• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2013

This study was conducted to examine the effect of temperature and relative humidity (RH) that might affect the pollen germination rate and pollen tube length in oriental melon. The experiment was performed using three cultivars namely 'Mallijangseong', 'Ohbokggul', and 'Joeundae' wherein environmental conditions were controlled by three different temperatures $15^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$, and $35^{\circ}C$ and also three RH levels 30%, 60%, and 90%. Based on the results in terms of temperature, true to all cultivars, plants exposed to $25^{\circ}C$ had the highest pollen germination rate while plants exposed to $15^{\circ}C$ had the lowest. Among the three cultivars, 'Mallijangseong' had the highest in terms of pollen germination rate, followed by 'Ohbokggul', and lastly was 'Joeundae' that showed the lowest germination rate. In the case of pollen tube length, pollen exposed under $35^{\circ}C$ showed the longest tube length, followed by pollen under $25^{\circ}C$, and pollen under $15^{\circ}C$ remarkably had the shortest tube length. Across the three cultivars 'Ohbokggul' had the longest pollen tube length. In the case of RH, pollen germination response among three cultivars depends on the humidity conditions but based on the results, there was no significant differences although high germination rate was observed in highest humidity condition. Between each cultivar, 'Ohbokggul' had the lowest pollen germination rate compared with 'Mallijangseong' and 'Joeundae' after exposure to different RH conditions wherein pollen germination showed significant differences among treatments. The pollen collected under 60% RH had the longest pollen tube length, followed by 30%, and the shortest was under 90% RH. In general, 'Ohbokggul' had the longest pollen tube length while 'Joeundae' had the shortest among the three cultivars.

• Plant Resources
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2002

Palynological characters such as pollen grain polar axis length (PL), pollen equatorial diameter (ED), colpus length, colpus width, and P/E ratio of six species of Quercus subgenus Lepidobalanus Endl. from Korea were studied. A significant interspecific variation, unequal distances between the species, and various degree of intraspecific variations were found. The taxonomic value of the pollen morphology parameters measured was found to vary according to species. These results suggest a possible relationship between parameters measured and ploidy level of the Quercus species studied.

• FLOWER RESEARCH JOURNAL
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.62-65
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• 2010

This study was carried out to estimate the size and exine pattern of pollen grains in seven species of the genus Lilium by using scanning electron microscope. Exine of pollen grains, which were all monad, took the prolate forms with a pollen aperture. However, there were various L/W ratio between length (L) and width (W) of pollen grains among selected Lilium species. The pollen of L. distichum was oblong shape which had the highest L/W ratio of 2.59. On the other hand, that of L. concolor var. partheneion was broadly elliptical shape close to circle which had the lowest L/W ratio of 1.82. The surface patterns of exine were reticulate in all Lilium species that have showed diverse forms in their lumina. Pollen length and width in L. lancifolium had the greatest value, 115.90 and $46.54{\mu}m$, respectively, in comparison with those of L. tsingtauense, 70.33 and $38.72{\mu}m$, respectively. Except L. distichum and L. leichtlinii var. maximowiczii which had a similar pollen length within standard errors, the others in Lilium species showed different sizes, respectively. Therefore, these results indicated that pollen length could be a better standard for the classification of Lilium species than exine surface patterns or pollen dissection area.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.251-256
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• 2000

Astragalus membranaceus has flowers that are similar to that of the legume family, but shows poor bearing when self-pollination is induced. Thus, this study was carried out observing the ripening procedure of pistils and stamens and development stages of pollen in the context of the birth and growth of the flower. As to the bearing of the flower of A. membranaceus, few pod setting and 13% pod setting were observed when self-pollination is induced by paper-bag covering or artificial pollination treated respectively. The result indicates that A. membranaceus is a cross-pollination plant. A pistil grew faster than a stamen until just before blooming. The flower size was about 17.0mm$\times$4.0mm. Pistils and stamens had the same length after flowering. Pollen mother cells passed through meiosis and mitosis when its length reached around 3.5mm, thus creating the tetrade when 4 mm long. Pollen attained full growth when the bud was about 10mm long. An anther was found to tend to dehisce when the length of a bud reached around 12.0mm. As to the shape of pollen, about 70 % were normal. 1% and 30 % were small or empty pollen respectively. The result indicates that pollen of A. membranaceus attains full growth just before anther dehiscence which occurs before blooming while pistils grow faster than stamens until before flowering.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 2011

The present study was focused on the careful investigation of Glechoma longituba flowers collected from four populations in Korea to clarify their precise sexual systems. All floral characters of this taxon were examined by using a stereo microscopy. The nutlet size and production were compared between two distinct morphs (i.e., hermaphrodites and females), and pollen viability test of hermaphrodite and intermediate phenotype (i.e., individuals with a mixture of females and perfect flowers) was also observed by light microscopy (LM). All of the investigated floral characters of G. longituba are significantly different from one sexual morph to another. Hermaphroditic plants were larger than the female ones in corolla width and length, calyx length, filament length, anther length, and style length (all P < 0.0001, respectively). However, the nutlet width of the female plants was larger than those of the hermaphrodites (P = 0.013). Nutlet production of females was higher than hermaphrodites in Na-Ju population [H (Hermaphrodite): ca. 17.76%, F (Female): ca. 37.45%], but in Mun-San population was no significant difference between these sexual morphs (H: ca. 57.52%, F: ca. 53.16%). We have found significant differences between the fertile pollen grain of hermaphrodite and sterile pollen grain of intermediate phenotype based on pollen size and viability. The results of the present study suggest that compensation (flower size dimorphism, seed set, and pollen viability) is one of the main mechanisms in order to maintain female plants in gynodioecious G. longituba.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.273-278
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• 1996

Arabidopsis mutants deficient in flavonoid and sinapate ester (tt4 and fah1-7, respectively) were evaluated in vivo and in vitro to study the possible role of flavonoid compounds in pollen tube growth. In vivo, we investigated pollen tube growth in the pistils of the mutants and wild type(Ler). The growth of pollen tubes was significantly different among the three genotypes. In the fal1-7 pistils, the tubes grew to a greater length relative to those of the wild type or tt4. To examine in vitro pollen tube growth, a solid medium was devised for pollen germination and subsequent growth. In vitro, the identical result was obtained; fahl-7 pollens developed the longest tubes and elongated most rapidly. Therefore, the growth response of pollen tubes to phenolic compounds was examined by adding quercetin or sinapate ester in various concentrations to the media. Quercetin enhanced both germination rate and tube growth in the pollens of the mutants and the wild type, especially in tt4. In contrast, sinapate ester inhibits pollen germination and pollen tube growth in three genotypes. These results suggest that flavonoids and related phenolic compounds have physiological role in the plant reproductive system.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2007

Pollen germination viability is an essential factor to produce seeds from pollination and fertilization, which are required to maintain plant generation. In this study, we tried to identify the effect of boric acid on pollen germination and tube grouch in non-transgenic and transgenic plants expressing monoclonal antibodies (anti-colorectal cancer mAb CO17-1A, anti-breast cancer mAb BR55, and anti-rabies virus mAb57). The pollen of non-transgenic plant was treated with different concentration of boric acid (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, $40{\mu}g/mL$) in germination buffer to investigate its effect on in vitro pollen germination. At $20{\mu}g/mL$ of boric acid, tile pollen germination rate was the highest (49.5%) compared to other concentrations. In general, the germination rate significantly increased 3-10 folds in boric acid ($20{\mu}g/mL$) treated group in non-transgenic and transgenic plants. Also, the pollen tube length increased in boric acid ($20{\mu}g/mL$) treated groups. In the treated group, the pollen tube length increased until 3 h boric acid treatment and decreased after the 3 h, indicating that the 3 h is the most appropriate incubation time period. Western blot analysis showed that the mAb transgene expression was more stable in leaf than pollen in transgenic plants. This study suggested that $20{\mu}g/mL$ of boric acid is ideal concentration to induce in vitro pollen germination of transgenic plants expressing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, indicating stable pollination and fertilization in transgenic plants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.581-586
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• 2009

Bell pepper plants (Capsicum annuum cv. Plenty) were grown under low night temperatures (LNT: day/night temperature of $28/13^{\circ}C$) and optimum night temperatures (ONT: day/night temperature of $28/20^{\circ}C$) in growth chambers. Pollen grains were collected from plants in the growth chamber and incubated at 10, 15, 20, 25, and $30^{\circ}C$. After 24 hr incubation, in both ONT and LNT, the highest percent pollen germinations were observed at $25^{\circ}C$ followed by germinations at $30^{\circ}C$. Percent pollen germination at $25^{\circ}C$ was 42% in ONT - two times higher than in LNT at 21%. Pollen tube length was much longer at ONT than at LNT, regardless of incubation temperature. Compared with other treatments, earlier and quicker pollen tube elongation was observed in ONT pollen grains incubated at $25^{\circ}C$. To find pollen viability in plant growing conditions, pollen grains were incubated in LNT ($28/13^{\circ}C$) and ONT ($28/20^{\circ}C$) growth chambers for 24 hr. Petri-dishes with pollen grains were put in the growth chambers at the beginning of the night condition. Pollen grains in the LNT growth chamber did not germinate at night ($13^{\circ}C$), but began to germinate when the day condition ($28^{\circ}C$) started. Pollen grains in the ONT condition, however, started germinating from the early night ($20^{\circ}C$) and germination continued during the day ($28^{\circ}C$). Plants in LNT showed increased flower stalk length, ovary diameter, stamen length, flower weight, and fruit length. LNT conditions did not impair seed set. There were no differences in seed sets between fruits at LNT and ONT. Normal seed sets in LNT show that fertilization may be completed during daytime. However, further investigation is needed to find what extent of temperature stress causes malformed and/or parthenocarpic fruits in this bell pepper.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.389-393
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• 2002

Effects of environmental factors on in vitro pine pollen performance were investigated. Pinus densiflora and P. rigida pollen grains collected at Mt. Kwanak, Korea were used. Three environmental factors, such as pollen storage temperature, pollen culture temperature and nutrient condition in medium, were tested. To determine the storage temperature effects on pollen viability, pine pollen was stored at $-70^{\circ}C$, $-12^{\circ}C$, $4^{\circ}C$ and $22^{\circ}C$. Pollen viability was substantially extended at the storage temperatures of $-12^{\circ}C$ and $4^{\circ}C$ for more than 300 days. To elucidate the culture temperature effects on pine pollen germination and tube growth, pollen grains were cultured at the temperatures from $5^{\circ}C$ to $40^{\circ}C$ at $5^{\circ}C$intervals. The germination rate and tube growth were highest at $25^{\circ}C$ and decreased above $30^{\circ}C$. To investigate boron and sucrose effects on pollen tube growth, the pollen was cultured at different sucrose and boric acid concentrations. Germination rate was optimal in germination medium containing 3 or 5$\%$ sucrose with 0.01 $\%$ boric acid. These results indicate that the pine pollen can be stored for considerable length of time without noticeable loss of viability at storage temperature below or near $0^{\circ}C$. Optimal germination medium conditions were established for pine pollen. Therefore, pine pollen can be used for many biological and environmental monitoring researches.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.472-486
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• 1996

The pollen morphology of 19 species and 1 variety of the genus Acer L. in Korea was investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy. The results are as follows ; 1. A. pollen key of the genus Acer L. in Korea was provided in four types. 2. Based on the aperture types and sculpture patterns, the four major pollen types of the genus Acer L. in Korea were recognized which included palmatum, barbinerve, negundo and saccharum types. 3. Pollen grains are tricolpate or tricolporate on the aperture, and striate, rugulate or reticulate on the sculpture pattern. 4. As the result of the correlation analysis between the five measured pollen parameters in pairs, a highly significant positive correlation was found between polar axis length(PL) and colpus length (CL).