• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.191-198
• /
• 2013

Cryptomeria japonica pollen is the most common pollen, which are scattering during each spring season in Japan. Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollinosis is one of seasonal allergic rhinitis that mainly occurs in Japan. In addition, long range transportation of Yellow Sand from the East Asian continent was also found during the pollen scattering seasons in Japan. Therefore, the interaction or impact between pollen and Yellow Sand should be concerned. In this study, our objective was to investigate the airborne behaviour of Cryptomeria japonica pollen grains and its size-segregated allergenic (Cry j 1) particles as the airborne tracer of Cryptomeria japonica pollen during the Yellow Sand events. Airborne Cryptomeria japonica pollen grains and its size-segregated allergenic particles were collected at roadside of urban residential zones of Saitama city during the pollination periods from February to March in two year investigation of 2009 and 2010. The overlap of Yellow Sand events and dispersal peak of pollen grains was observed. According to the Meteorological data, we found that the peaks of airborne pollen grains appeared under higher wind speed and temperature than the previous day. It was thought that Yellow Sand events and airborne pollen counts were related to wind speed. From the investigation of the airborne behavior of the size-segregated allergen particles by determining Cry j 1 with Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), the higher concentrations of the allergenic Cry j 1 were detected in particle size equal to or less than $1.1{\mu}m$($PM_{1.1}$) than other particle sizes during Yellow Sand events, especially in the rainy day. We conclude that rainwater trapping Yellow Sand is one of the important factors that affect the release of allergenic pollen species of Cry j 1. Therefore, it is very important to clarify the relationships between Cryptomeria japonica pollen allergenic species and chemical contents of the Yellow Sand particles in further studies.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.591-600
• /
• 2018

The use of genetically modified (GM) crops has increased continuously over the world, and concerns about the potential risks of GM crops have also risen. Although, until now, GM crops have not been cultivated commercially in Korea, it is necessary to develop technology for the safe evaluation of GM crops. In this study, we investigated the influence of gene flow from GM to non-GM soybeans by the size of the pollen donor. In the experimental design, GM soybeans were placed in the center as a pollen donor and non-GM soybeans were placed in four directions as the pollen receivers. Three sizes of pollen donor were designed as $90cm{\times}90cm$, $180cm{\times}180cm$, and $360cm{\times}360cm$. A total 22,719 seeds were collected from non-GM soybeans, and 14 hybrids were finally obtained through herbicide resistance screening and PCR analysis. The highest hybridization rate was 0.78% at a distance of 15 cm from a $360cm{\times}360cm$ GM pollen donor, and the farthest distance of hybridization was 180 cm from a GM pollen donor which was $360cm{\times}360cm$ in size. Ten hybrids were found among the 14 hybrids at the $360cm{\times}360cm$ pollen donor size, 3 hybrids at $180cm{\times}180cm$, 1 hybrid at $90cm{\times}90cm$. From these results, it could be concluded that with the larger pollen donor size, more hybridization occurred in soybeans.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.131-140
• /
• 2000

The pattern of variations in cone sex ratio and pollen traits such as pollen number and size was examined for two years in populations of red pines In Korea. We evaluated; (1) the relationship between tree size and cone sex ratio, (2) the relationship between year and cone sex ratio, and (3) the relationship between cone sex ratio and pollen traits. Larger trees in height and circumference at breast height produced more male as well as female cones. However, cone sex ratio was independent of these plant sizes. Across the two populations, both female cone numbers per tree and male cone numbers per new shoot increased 2.2 and 1.2 times, respectively, in 1999 compared to 1998, while the yearly pattern of male cone-bearing shoots per tree differed significantly between populations. Thus, cone sex ratio varied significantly between years in one of the two populations. Pollen traits such as the number of pollen grains and diameter did not vary significantly among populations. Pollen diameter and grain numbers per male cone were significantly negatively correlated with the cone sex ratio in two populations and one population, respectively. Trees which stopped female cone production in the first year and those which produced female cones in both years differed in the cone sex ratio and pollen size in the second year. The long duration of one reproductive episode and the potential of masting in red pines emphasize the need to conduct long-term studies on the dynamics of cone production, cone sex ratio, and simultaneous changes in pollen traits in red pines.

• FLOWER RESEARCH JOURNAL
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.193-200
• /
• 2010

Current rose cultivars are all composed of heterozygous genome due to long history of out crossing including interspecific hybridization. It has been adapted by artificial selection and crossing by breeders that mainly based on the crossing with fertile pollen derived from inter- or intra-specific hybridization. Pollen viability and germination ability tests provide valuable information for the designing of parentage for more successful breeding efficacy. In this study, we tested the pollen viability and germination ability in seven rose cultivars to find any relationship among several factors including pollen size, ploidy levels, and crossing compatibility. The pollen viability showed wide ranges from 39% 'Pinocchio' as minimum to 82% 'Scarlet Mimi' as maximum, whereas pollen germination rate were from 1% 'Mini Rosa' to 41% 'Scarlet Mimi' as a highest. Pollen size ranged from 41.3 to $45.4{\mu}m$ in large sized pollen and 30.7 to $37.4{\mu}m$ in small sized pollen. The mean diameter of large sized pollen is approximately 10-40% bigger than that of small sized pollen. There are positive relationships among ploidy level, total chromosome length, and pollen size. Crossing list showed that seed setting ratio and seed germination were related to pollen viability, pollen germination, and ploidy level.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.75-80
• /
• 2013

The morphological features of pollen grains collected from the broad-leaved and cylindrical-leaved Portulaca species of the Hawaiian Islands were investigated. The variation in size and surface pattern were examined using scanning electron microscopy and statistical analysis. Pollens of the Portulaca were apolar grains of monads exhibiting apertures, colpi, and relatively thin echini. Of particular interest was the differing size of pollen grains among the species studied. Pollens of the broad-leaved Portulaca were considerable in size with a length of about $73{\sim}86{\mu}m$, while the cylindrical-leaved Portulaca tended to have smaller pollen grains ranging from 50~65 in diameter. The smallest pollens were found in cultivar 2 having an average of $43{\mu}m$. The pollen was intectate, and the exine surface appeared granulous, having sculptured elements of spinules and puncta. Two types of puncta were discerned; one forming an operculum, and the other, a simple perforation. Numerous spinules and small puncta were found throughout the cylindrical-leaved Portulaca. In the present study, morphological features of pollen grains from ten Hawaiian Portulaca species, including endemic and unknown taxa, revealed the aforementioned pattern of variation. This paper aim to provide morphological information that could be of phylogenetic value within the Hawaiian Portulaca.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.613-618
• /
• 2007

Pollens are known to be an allergen. They penetrate human respiratory system, triggering a type of seasonal allergic rhinitis called pollen allergy (hey fever). The purpose of this study is to test two field-flow fractionation (FFF) techniques, gravitational FFF (GrFFF) and sedimentation FFF (SdFFF), for their applicability to sizecharacterization of micron-sized pollens. Both GrFFF and SdFFF are elution techniques, providing sequential elution of particles based on size. They allow the size distribution as well as the mean size of the sample to be determined from the elution time. In this study, GrFFF and SdFFF were used to determine the size distribution of Paper Mulberry and Bermuda Grass pollens. For the Paper Mulberry pollen, the mean size obtained by GrFFF is 12.7 μm, and agrees rather well with the OM data with the relative error of 8.0%. For the Bermuda Grass pollen, the mean size obtained by GrFFF is 32.6 μm with the relative error of 12.3%. The mean sizes determined by SdFFF are 12.4 (relative error = 10.1%) and 27.1 μm (relative error = 5.2%) for the Paper Mulberry and the Bermuda Grass pollen, respectively. Although SdFFF tends to yield more accurate size distribution due to lower band broadening under the field strength higher than 1 G, the sizes determined by GrFFF were not significantly different from those by SdFFF.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.203-221
• /
• 1994

Pollen grains of 19 taxa belonging to 12 genera in 5.families of the Korean gymnosperms were investigated by LM, SEM and TEM, and their morphological characters were described and palynological keys were made for each family. From the taxonomic viewpoint, palynological characters are very available to intergeneric and intrageneric classifications since their distinctive differences in pollen shape, size, condition of surface, sculpture pattern and presence of air bladders and projection except for the intrageneric classification of the genus Pinus since the overlapped characters such as pollen size and sculpture pattern. Pollen grains of Picea koraiensis in the family Pinaceae are distinguished from thc genera Pinus and Abies for the reasons that shape of air bladders are irregular, air bladders are bigger than pollen body, and pollen wall is thin. Compared with the genera Abies and Pinus that have air bladders, Picea koraiensis is closely related to Abies in that pollen body wall become gradually thin from pole of proximal face to air bladder, surface of pollen body is not rough, and pollen size is similar to that of the genus Abies. The presence of ektexine and enexine in proximal face, and the connections of the former to air bladder wall and the latter to distal face were elucidated by the investigation of pollen grains with air bladders through TEM. Endexine of the families of Taxaceae, Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae was also obse-rved as a pile of laminae. From the observation by SEM, sculpture pattern of air bladder was foveolate with fine pits on surface. Sculpture pattern of air bladder is reticulate under LM, but observed by TEM, it resulted from the transmission of netted structure in air bladder.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
• /
• v.49 no.2
• /
• pp.101-106
• /
• 2019

A pollen morphological study was conducted using light and scanning electron microscopy involving six species belonging to the subtribe Neoguillauminiinae. Pollen samples from the six species are tricolporate, and the colpi are surrounded by broad margo, with the widest width in the equator, narrower toward the pole, and rounded at the end. Based on the pollen morphology, pollen of the species in the subtribe Neoguillauminiinae were divided into four types: the Neoguillauminia type (T1), the C. collinus type (T2), the C. casuarinoides type (T3) and the C. paucifolius type (T4). The generic divergence between Neoguillauminia and Calycopeplus was supported by the pollen characters of the size, amb and lumina shape. In particular, the traits of rounded shape in the outline of the polar view and circular lumina, which appear only in the pollen grains of N. cleopatra, support the recognition of Neoguillauminia as a monotypic genus. Calycopeplus oligandrus and C. paucifolius had the same reticulate pattern of pollen grains, supporting Forster's hypothesis that these two species are closely related. On the other hand, the close relationship between the morphologically similar C. collinus and C. casuarinoides was not supported by the pollen characters. Within the subtribe there are two equally parsimonious hypotheses regarding the evolution of exine characters. The first consists of two changes of microreticulate through parallel evolution from the primitive reticulate exine, and the second is that the microreticulate pattern is differentiated from the reticulate state and then reversed to reticulate pollen grains.

• Journal of Species Research
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.159-168
• /
• 2015

Although airborne pollen is invisible to the eye, it has been known as a major source to respiratory allergic reactions. For this reason, airborne pollen is monitoring in many countries to predict pollen concentration based on locality and season. However, the morphological characteristics of airborne pollen and their potential tendency as an allergen are still obscure. In the present study, we selected 52 airborne pollen samples based on previously reported data and investigated their detail pollen characteristics using LM and SEM. Major airborne pollen in Korea has sorted in 19 families (most angiosperms except four gymnosperm families), and all pollen grains are small to medium in size ($P=17.34-49.86{\mu}m$) apart from the bisaccate pollen grains of Pinaceae ($P=46.49-106.20{\mu}m$). The aperture number and shape vary from sulcate to polyporate. While the inaperture pollen has found only in gymnosperm (Cupressaceae and Taxaceae), triporate or polyporate is common pollen type in angiosperm. The sexine ornamentations could divide into several types, but the most sculpturing types are inconspicuous like psilate, rugulate and granulate. Reticulate pollen grains as a semitectum have occurred the species of genera Platanus and Fraxinus only. To estimate the possible relationships between pollen features and allergen, the results are discussed in botanical context.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.9-18
• /
• 2020

Objectives : We tried to establish standards for genuine by discriminating 3 kinds of pollen and spore herbs that are highly to be mixed with each other. Using an scanning electron microscope, we prepare a standard for discriminating external morphological characters of minute herbs, thereby contributing to the stable supply of genuine herbal medicines. Methods : Standard samples were confirmed by literature review on external morphological characteristics of original plants and herbal medicines, and collection and identification of original plants. The herbal medicines on the market were purchased and classified with using naked eye observation and magnifier. Finally, micromorphological identifications were conducted using an scanning electron microscope. Results : 1. Pini Pollen was clearly distinguished by its relatively medium size and a pollen grain with two swollen reticulate sacci at both ends. The verrucate ornamentation on the exine surface of the corpus and a sunken leptoma germ pore may be used as a discrimination criteria. 2. Typhae Pollen was distinguished by its relatively small size and a saccus on the end of a pollen grain. Reticulate ornamentation of exine surface of the corpus, and a slightly clear ulcerate germ pore can be used as a discrimination criteria. 3. Lygodii Spora was distinguished by its relatively large triangular-ovate shape and trichotomous fissure. Verrucate-tuberculate ornamentation of exine surface and trilete aperture could be used as a discrimination criteria. Conclusion : These results indicate that the use of electron microscopy is very effective for discriminating the external morphology of minute herbal medicines.