9 research outputs found
Composition of sexual fluids in Cycas revoluta ovules during pollination and fertilization
The composition of fuids that mediate fertilization in cycads is described for the
frst time. Using tandem mass spectrometry, proteomes of two stages of fuid pro‑
duction, megagametophyte fuid and archegonial chamber fuid production, are
compared in Cycas revoluta. These were compared with the proteome of another
sexual fuid produced by ovules, the pollination drop proteins. Cycad ovules pro‑
duce complex liquids immediately prior fertilization. Compared with the pollination
drops that mainly had few proteins in classes involved in defense and carbohydrate
modifcation, megagametophyte fuid and archegonial chamber fuid had larger pro‑
teomes with many more protein classes, e.g. proteins involved in programmed cell
death. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, megagametophyte fuid and
archegonial chamber fuid were shown to have elevated concentrations of smaller
molecular weight molecules including glucose, pectin and glutamic acid. Compared
to megagametophyte fuid, archegonial chamber fuid had elevated pH as well as
higher osmolality
\u27Pollination Drop\u27 Time at the Arnold Arboretum
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