Summary
In mature viable pollen ofBrassica oleracea, the pair of sperm cells and the nucleus of the vegetative cell are linked to form a structured unit we term the male germ unit. The sperm cells are held within a common periplasm and have no cell walls. Each sperm cell has a central globular body containing the nucleus surrounded by several evaginations which provide the means for linkage between them. One sperm cell, usually that closest to the nucleus of the vegetative cell contains most of mitochondria profiles (plastids are absent). This sperm cell appears to be linked by its protoplasmic evaginations to the envelope of the vegetative nucleus. The role of this unit in interactions with the female gametic complex is considered.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cass, D. D., Karas, I., 1975: Development of sperm cell in barley. Can. J. Bot.43, 1051–1062.
Chu, C.,Hu, S., 1984: The development and ultrastructure of wheat sperm cell. Scientia Sinica (in press).
Gunning, B. E. S., Steer, M. W., 1975: Ultrastructure and the biology of plant cells. London: Edward Arnold.
Heslop-Harrison, J., Heslop-Harrison, Y., 1970: Evaluation of pollen viability by enzymatically induced fluorescence; intra-cellular hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate. Stain Technol.45, 115–120.
— —, 1984: The disposition of gamete and vegetative cell nuclei in the extending pollen-tube of a grass species,Alopecurus pratensis L. Acta Bot. Neerl.33, 131–134.
Hoefert, L., 1969: Fine structure of sperm cells in pollen ofBeta. Protoplasma68, 237–240.
Jarvis, M. C., 1982: The proportion of calcium-bound pectin in plant cell walls. Planta154, 344–346.
Jensen, W. A., Fisher, D. B., 1968: Cotton embryogenesis: the sperm. Protoplasma65, 277–286.
— —, 1970: Cotton embryogenesis: the pollen tube in the stigma and style. Protoplasma69, 215–235.
Karas, I., Cass, D. D., 1976: Ultrastructural aspects of sperm cell formation in rye: evidence for cell plane involvement in generative cell division. Phytomorphology26, 36–45.
Knox, R. B., 1984: Pollen-pistil interactions. Cell-cell interactions. In: Encycl. plant physiol.17 (Heslop-Harrison, J., Linskens, H. F., eds.). Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer.
Larson, D. A., 1965: Fine structural changes in the cytoplasm of germinating pollen. Amer. J. Bot.52, 139–154.
Roland, J. C., 1978: General preparation and staining of thin sections. In: Electron microscopy and cytochemistry of plant cells (Hall, J., ed.), pp. 1–62. Amsterdam: Elsevier North Holland Biomedical Press.
Russel, S. D., Cass, D. D., 1981: Ultrastructure of the sperms ofPlumbago zeylanica. I. Cytology and association with the vegetative nucleus. Protoplasma107, 85–107.
— —, 1983: Unequal distribution of plastids and mitochondria during sperm cell formation inPlumbago zeylanica. In: Pollen biology and implications for plant breeding (Mulcahy, D. L., Ottaviano, E., eds.), pp. 135–140. New York-Amsterdam-Oxford: Elsevier Biomedical.
Schatten, G., 1982: Motility during fertilization. Intern. Rev. Cytol.79, 160–163.
Thiéry, J. P., 1967: Mise en évidence des polysaccharides sur des coupes fines en microscopie électronique. J. Microscopie6, 987–1018.
Zhu, C., Hu, S., Xu, L., Li, X., Shen, J., 1980: Ultrastructure of sperm cell in mature pollen grain of wheat. Scientia Sinica23, 371–376.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dumas, C., Knox, R.B. & Gaude, T. The spatial association of the sperm cells and vegetative nucleus in the pollen grain ofBrassica . Protoplasma 124, 168–174 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01290767
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01290767