3 to 22%. Initial modifications to this technique gave a 7-8 fold increase in the successful crossing rate in M. murex and M. polymorpha medic, from 9 to 64% with M. murex and from 10 to 82% with M. polymorpha. Further modifications to the technique resulted in a success rate of 100% in both species. The numbers of seeds per pod obtained from crosses in both species were also increased by using the modified techniques compared to the established method. Selection of larger, more mature flowers, differences in flower cutting position, as well as post pollination position were the main modifications which accounted for the greatly improved success rate. The modified technique was subsequently applied successfully to obtain for the first time inter-specific crosses involving M. polymorphax M. murex, M. polymorphax M. sphaerocarpos, M.murexx M. sphaerocarpos, M. solerolii x M. littoralis/M.truncatula hybrid, M. solerolii x M, tornata, and M. littoralis/M.truncatula hybrid x M. sphaerocarpos.



1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 635 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Barbetti

Strategies for control of Phoma black stem disease in annual Medicago species through selection of cultivars with increased resistance to Phoma medicaginis, fungicidal spray applications to swards, and fungicidal control of seedborne infection, were investigated. Fiftyseven annual Medicago cultivars and lines were screened for resistance in the field in 1 m rows over 2 consecutive seasons. There were significant differences in resistance among species and also between lines and cultivars of any particular species. Three M. rugosa cultivars were very highly resistant and most cultivars and lines showed some resistance. In a field trial, the fungicides benomyl, carbendazim, flutriafol, propiconazole, thiabendazole and triadimefon were tested for their efficacy in controlling Phoma black stem disease. All fungicides reduced disease severity in the sward and, except for thiabendazole, the percentage burrs with Phoma lesions. The role and control of seed-borne P. medicaginis in causing Phoma black stem disease in Medicago truncatula and M. polymorpha var. brevispina at a field site was also investigated. Seed-borne P. medicaginis caused subsequent development of Phoma black stem disease in swards sown with infected seed. Disease appeared earlier, developed faster and became much more severe in M. truncatula cv. Cyprus than in M. polymorpha cv. Serena. Application of benomyl seed treatments (0.1 and 0.5% w/w) resulted in only a 4-5 week delay in the onset of Phoma black stem symptoms.



1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1567-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Koltunow ◽  
Kathleen Soltys ◽  
Nobumasa Nito ◽  
Stuart McClure

'Valencia' orange, a commercially important cultivar of Citrus, forms polyembryonic seeds by an apomictic process called nucellar embryony in which many embryos initiate directly from nucellar cells surrounding the sexual embryo sac. We observed anther, ovule, seed, and fruit development in relation to nucellar embryo development in seeds and unfertilized ovules of 'Valencia'. Pollination and fertilization are required to set fruit in 'Valencia', and low seed set was found to be related to defects in both male and female gametogenesis. Nucellar embryo initial cells were evident histologically in ovules of flowers just prior to anthesis. However, in vitro culture of ovules from flowers at different prepollination stages showed that embryos could develop from ovules cultured as early as the binucleate stage of megagametogenesis in which nucellar initial cells were absent histologically. During fruit development, the timing and sequence of the early events of nucellar embryo formation were synchronous in seeds and unfertilized ovules, indicating a co-ordinated control of embryo development in spatially and developmentally distinct structures. In both developing seeds and unfertilized ovules, embryo initial cells first formed thick walls, which isolated them from surrounding maternal tissue. In later stages, the cell walls thinned in some initial cells and embryogenesis became asynchronous. Cleavage of embryogénie cells coincided with degenerative processes linked to embryo sac expansion in seeds and to a previously unreported, localized degeneration in the central portion of the nucellus in unfertilized ovules. Some initial cells never divided. Nucellar embryo development was restricted to the central portion of unfertilized ovules and to the micropylar region of seeds. Only fertilized ovules had the capacity to form mature polyembryonic seeds. In unfertilized ovules a specialized vascular structure formed linking developing embryos to the chalazal vasculature of the ovule. Embryo development arrested at the globular stage in unfertilized ovules and the integuments differentiated to form a seed coat. The timing of reproductive events described was linked to floral and fruit morphological characteristics to facilitate molecular characterization of nucellar embryogenesis and seed formation in this cultivar. Key words: Citrus, nucellar embryony, seed, ovule, apomixis.



2011 ◽  
Vol 193 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin-Ding Wang ◽  
Youhong Song ◽  
Michael B. Sheahan ◽  
Manohar L. Garg ◽  
Ray J. Rose


1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 2227-2238 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. N. Schel ◽  
H. Kieft

A culture method is described which allows the continuous supply of fresh liquid medium and which prevents the accumulation of toxic metabolites. Development of maize embryos and endosperm after various periods of in vitro ovary culture was studied by light and electron microscopy. Using this method the ultrastructural features of embryo development in vitro were similar to those of in vivo embryos. In contrast, the formation of endosperm was irregular with the absence of cellularization of the inner endosperm being frequent. In some cases, only the endosperm developed without any indication of embryo formation. In a calcium-depleted medium, embryo development was normal but again, endosperm formation was aberrant. No cells were formed in the central part of the endosperm and near the placental region degeneration took place, resulting in vacuoles with dark inclusions, clumps of rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes, and cellular breakdown. The events occurring after in vitro culture strongly resemble those taking place after intergeneric crosses or crosses between diploid and tetraploid strains. It is concluded that defective endosperm development is probably the main factor for the failure of embryo development.



Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document