Morphology and viability of pollen grains from wild varieties of pineapple

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a viabilidade de grãos de pólen de acessos silvestres de abacaxi mediante a percentagem de germinação in vitro, crescimento do tubo polínico em duas temperaturas de incubação e uso de carmim acético. Além disso, o trabalho busca reconhecer os padrões da morfologia polínica de algumas variedades de abacaxi. Foram utilizadas amostras de pólen coletadas de seis acessos de abacaxi: Silvestre-25, I-26/803 (Ananas macrodontes), Igor (A. comosus var. erectifolius), Ananás Santo Amaro, FRF-22 e FRF-32 (A. comosus var. bracteatus). Os grãos de pólen foram inoculados em meio de cultura contendo 10% de sacarose, 0,01% H3BO3, 0,01% KNO3, 0,03% Ca(NO3)2.4H2O, solidificado com 1% de ágar e pH ajustado para 6,5. Foram testadas as temperaturas de incubação de 25°C e 30°C. A viabilidade do pólen foi avaliada pela coloração com carmim acético a 2%. Todas as variedades de A. comosus apresentaram grãos de pólen de tamanho médio, simetria radial, âmbito ovalado a esferoidal, 2-porados, subprolatos, exina eutectada, reticulada, heterobrocada, lumens variando de arredondados a poligonais, sem granulações, com exceção dos dois acessos de A. macrodontes que apresentaram tamanho grande. Melhores taxas de germinação foram obtidas para A. macrodontes em comparação com o erectifolius e bracteatus. A maioria dos acessos apresentou viabilidade com carmim acético acima de 76%.The aim of this research was to evaluate the pollen grains viability from accessions of wild pineapple using in vitro pollen germination and the growth of the polinic tube in two different temperatures and acetic carmine. In addition, the study aimed to recognize the pattern of pollen morphology of some pineapple varieties. Samples from six pineapple's accessions: Silvestre-25, I-26/803 (Ananas macrodontes), Igor (A. comosus var. erectifolius), Ananás Santo Amaro, FRF-22 and FRF-32 (A. comosus var. bracteatus) were used. The pollen grains were inoculated onto medium culture containing 10% of sucrose, 0.01% H3BO3, 0.01% KNO3, 0.03% Ca(NO3)2.4H2O, solidified with 1% agar and pH adjusted to 6.5. Two incubation temperatures, 25°C e 30°C were evaluated. Pollen viability was evaluated by staining with 2% acetic carmine. All varieties of A. comosus showed pollen grains of medium size, radial symmetry, oval to spheroidal, ambit 2-porate, subprolate, exine eutectic, reticulate, heterobrochate, lumens ranging from polygonal to rounded, grain-free, except for two accessions of A. macrodontes that showed big size. The best germination rates were obtained for A. macrodontes when compared to erectifolius and bracteatus. The majority of accessions presented pollen viability higher than 76% using the acetic carmine technique

Description of the Immatures of the Ant, Myrmelachista catharinae

The Neotropical ant genus Myrmelachista Roger comprises 69 described species and subspecies, and still is a poorly studied group. Larvae play a paramount role in colony nutrition in social hymenopterans and bear considerable value in the reconstruction of group phylogenies, however, they are generally neglected. Larvae of different instars of Myrmelachista catharinae Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are herein described in detail by light and scanning electron microscopy. The number of larval instars was estimated as three based on the frequency distribution of maximum head capsule widths. The described larvae confirmed some traits typical of the genus: general shape of body and mandibles, general aspect and distribution of body hairs, and the number of sensilla on the palps and galea. Differently from other Myrmelachista larvae previously described, M. catharinae presented two distinct kinds of second instars, some additional types of body hairs, different number of antennal sensilla, and a distinct labrum shape. M. catharinae presented ten pairs of spiracles, which is the first record for this genus

Somatic embryogenesis and the effect of particle bombardment on banana Maçã regeneration

Neste trabalho é descrito um método de regeneração de plantas, a partir de células de bananeira, em suspensão, e o efeito da biobalística no potencial regenerativo. Embriões somáticos foram obtidos de inflorescências masculinas de bananeira cv. Maçã (grupo AAB) por meio de embriogênese indireta. Parte dos calos (40%) apresentou características embriogênicas (não-friáveis, compactas e amareladas). Suspensões celulares obtidas desses calos continham pequenas massas celulares, com citoplasmas ricos em grânulos de amido, núcleos grandes e nucléolos densos. Após quatro meses, embriões somáticos começaram a se desenvolver. O número máximo de plantas regeneradas ocorreu 45–60 dias após a formação dos embriões. No primeiro experimento foram regeneradas 401 plantas. No segundo, 399 plantas foram obtidas de uma suspensão celular 6 meses mais velha do que a do primeiro experimento. Transformações celulares com uma das três construções plasmidiais utilizadas, que continham o gene uid-A, resultaram em fortes sinais de expressão cinco dias após as transformações; todavia, o número de plantas regeneradas foi muito menor do que o observado no material não bombardeado.A plant regeneration method with cell suspension cultures of banana, and the effect of biobalistic on regeneration potential are described in this report. Somatic embryos of banana were obtained from indirect embryogenesis of male inflorescence of banana cultivar Maçã (AAB group). Part of the calluses formed (40%) showed embryogenic characteristics (nonfriable, compact and yellow color). The cell suspension, originated from embryogenic calluses, contained clusters of small tightly packed cells with dense cytoplasms, relatively large nuclei and very dense nucleoli. After four months of culture, somatic embryos started to regenerate. The maximum number of regenerated plants was observed between 45 and 60 days after embryo formation. In the first experiment, 401 plants were regenerated from approximately 10 mL of packed cells. In the second experiment, 399 plants were regenerated from a cell suspension six months older than that of the first experiment. Cell transformation using particle bombardment with three different plasmid constructions, containing the uid-A gene, resulted in a strong GUS expression five days after bombardment; however, plant regeneration from bombarded cells was much lower than nonbombarded ones

Biochemical and histological characterization of tomato mutants

Biochemical responses inherent to antioxidant systems as well morphological and anatomical properties of photomorphogenic, hormonal and developmental tomato mutants were investigated. Compared to the non-mutant Micro-Tom (MT), we observed that the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was enhanced in the diageotropica (dgt) and lutescent (l) mutants, whilst the highest levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were observed in high pigment 1 (hp1) and aurea (au) mutants. The analyses of antioxidant enzymes revealed that all mutants exhibited reduced catalase (CAT) activity when compared to MT. Guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX) was enhanced in both sitiens (sit) and notabilis (not) mutants, whereas in not mutant there was an increase in ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Based on PAGE analysis, the activities of glutathione reductase (GR) isoforms III, IV, V and VI were increased in l leaves, while the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoform III was reduced in leaves of sit, epi, Never ripe (Nr) and green flesh (gf) mutants. Microscopic analyses revealed that hp1 and au showed an increase in leaf intercellular spaces, whereas sit exhibited a decrease. The au and hp1 mutants also exhibited a decreased in the number of leaf trichomes. The characterization of these mutants is essential for their future use in plant development and ecophysiology studies, such as abiotic and biotic stresses on the oxidative metabolism

Nectar as manipulator: how nectar traits influence changes in pollinator groups of Aechmea vanhoutteana, a bromeliad from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Nectar is an important floral resource in the establishment of plant-pollinator interactions. Recent studies have shown that nectariferous tissues are independent of the ABC model of floral development and that ecological interactions can modify their expression. In this sense, it would be interesting to study generalist species in relation to nectar production and nectary morpho-anatomy to verify the strategies used to attract different pollinator groups. We recorded nectar production dynamics in Aechmea vanhoutteana (Bromeliaceae) from a morpho-functional and ultrastructural perspective. We observed different species of hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visiting flowers of A.vanhoutteana, and their frequency varied throughout floral anthesis. The nectar volume and quantity of sugar also varied significantly during anthesis, and this spatial and temporal variability seems to be related to an increase in bee visits, representing an important aspect of the reproductive strategy of this species, since bees can fly longer distances than the observed hummingbirds (although both have territorial behaviours). Thus, it can be suggested that anatomical and physiological nectar traits may be related to pollen flow, an important aspect of the reproductive strategy of A. vanhoutteana, suggesting plant resource allocation for optimizing reproduction through nectar production