Pollen

Allergenic pollens produced by some tree species in urban parks, a part of the urban flora, cause pollinosis, allergic rhinitis, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and asthma. The allergenic pollen levels of four urban parks in Aydin (Turkey) were determined using the Index of Urban Green Zones Allergenicity (IUGZA). The potential allergenicity value (PAV) of each species and the crown volume of each individual belonging to the species were used in the index calculation. According to their PAV values, tree species were classified as nil (0), low (1–6), moderate (8–12), high (16–24), and very high (27–36) allergenicity. The Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI) was used to calculate the parks’ biodiversity levels. Canonical correspondence analysis, one of the ordination methods, was used to identify the species distribution among the four parks and reveal the relationship between the SHDI, number of species, tree density, and IUGZA. The ratio of allergenic tree species in the four parks examined varied between 97.90 and 100%. The PAV of 9 tree species, including the genus Cupressus in the Cupressaceae family, was determined as very high, while the PAV of 20 tress species, including the genus Prunus, was revealed to be low. While the park with the lowest IUGZA value (0.17) was Aytepe Recreation Area, the park with the highest IUGZA value (0.52) was Pinarbasi Recreation Area. The lowest Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI) value (0.70) was detected in Aytepe Recreation Area, whereas the highest value (2.90) was determined in Nevzat Bicer Park. There was no correlation between the IUGZA value and species count, tree density, and SHDI variables. Ismet Sezgin Park and Pinarbasi Recreation Area pose a risk to human health at any time of the year. The results, which focused on allergenic flora, should be used to design new parks and revitalize existing ones.

Pollen immigration can offset the effects of genetic drift and inbreeding in small populations. To understand the genetic consequences of forest fragmentation, estimates of pollen flow into remnant fragments are essential. Such estimates are straightforward for plants with singly sired, multiseeded fruits, since the pollen donor genotype for each fruit can be unambiguously reconstructed through full-sib genealogical analyses. Allozyme analyses were used to estimate pollen donor numbers from the progeny of fruits of the tropical dry forest tree Enterolobium cyclocarpum in a small (9.8 ha) fragmented population (N = 11) over three reproductive seasons (1994, 1995, and 1996). These analyses indicate that each tree receives pollen from many pollen donors. When data are pooled for the site, estimated maximum pollen donor pool sizes in all years exceed the number of individuals (56) in the 227 ha study area. Although unidentified pollen donors may be located as close as 250 m to the study...

Network analyses of plant-animal interactions hold valuable biological information. They are often used to quantify the degree of specialization between partners, but usually based on qualitative indices such as 'connectance' or number of links. These measures ignore interaction frequencies or sampling intensity, and strongly depend on network size. Here we introduce two quantitative indices using interaction frequencies to describe the degree of specialization, based on information theory. The first measure (d') describes the degree of interaction specialization at the species level, while the second measure (H2') characterizes the degree of specialization or partitioning among two parties in the entire network. Both indices are mathematically related and derived from Shannon entropy. The species-level index d' can be used to analyze variation within networks, while H2' as a network-level index is useful for comparisons across different interaction webs. Ana...

The mode of action of honey bee pollen (HBP) was investigated in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila. Thus, fish with an average weight of 29 ± 3 g were divided into four groups, and fed with HBP-free diet (control), and 1%, 2.5% and 4% (w/v) HBP incorporated into basal diet for 10, 20 and 30 days. Immunological, hematological, biochemical and growth parameters were measured, and sub-groups of fish were challenged with A. hydrophila via intraperitoneal injection. HBP significantly increased the growth performance parameters [body weight, length, average daily gain (ADG), specific growth rate (SGR), and feed efficiency ratio (FER)] and immunological (phagocytic activity, serum bactericidal activity and nitroblue tetrazolium assay (NBT)), hematological (hematocrit (Hct), leucocrit (Lct), the numbers of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes) and biochemical parameters (serum total protein, albumin and globulin ratios). Furthermore, all treated fis...

Pollen cross-allergenicity has practical implications on the management of inhalant allergy, in both evaluation and therapy, especially with allergen vaccine immunotherapy. The study of cross-reactivity among pollen allergens has expanded beyond investigation of crude extracts to the characterization and cloning of numerous pollen proteins. In this review, the interrelationships between these pollen allergens in the context of botanical systematics are examined, to provide a framework for cross-reactivity understanding. Recommendations for choices in evaluation and therapy are given.

This study determined the longevity of caged workers fed with different diets (carbohydrate only, bee bread, unfermented pollen substitute diet, and fermented pollen substitute diet). Survival rates were higher for bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet, though the difference was not significant. The honey bees consumed significantly more fermented than an unfermented diet. Hemolymph proteins were significantly higher in bees that had been fed a fermented versus an unfermented diet. Though still significantly lower than in bees fed on beebread, where vitellogenin (an essential storage protein for honey bees) levels were increased significantly in bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet and were similar to and not significantly different when compared to beebread-fed bees. We conclude that fermented by beebread-derived microorganisms can improve the nutritional value, acceptance, and utility of an artificial protein diet and lifespan of the honey bee's workers.

Gibberellins (GAs) play many biological roles in higher plants. We collected and performed genetic analysis on rice (Oryza sativa) GA-related mutants, including GA-deficient and GA-insensitive mutants. Genetic analysis of the mutants revealed that rice GA-deficient mutations are not transmitted as Mendelian traits to the next generation following self-pollination of F1 heterozygous plants, although GA-insensitive mutations are transmitted normally. To understand these differences in transmission, we examined the effect of GA on microsporogenesis and pollen tube elongation in rice using new GA-deficient and GA-insensitive mutants that produce semifertile flowers. Phenotypic analysis revealed that the GA-deficient mutant reduced pollen elongation1 is defective in pollen tube elongation, resulting in a low fertilization frequency, whereas the GA-insensitive semidominant mutant Slr1-d3 is mainly defective in viable pollen production. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that GA biosynthesis gen...

This research was carried out to evaluate the floral biology of Ipomoea acuminata, I. batata, I. cairica and I. quamoclit in Maringá, state of Paraná. Anthesis period, stigma receptivity, viability of the pollen grains and medium height of the style and filament were analyzed during the blossom period of Ipomoea. Both I. quamoclit and I. potato had their flowers opening at 6:00 a.m. and their closing at 2:00 p.m. The test of stigma receptivity demonstrated that I. quamoclit was receptive between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and I. batata between 6:35 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The period of higher viability of the pollen grains in I. quamoclit was the same of the stigma receptivity. In that species, there was a reduction in the frequency of viable grains of pollen next to the time of the flowers closing. There were highest frequencies of viable pollen grains in I. batata between 6:35 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.; the variations in the frequency of viability of the pollen grains keep along the day until the flowers closing. In I. acuminata, the medium height of the style was 27.245 ± 2.431 mm and the medium height of the filament was 26.439 ± 3.147 mm. In I. batata, the medium height of the style was 19.77 mm ± 1.956 mm that is higher than the medium height of the filament. The medium height of the style in I. cairica was 19.827 mm and the medium height of the filament was 17.952 mm. In I. quamoclit the medium height of the style and the medium height of the filament had both bigger and smaller height variations of the style. For that species the estimated differences between the medium height of the style at 8:30 a.m. and the filament 1 and 4; and between the medium height of the style at 10:30 a.m. and filament 3, 4 and 5 were significant. For I. batata the differences between the medium heights of the style and of the filament were significant.

The insecticide imidacloprid is mainly applied as a seed dressing formulation. After root uptake, imidacloprid is translocated ac-ropetally within the xylem and degraded quickly in the plants. Three principal metabolic pathways have been identified in various plant metabolism studies with different crops and types of application showing a nearly uniform quantitative and qualitative pat-tern in all test systems.

In the present work, pollen morphology of five triporate Momipites species recovered from the Pie de Vaca Formation
(Upper Eocene – Lower Oligocene), the Cuayuca Formation (Upper Eocene – Lower Oligocene), and the Tehuacán
Formation (Middle Miocene) from Puebla State, as well as the San Gregorio Formation (Upper Oligocene – Lower
Miocene) from Baja California Sur are presented. Additionally, diversity and abundance of Momipites in the palynological
assemblages are analyzed. Morphological descriptions are based on optic microscopy with phase contrast. Only Momipites
coryloides and Momipites microcoryphaeus scanning electron microscopy photographs are shown; they provide detailed
evidence of the supratectal spinules. Some taxa of the Momipites group are related to modern Engelhardia, Alfaroa and
Oreomunnea genus (Juglandaceae) that live in cloud forests on Mexican and Central American highlands, under humid
conditions.