......................................................................................................................................... ii Preface........................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................x List of Figures............................................................................................................................... xi List of Symbols and Abbreviations .......................................................................................... xiv Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... xix Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................1 1.1
Evolution of spores and pollen in the plant life cycle........................................................ 1 1.2
Morphological events in angiosperm pollen development ................................................ 1 1.2.1
Stages of pollen and pollen wall development in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2.2
Structure and functions of the stratified pollen wall ................................................... 5 1.3
Composition and biosynthesis of the pollen exine ............................................................ 7 1.3.1
Priming for exine formation........................................................................................ 7 1.3.2
Sporopollenin composition: insights provided by biochemical analyses ................... 9 1.3.3
Sporopollenin composition: insights provided by genetic analyses ......................... 10 1.3.4
Model for sporopollenin biosynthesis and the sporopollenin metabolon ................. 16 1.3.5
Pollen coat (tryphine)................................................................................................ 17 1.3.6
The sporophytic contribution to the pollen wall ....................................................... 19 1.3.6.1
The origin of the primexine ............................................................................... 20