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Morphological anomalies in pollen tubes of Actinidia deliciosa (kiwi) exposed to 50 Hz magnetic field
Author(s) -
Dattilo Arduino M.,
Bracchini Luca,
Loiselle Steven A.,
Ovidi Elisa,
Tiezzi Antonio,
Rossi Claudio
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.20086
Subject(s) - actinidia deliciosa , kiwi , actinidia , pollen , biology , actinidia chinensis , botany , horticulture
Abstract The role of the pollen grain, with respect to the reproductive process of higher plants, is to deliver the spermatic cells to the embryo sac for egg fertilisation. Delivery occurs through the pollen tube, a self produced organ that is generated when the pollen grain reaches the stigma surface. The effect of magnetic fields on pollen tube growth was reported in a recent publication by Germanà et al. Pollen tube growth is an interesting candidate for the detailed study of the effects of electromagnetic fields on cytoplasmic structures and organelles. In this research Actinidia deliciosa (kiwifruit) pollen grains were germinated in the presence of an alternating magnetic field (50 Hz). Our results, although of preliminary nature, show that pollen tube growth is affected by magnetic fields. The analysis of the observed anomalies in the pollen tube appear to be the result of changes in the ionic charges within the pollen tube cytoplasm. Bioelectromagnetics 26:153–156, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.