TITLE:
Viability and Action of CPL Lectin on in Vitro Germinability of Pollen Grains of Malpighia emarginata DC.—(Malpighiaceae)
AUTHORS:
Alexsandro dos Santos Sousa, Evandro José Lima Rego, Francisco de Assis Ribeiro dos Santos
KEYWORDS:
Pollen Germination; Pollen Tube; Malpighiaceae
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.4 No.7A,
July
18,
2013
ABSTRACT: This study
aimed to observe the viability of the pollen grains of Malpighia emarginata DC. (West Indian cherry) and the action of a
lectin in their germination. Lectins are proteins that specifically interact
with carbohydrates, but don’t modify them and bind with high affinity and
specificity, promoting a transfer of information that is clearly central to
many cellular processes in living beings. For the viability test was used
aniline blue in lactophenol. The in vitro germination test used was the hanging drop method, in control medium
containing sucrose, boric acid, calcium nitrate and agar. The experiment dealt
with three different treatments in order to pollen germination: growing medium
without addition of lectin, with 1.0 μg/ml and with 3.0 μg/ml CPL lectin. This
lectin is extracted from seeds of Crotalaria
pallida L.-Leguminosae. Data on pollen grains were analyzed by one-way
ANOVA, with 95% reliability and comparison of averages by Turkey test at 5%
probability. It was found that despite previous high viability of the pollen
grains (c. 70%), a germinability rate has been low, yet exceptionally larger in
pollen samples placed on a growing medium with addition of 3.0 μg/ml of CPL
lectin (24%). There was no significant difference among the pollen grains
germinate in medium without lectin and those in medium with the addition of
only 1.0 μg/ml. According to data obtained in the treatments, CPL lectin, with
concentration of 3.0 μg/ml, influenced the formation of the pollen tube and
thus more pollen germinated in Malpighia
emarginata.