[Pattern formation in microcosm: the role of self-assembly in complex biological envelopes development].

The data on the development of pollen/spore walls (of sporoderm) were reconsidered in the light of our hypothesis regarding a considerable role of self-assembling processes in the formation of this complex pattern. The premises that (1) glycocalyx (cell surface coating) is a self-assembling colloidal solution, and that (2) exine, formed on a glycocalyx framework, appears as a result of the self-assembly of the biopolymer (sporopollenin microemulsion), were independently suggested by the authors of this paper (Gabarayeva, 1990, 1993; Hemsley et al., 1992). Afterwards a joint hypothesis has been worked out which interpreted the processes of sporoderm development through regularities of colloidal chemistry. It was shown that all of the successive developmental stages, seen in transmission electron microscope (TEM) in the course of pollen wall development, correspond to successive micelle mesophases of a colloidal solution of surface-active substances which self-assemble when their concentration increases. Such an interpretation implies that all of the microstructures, observed in mature pollen walls (granules; rods-columellae; hexagonally packed layers of rods; bilayers, separated with a gap) are somewhat like "stiff history" of their appearance as a micellar sequence, immortalized by chemically resistant sporopollenin. Since self-assembling processes have nonlinear, spasmodic character, and microstructures of pollen wall, mentioned above, are arranged, as a rule, in successive layers, it has been suggested that these layers of heterogeneous microstructures occur as a result of the abrupt phase transitions typical for self-assembling micellar systems.

New insights from MALDI-ToF MS, NMR, and GC-MS: mass spectrometry techniques applied to palynology.

The present study for the first time describes the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) to palynology. With an accessible mass range of up to about 350,000 Da at subpicomolar range, this technique is ideal for the characterisation of bio-macromolecules, such as sporopollenin, found in fossil and extant pollen and spore walls, which often can only be isolated in very small quantities. At this stage, the limited solubility of sporopollenin allows for the identification of sections of this biopolymer, but with the optimisation of MALDI-ToF matrices, further structure elucidation will become possible. Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectroscopy data obtained from a number of experiments revealed that some previously reported data were misinterpreted. These results add support to the hypothesis that common plasticizers were wrongly described as sporopollenin compounds.