The effect of virus infection on morphology and protein components of pollen grains

Morphology of pollen grains collected from healthy and virus infected plants of Chenopodium quinoa L., Chenopodium album L. and Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pollen grains from tobacco plans infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were smaller, with rounded shape and conspicuous deformation of aperture unlike oval and smooth pollen grains from healthy plants. No morphological alterations were observed in C. quinoa and C. album plants infected with TMV and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of pollen proteins revealed substantial quantitative and qualitative differences in protein components of pollen grains collected from healthy and virus infected plants.