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Gene May 2023Polypeptides play irreplaceable roles in cell-cell communication by binding to receptor-like kinases. Various types of peptide-receptor-like kinase-mediated signaling... (Review)
Review
Polypeptides play irreplaceable roles in cell-cell communication by binding to receptor-like kinases. Various types of peptide-receptor-like kinase-mediated signaling have been identified in anther development and male-female interactions in flowering plants. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of the biological functions and signaling pathways of peptides and receptors involved in anther development, self-incompatibility, pollen tube growth and pollen tube guidance.
Topics: Reproduction; Signal Transduction; Cell Communication; Phosphotransferases; Pollen; Peptides; Flowers
PubMed: 36870426
DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147328 -
International Journal of Pharmaceutics Aug 2023Oral drug delivery of microparticles demonstrates shortcomings like aggregation, decreased loading capacity and batch-to-batch variation, which limits its scale-up.... (Review)
Review
Oral drug delivery of microparticles demonstrates shortcomings like aggregation, decreased loading capacity and batch-to-batch variation, which limits its scale-up. Later, porous structures gained attention because of their large surface-to-volume ratio, high loading capacity and ability to carry biomacromolecules, which undergo degradation in GIT. But there are pitfalls like non-uniform particle size distribution, the impact of porogen properties, and harsh chemicals. To circumvent these drawbacks, natural carriers like pollen are explored in drug delivery, which withstands harsh environments. This property helps to subdue the acid-sensitive drug in GIT. It shows uniform particle size distribution within the species. On the other side, they contain phytoconstituents like flavonoids and polysaccharides, which possess various pharmacological applications. Therefore, pollen has the capability as a carrier system and therapeutic agent. This review focuses on pollen's microstructure, composition and utility in cancer management. The extraction strategies, characterisation techniques and chemical structure of sporopollenin exine capsule, its use in the oral delivery of antineoplastic drugs, and emerging cancer treatments like photothermal therapy, immunotherapy and microrobots have been highlighted. We have mentioned a note on the anticancer activity of pollen extract. Further, we have summarised the regulatory perspective, bottlenecks and way forward associated with pollen.
Topics: Pollen; Biopolymers; Drug Delivery Systems; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37516214
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123278 -
Biomolecules Jan 2020Pollen is recognized as an excellent dietary supplement for human nutrition, which is why it can be found in different forms on the market (granules, capsules, tablets,... (Review)
Review
Pollen is recognized as an excellent dietary supplement for human nutrition, which is why it can be found in different forms on the market (granules, capsules, tablets, pellets, and powders). But, the digestibility of pollen's nutrients is strongly affected by the presence of a pollen shell, which can decrease the bioavailability of nutrients by 50% and more. Since consumers have become more aware of the benefits of a healthy diet and the necessity to improve pollen digestibility, different pollen-based functional food products have been developed and extensive studies were done to estimate the beneficial effects of pollen-based feed on animal growth, health, and rigor mortise stage. Considering the positive effects of pollen nutrients and phytometabolites on human and animal health, the aim of this paper was to give an overview of recent achievements in the application of pollen in the formulation of functional food and animal diets. Special attention was paid to the effects of pollen's addition on the nutritional, functional, techno-functional, and sensory properties of the new formulated food products. Anti-nutritional properties of pollen were also discussed. This review points out the benefits of pollen addition to food and feed and the possible directions in the further development of functional food and feed for the wellbeing of everyone.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Biological Availability; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Food Additives; Functional Food; Humans; Pollen
PubMed: 31948037
DOI: 10.3390/biom10010084 -
Microscopy Research and Technique Jul 2022This research aimed to explore the melliferous bee flora pollen from arid zones of District Attock, Islamabad Capital and Rawalpindi. Morpho-palynological features has...
This research aimed to explore the melliferous bee flora pollen from arid zones of District Attock, Islamabad Capital and Rawalpindi. Morpho-palynological features has provided key information for the classification and help to explain the taxonomy of several genera and species. Therefore, in this work, we examined the morphological characters of pollen potentially to be used for the species delimitation of bee flora. A total of 18 bee floral species, classified into 12 different families were collected, pressed, identified and then acetolyized to observe the grains under microscopy. Bee pollen can be described by small, medium to large sized morphotypes presenting five types of shapes, prolate spheroidal in (seven species), sub-prolate (six species), oblate spheroidal (three species), oblate and prolate (one species each) was examined. The observed polar and equatorial diameter were found maximum in Zea mays 73.5 μm and Pelargonium inquinans 66.75 μm respectively. Pollen of six different types was found namely: tricolporate, 3-zonocolporate, monoportae, tetracolporate, tetraporate and mononsulcate. Whereas highest value of colpi length was measured in Grewia tenax (24.55 μm). Exine surface nature of pollen was examined echinate psilate and scabrate. Exine thickness noted to be maximum in Verbena tenuisecta (8.40 μm) and minimum in Citrus macrocarpa (0.4 μm). Bee floral species considered difficult to identify based on other morphological traits were successfully distinguished using pollen quantitative and qualitative traits, confirming the importance of pollen morphology to diagnose characters to correctly identify honeybee flora. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Pollen diversity among honeybee flora. Highly variations observed via microscopy in pollen micromorphology. Palyno-morph has taxonomic value for the identification of honeybee floral species.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Phenotype; Phosmet; Plants; Pollen
PubMed: 35247018
DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24091 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2023Grass pollen is a leading cause of allergy in many countries, particularly Europe. Although many elements of grass pollen production and dispersal are quite well... (Review)
Review
Grass pollen is a leading cause of allergy in many countries, particularly Europe. Although many elements of grass pollen production and dispersal are quite well researched, gaps still remain around the grass species that are predominant in the air and which of those are most likely to trigger allergy. In this comprehensive review we isolate the species aspect in grass pollen allergy by exploring the interdisciplinary interdependencies between plant ecology, public health, aerobiology, reproductive phenology and molecular ecology. We further identify current research gaps and provide open ended questions and recommendations for future research in an effort to focus the research community to develop novel strategies to combat grass pollen allergy. We emphasise the role of separating temperate and subtropical grasses, identified through divergence in evolutionary history, climate adaptations and flowering times. However, allergen cross-reactivity and the degree of IgE connectivity in sufferers between the two groups remains an area of active research. The importance of future research to identify allergen homology through biomolecular similarity and the connection to species taxonomy and practical implications of this to allergenicity is further emphasised. We also discuss the relevance of eDNA and molecular ecological techniques (DNA metabarcoding, qPCR and ELISA) as important tools in quantifying the connection between the biosphere with the atmosphere. By gaining more understanding of the connection between species-specific atmospheric eDNA and flowering phenology we will further elucidate the importance of species in releasing grass pollen and allergens to the atmosphere and their individual role in grass pollen allergy.
Topics: Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal; Pollen; Hypersensitivity; Allergens; Poaceae
PubMed: 37094678
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163661 -
Revista Alergia Mexico (Tecamachalco,... 2022Pollen-food syndrome (PFS) is characterized by allergic sensitization to proteins of pollens of grasses, weeds, and trees, which produce a type I hypersensitivity... (Review)
Review
Pollen-food syndrome (PFS) is characterized by allergic sensitization to proteins of pollens of grasses, weeds, and trees, which produce a type I hypersensitivity reaction that is associated with the intake of plant-derived foods that are usually in raw form. The most frequently-associated protein families are: profilins, PR-10, and ns LTP; however, others such as thaumatins, isoflavones, reductases, and B1,2 glucanases have been documented. The prototype syndrome is birch-fruit-vegetables, and of these, the most common is birch-apple due to the fact that more than 70 % of patients who are sensitized to birch present symptoms associated with the intake of plant-derived foods. The symptoms are restricted to the oral cavity; however, some patients may present systemic symptoms, including anaphylaxis, so it is important to identify the type of protein that is involved since the type of reaction that the patient may present depends on that. In spite of everything, it is considered an entity that may be under diagnosed due to its complex diagnosis and treatment, since the procedure, in most cases, is an elimination diet, because treatment with immunotherapy is not yet available. The purpose of this review is to describe the pathophysiology, as well as the most common pollen-food syndromes.
Topics: Allergens; Cross Reactions; Food Hypersensitivity; Fruit; Humans; Plant Proteins; Pollen; Skin Tests
PubMed: 34998309
DOI: 10.29262/ram.v69iSupl1.1018 -
The Science of the Total Environment Feb 2023Over one quarter of the population in industrialised countries suffers from some type of allergy and inhaled aeroallergens from pollen are the primary cause of allergic...
Over one quarter of the population in industrialised countries suffers from some type of allergy and inhaled aeroallergens from pollen are the primary cause of allergic ailments. The networks for monitoring biological air quality measure the airborne pollen concentrations that characterize periods of exposure to major airborne aeroallergens but there are certain discrepancies in relation to the allergen-pollen dynamic. In this paper we analyse the airborne allergens Ole e 1, Phl p 1, Phl p 5 and Pla a 1, and interpreted the adjustments and mismatches in their concentrations in relation to airborne pollen. The influence of main environmental patterns was considered. The study was conducted in two urban areas of the centre and southwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Toledo in Spain and Évora in Portugal). Monitoring for pollen followed the standard protocol using Hirst volumetric spore traps and allergenic particles were quantified by ELISA assay. The results indicate that the discrepancies in this relationship were affected by the weather conditions up to 6 days prior. Precipitation and humidity above normal values caused a higher concentration of the allergen Pla a 1. This effect occurred in reverse in the case of humidity for the allergens Ole e 1 and Phl p 1. Humidity and precipitation generated the same pattern in the allergen-pollen relationship in both Phl p 1 and Phl p 5. Our findings show consistent results that allow to interpret the rate of discrepancy between allergen and pollen, and it can be used to improve allergy risk prediction models generated from atmospheric pollen.
Topics: Humans; Air Pollutants; Plant Proteins; Pollen; Allergens; Hypersensitivity
PubMed: 36280057
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159630 -
Microscopy Research and Technique Jan 2021In this study we have discussed pollen morphology of 14 mimosaceous species belonging to five genera by using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy...
In this study we have discussed pollen morphology of 14 mimosaceous species belonging to five genera by using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The palynological features of species were determined by both qualitative and quantitative characters. The qualitative characters include pollen shape, colpi arrangement, and exine sculpturing. Oblate spheroidal shaped pollens were noted in Albizia procera, Albizia lebbeck, Acacia tortilis, Acacia ampliceps, and Acacia modesta, subprolate shaped pollen in Leucaena leucocephala, Prosopis julifera, and Acacia nilotica, prolate pollen in Acacia farnesiana and Prosopis glandulosa while spheroidal, sub spheroidal and sub oblate pollen grains were observed in Acacia catechu, Mimosa himalayana, Prosopis cineraria, respectively. Sparsely foveolate, reticulate, scabrate, and scrobiclate exine sculpturing were observed. Colpi with sunken ornamentation were seen in P. cineraria, P. glandulosa, P. juliflora, and L. leucocephala while colpi were absent in rest of the studied species. The quantitative characters were statistically studied using SPSS software. The current study gives important morpho-palynological characters for identifying and validation of close related and similar taxa which will aid to the phylogenetic analysis of Mimosaceae family.
Topics: Acacia; Fabaceae; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Phylogeny; Pollen; Species Specificity
PubMed: 32852127
DOI: 10.1002/jemt.23563 -
The New Phytologist Nov 2019Visual signals attractive to friends may also attract enemies. The bright colors of anthers and pollen have generally been thought to attract pollinators. We...
Visual signals attractive to friends may also attract enemies. The bright colors of anthers and pollen have generally been thought to attract pollinators. We hypothesize that visual crypsis of anthers, and particularly pollen, should be favored in flowering plants because protection from pollen collectors reduces the loss of male gametes. To understand adaptive strategies relating to the color of pollen, we measured the color of pollen, undehisced anther sacs, and their background, the corolla, with a spectrometer for 104 insect-pollinated flowering species from a natural community in Hengduan Mountains, southwest China. The colors of anthers, pollen and corollas were diverse in these species. The color diversity of exposed pollen was significantly higher than that of concealed pollen (i.e. where anthers are enclosed or shielded by corollas). The color contrast between pollen and corolla was significantly smaller in species with exposed pollen than in those with concealed pollen. Unlike anther color, exposed pollen color tended to match its background corolla color. Our phylogenetic comparative analysis showed contrasting effects of pollen color patterns between flowers with exposed pollen and those with concealed pollen, revealing a strategy of hiding pollen from pollen thieves via visual crypsis.
Topics: Color; Flowers; Linear Models; Phylogeny; Pigmentation; Pollen; Principal Component Analysis; Species Specificity
PubMed: 31225909
DOI: 10.1111/nph.16012 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2022In angiosperms, self-incompatibility (SI) is a common and widespread mechanism for plant prevention of inbreeding, and late-acting self-incompatibility (LSI) may be...
In angiosperms, self-incompatibility (SI) is a common and widespread mechanism for plant prevention of inbreeding, and late-acting self-incompatibility (LSI) may be ancestral in the group. In this work, we studied Schima superba, a species in Theaceae that is a commercially important timer and fire-resistant tree, and revealed its LSI mechanism. Hormones, enzymes, transcriptomes, and proteins were compared between self-pollination (SP) and outcross pollination (OP) in the styles and ovaries from 0 to 120 h after pollination. The self-pollen tubes grew to the bottom of the style and entered the ovary within 48 h but failed to penetrate the ovule. Meanwhile, the hormone and peroxidase levels dramatically changed. Transcriptome and proteome analyses explored the molecular mechanisms of LSI and candidate genes related to LSI in S. superba. Overall, 586.71 million reads were obtained, and 79,642 (39.08%) unigenes were annotated. KEGG and GO analysis showed that there were 4531 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 82 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) at 48 h in self- (SP) versus outcross pollination (OP). Among these, 160 DEGs and 33 DEPs were involved in pollen-pistil interactions. "Pollen-pistil interaction," "signal recognition," and "component of membrane" were downregulated in SP, whereas "cell wall and membrane biosynthetic process," and "oxidoreductase activity" were upregulated. The DEGs involved with S-RNases and SCF during SP suggested that the LSI occurred at 48 h in the ovary and that the LSI in S. superba was under gametophyte control. Calcium ion increase and release, mitochondrial function loss, and ROS disruption further aggravated PCD progress and cell death. The LSI of S. superba, which happened 48 h after pollination, was a key time point. The incompatibility PT ceased growth in the ovary because of S-RNase recognition and PCD in this organ. This study highlights the LSI molecular mechanism in S. superba and provides a reference to other species in Theaceae.
Topics: Calcium; Hormones; Oxidoreductases; Peroxidases; Pollen; Proteome; Reactive Oxygen Species; Ribonucleases; Theaceae
PubMed: 36114363
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19946-3