Revealing the Chemical Composition of Birch Pollen Grains by Raman Spectroscopic Imaging

The investigation of the biochemical composition of pollen grains is of the utmost interest for several environmental aspects, such as their allergenic potential and their changes in growth conditions due to climatic factors. In order to fully understand the composition of pollen grains, not only is...

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Main Authors: Göhrig, B. (Author), Heutelbeck, A. (Author), Lux, H. (Author), Popp, J. (Author), Post, N. (Author), Schie, I.W (Author), Schindler, C. (Author), Stiebing, C. (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI 2022
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Online Access:View Fulltext in Publisher
LEADER 02455nam a2200277Ia 4500
001 10.3390-ijms23095112
008 220706s2022 CNT 000 0 und d
020 |a 16616596 (ISSN) 
245 1 0 |a Revealing the Chemical Composition of Birch Pollen Grains by Raman Spectroscopic Imaging 
260 0 |b MDPI  |c 2022 
856 |z View Fulltext in Publisher  |u https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23095112 
520 3 |a The investigation of the biochemical composition of pollen grains is of the utmost interest for several environmental aspects, such as their allergenic potential and their changes in growth conditions due to climatic factors. In order to fully understand the composition of pollen grains, not only is an in-depth analysis of their molecular components necessary but also spatial information of, e.g., the thickness of the outer shell, should be recorded. However, there is a lack of studies using molecular imaging methods for a spatially resolved biochemical composition on a single-grain level. In this study, Raman spectroscopy was implemented as an analytical tool to investigate birch pollen by imaging single pollen grains and analyzing their spectral profiles. The imaging modality allowed us to reveal the layered structure of pollen grains based on the biochemical information of the recorded Raman spectra. Seven different birch pollen species collected at two different locations in Germany were investigated and compared. Using chemometric algorithms such as hierarchical cluster analysis and multiple-curve resolution, several components of the grain wall, such as sporopollenin, as well as the inner core presenting high starch concentrations, were identified and quantified. Differences in the concentrations of, e.g., sporopollenin, lipids and proteins in the pollen species at the two different collection sites were found, and are discussed in connection with germination and other growth processes. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. 
650 0 4 |a allergy 
650 0 4 |a Betula 
650 0 4 |a multiple curve resolution 
650 0 4 |a sporopollenin 
650 0 4 |a vibrational spectroscopy 
700 1 0 |a Göhrig, B.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Heutelbeck, A.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Lux, H.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Popp, J.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Post, N.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Schie, I.W.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Schindler, C.  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Stiebing, C.  |e author 
773 |t International Journal of Molecular Sciences