African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6853

Full Length Research Paper

Distribution of nuclei and microfilaments during pollen germination in Populus tomentosa Carr.

Yuan Cao, Rui-Zhi Hao, Mei-Qin Liu, Xin-Min An and Yan-Ping Jing*
National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, NDRC, College of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Tsinghua East Road No. 35, Beijing, 100083, P.R. China.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 28 March 2012
  •  Published: 05 May 2012

Abstract

 

Pollen tubes transport nuclei to the ovules for fertilization. The distribution of microfilaments and the nuclei were investigated by fluorescent phalloidin labeling and DAPI (4', 6-diamidino-2- phenylindole) during pollen germination and pollen tube growth of Populus tomentosa Carr., a Chinese native tree species. The coexistence of trinucleate and binucleate pollen was confirmed, which had been previously considered binucleate. Three distinct typical microfilament structures were found, and F-actin was present at the periphery of both the vegetative and the sperm nuclei. The investigation indicated that movement of sperm nuclei and vegetative nucleus is related to the microfilament system.

 

Key words: Generative nucleus, vegetative nucleus, actin cytoskeleton, pollen tube growth.