Sporopollenin
From Wikivisual
Sporopollenin is a major component of the tough outer (exine) walls of spores and pollen grains. It is chemically very stable and is usually well preserved in soils and sediments. The exine layer is often intricately sculptured in species-specific patterns (see image at right), allowing material recovered from (for example) lake sediments to provide useful information to palynologists about plant and fungal populations in the past. Sporopollenin has found uses in the field of paleoclimatology as well. Sporopollenin is also found in the cell walls of several taxa of green alga, including Phycopeltis (an ulvophycean)<ref>Good, B. H.; Chapman, R. L. (1978). "The Ultrastructure of Phycopeltis (Chroolepidaceae: Chlorophyta). I. Sporopollenin in the Cell Walls". American Journal of Botany 65 (1): 27–33. doi:10.2307/2442549. http://jstor.org/stable/2442549.</ref> and Chlorella.<ref>Atkinson, A. W.; Gunning, B. E. S.; John, P. C. L. (1972). "Sporopollenin in the cell wall of Chlorella and other algae: Ultrastructure, chemistry, and incorporation of 14C-acetate, studied in synchronous cultures". Planta 107: 1. doi:10.1007/BF00398011.</ref>
The chemical composition of sporopollenin is not exactly known, due to its unusual chemical stability and resistance to degradation by enzymes and strong chemical reagents. Analyses have revealed a mixture of biopolymers, containing mainly long chain fatty acids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics and traces of carotenoids. Tracer experiments have shown that phenylalanine is a major precursor, but other carbon sources also contribute. It is likely that sporopollenin derives from several precursors that are chemically cross-linked to form a rigid structure.
Electron microscopy shows that the tapetal cells that surround the developing pollen grain in the anther have a highly active secretory system containing lipophilic globules. These globules are believed to contain sporopollenin precursors. Chemical inhibitors of pollen development and many male sterile mutants have effects on the secretion of these globules by the tapetal cells.
Sporopollenin has been applied in the nutrition and pharmaceutical fields by Kenrico of Japan. Its medicinal and health benefits are applied via the Sap Sheet product, among other products.
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[edit] References
| This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (July 2010) |
- Boavida, L. C.; Becker, J. D.; Feijo, J. A. (2005). "The making of gametes in higher plants". The International Journal of Developmental Biology 49 (5-6): 595. doi:10.1387/ijdb.052019lb. PMID 16096968. http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/contents.php?vol=49&issue=5-6&doi=052019lb.
- Guilford, W. J.; Opella, S. J.; Schneider, D. M.; Labovitz, J. (1988). "High Resolution Solid State 13C NMR Spectroscopy of Sporopollenins from Different Plant Taxa". Plant Physiology 86 (1): 134–136. doi:10.1104/pp.86.1.134. http://jstor.org/stable/4271095.cs:Sporopolenin
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