Uncovering the secret life of pollen: Its microbiota and how we explore it

Pollen is traditionally known as the carrier of male gametes in flowering plants and a common trigger of allergic diseases in humans. However, pollen grains also host diverse microbial communities that may influence both plant reproduction and human health. Here we examined the microbiota of olive (...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Román Mateo, Andrea, Aitouchrif Fatmi, F., Ávila Torres, D., El Armani Chatouan, Y., García Gámez, M., Luque Escudero, L., Martín Cuesta, C., Romero Oliver, D., Sáez López, I., Salas Peralta, G., Sánchez Molina, J., Diaz, A., Ayén, F., Alché Ramírez, Juan de Dios, Lima Cabello, Elena
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/418223
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/418223
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Allergies
Culture-dependent methods
Lily pollen
Microbial diversity
Olive pollen
Pollen microbiota
16S rRNA
Description
Summary:Pollen is traditionally known as the carrier of male gametes in flowering plants and a common trigger of allergic diseases in humans. However, pollen grains also host diverse microbial communities that may influence both plant reproduction and human health. Here we examined the microbiota of olive (Olea europaea L.) and lily (Lilium longiflorum) pollen using culture-dependent microbiology, DNA extraction, PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, and microscopy. Olive pollen supported a greater diversity of microorganisms, including cocci, bacilli, and yeasts, whereas lily pollen displayed fewer and less stable colonies. PCR amplification was performed exclusively on isolates derived from Lilium pollen. Our results highlight pollen as a microbial habitat and underscore its potential relevance in ecology, agriculture, and medicine.

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