ABSTRACT
The phenomenon of autofluorescence from vegetative microspores of the spore-breeding plant Equisetum arvense has been studied by methods of laser-scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and microspectrofluorimetry during the development of the cells (Roshchina et al., 2002; 2004; Roshchina, 2004a). The spore is a single cell with a rigid cover, with an external layer called exine. It has special structures - elaters serves for anchoring with the soil (Colour Figs. 6 , 7 Appendix 2). The microspores have demonstrated a difference in structures: blue-fluorescing cover and red-fluorescing chloroplasts (see colour Fig. 6 in Appendix 2). LCSM images are also given in colour Fig. 3 that show optical slices of the vegetative microspores in dry or wet states. The fluorescence spectra of the studied cells have also been measured by original microspectrofluorimeter (Colour Fig. 7). As shown in Colour Fig. 7, the middle part of the microspore has three maxima - 460 nm, 550 nm and 680 nm, the latter is peculiar to chlorophyll fluorescence. Thus, the presence of chlorophyll is seen in the dry microspores. The cover of the microspore has no maximum 680 nm, as well as in elaters. The red fluorescence of the microspores was, mainly, due to the presence of chlorophyll and azulenes (Roshchina et al., 2002; 2004; Roshchina, 2004a; 2005a). The character of the spectra and the colour of fluorescence may be changed during microspores germination. Unicellular microspores are recommended as natural probes of cellular viability and development (Roshchina, 2004a).
