Abstract
BackgroundIt is imperative to have reliable and timely methodologies for analysis and monitoring of seed plants in order to determine climate-related plant processes. Moreover, impact of environment on plant fitness is predominantly based on studies of female functions, while the contribution of male gametophytes is mostly ignored due to missing data on pollen quality. We explored the use of infrared spectroscopy of pollen for an inexpensive and rapid characterization of plants.MethodologyThe study was based on measurement of pollen samples by two Fourier transform infrared techniques: single reflectance attenuated total reflectance and transmission measurement of sample pellets. The experimental set, with a total of 813 samples, included five pollination seasons and 300 different plant species belonging to all principal spermatophyte clades (conifers, monocotyledons, eudicots, and magnoliids).ResultsThe spectroscopic-based methodology enables detection of phylogenetic variations, including the separation of confamiliar and congeneric species. Furthermore, the methodology enables measurement of phenotypic plasticity by the detection of inter-annual variations within the populations. The spectral differences related to environment and taxonomy are interpreted biochemically, specifically variations of pollen lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and sporopollenins. The study shows large variations of absolute content of nutrients for congenital species pollinating in the same environmental conditions. Moreover, clear correlation between carbohydrate-to-protein ratio and pollination strategy has been detected. Infrared spectral database with respect to biochemical variation among the range of species, climate and biogeography will significantly improve comprehension of plant-environment interactions, including impact of global climate change on plant communities.
Highlights
Global climate change is already forcing plants to adapt, and it is foreseen that by the end of the century we can expect widespread disruption and extinction of species [1,2,3]
The study shows large variations of absolute content of nutrients for congenital species pollinating in the same environmental conditions
Knowledge on plant traits could lead to artificial selection and genetic manipulation of economically important plants in order to develop cultivars adapted to extreme environmental conditions [8,9]
Summary
Global climate change is already forcing plants to adapt, and it is foreseen that by the end of the century we can expect widespread disruption and extinction of species [1,2,3]. To determine climate-related plant adaptation it is imperative to improve plant phenotyping and monitoring of plant communities by a cost-efficient and rapid methodology. On the other hand, phenotyping of male gametophytes (i.e. pollen grains) is largely unexplored, given that characterization is predominantly based on morphological features while biochemical properties are regularly omitted. It is imperative to have reliable and timely methodologies for analysis and monitoring of seed plants in order to determine climate-related plant processes. Impact of environment on plant fitness is predominantly based on studies of female functions, while the contribution of male gametophytes is mostly ignored due to missing data on pollen quality. We explored the use of infrared spectroscopy of pollen for an inexpensive and rapid characterization of plants
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