The distribution of acid phosphatase activity in nucellar cells of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) during degeneration has been studied using the lead precipitation method at the electron microscopic level. Acid phos...The distribution of acid phosphatase activity in nucellar cells of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) during degeneration has been studied using the lead precipitation method at the electron microscopic level. Acid phosphatase was localized in the slightly condensed nuclear chromatin in nucellar cells without any sign of ultrastructural degeneration. As the nucellar cells started degenerating, the enzyme activity in the cell was observed, in the order from small vacuoles to cell walls, mitochondria, plastids and endoplasmic reticulum. Enzyme activity was the highest in most components of the nucellar cells adjacent to the embryo sac where the degeneration of nucellar cells was the strongest, but it was not observed in the nuclei of the degenerated nucellar cells. The results indicated that the degeneration of nucellar cells was a progressive and orderly process and supported that the degeneration of nucellar cells was a programmed cell death.展开更多
Programmed cell death (PCD) of the nucellar cells at the micropylar end is involved in pollen chamber morphogenesis in Ginkgo biloba L. A development-course observation of the morphological changes in the nucellar cel...Programmed cell death (PCD) of the nucellar cells at the micropylar end is involved in pollen chamber morphogenesis in Ginkgo biloba L. A development-course observation of the morphological changes in the nucellar cells undergoing PCD to form pollen chamber was performed. During the PCD, the nucellar cells degraded their cellular components through an orderly progression. Through the vactiolation, the cytosol was engulfed by the enlarging vacuole, leaving out various organelles, which remained morphologically integrated. As the vacuolation continued, the vacuole collapsed with the breakage of the tonoplast and the cytosol disappeared completely. Organelles were subsequently destroyed. Ultimately, nucellar cells digested away all of their cytoplasm, leaving with cell walls. They became collapsed as the nucellus developed. Intracellular membranes were strikingly changed, playing a role in leading to cell death. Some of these noticeable changes were the appearance of multivesicular body, multicycle-like membranes, membrane-bounded bodies containing some organelles, tonoplast rupture and numerous vesicles. The dehiscence of the apical epidermis, resulting in the opening, appeared to have followed two different pathways with one involving a specific epidermal cell autolysis and the other by detachment from middle lamella of two neighboring epidermal cells without cell autolysis. The specific epidermal cells had been dead prior to the dehiscence of the apical epidermis, which marked the sites of the dehiscence followed. In view of the changes in the cellular morphology, a process of nucellar cell PCD in the course of the pollen chamber formation was demonstrated.展开更多
Pollen morphology and hydration, ovule development, formation of pollination drop and the pollination process of Taxus chinensis (Pilg.) Rehd were investigated in detail. The results showed that mature pollen was ...Pollen morphology and hydration, ovule development, formation of pollination drop and the pollination process of Taxus chinensis (Pilg.) Rehd were investigated in detail. The results showed that mature pollen was one_celled, irregular in shape, nonsaccate, and the surface was covered with orbicules. When pollen became hydrated, the intine swelled and the exine bursted. The exine usually remained on the surface of water or on the pollination drop all the time, while the rest portion of the pollen sank into the drop of water or the pollination drop. In the late August, the down_curved female buds could be observed in the field trees. The downturning of the female buds was an characteristic feature discriminating from the vegetative buds. At this stage ovular primordium was present in the female bud with a dome_shaped nucellar primordium encircled by a rudimentary integument. The integument grew fast and overgrew the nucellus. In the March of the following year, the ovule formed a micropylar canal about 1?000 μm in length, 200-300 μm in width. Except the micropyle, the other part of the ovule was enclosed by 20-25 scales. During the early stage of the ovule development, the nucellar surface clearly showed cell configuration; but a membrane_like structure covering the nucellar apex appeared in the late stage of the ovule development, and subsequently broke down with nucellar cell disintegration before pollen shedding. The disintegrated cell products might partake in the formation of the pollination drop. Before and during pollination, the nucellar cells contained abundant mitochondria, endospermic reticulum and dictysomes with vesicles; the plasma membrane was undulated and there was no accumulation of electron_dense substances in the pericytoplasm. Pollination drops usually occurred at night, and disappeared by noon in the field tree. 15 days before pollination, the in vitro ovules from the field trees already had the capability of producing pollination drops, which could last for 4-5 days indoors. However, after these drops received pollen, they did not withdraw noticeably compared with the unpollinated ones. The retraction of the pollination drop was presumed not to be a nonmetabolic outcome but rather a result of evaporation.展开更多
Embryonic development was studied in six cross combinations ofCitrus sinensis x C. tangerina, C. sinensis x C. reticulata, C. sinensis x (C. tangerina + C.reticulata), C. sinensis x Poncirus trifoliate, C.reticulata x...Embryonic development was studied in six cross combinations ofCitrus sinensis x C. tangerina, C. sinensis x C. reticulata, C. sinensis x (C. tangerina + C.reticulata), C. sinensis x Poncirus trifoliate, C.reticulata x C grandis and C. grandis xPoncirus trifoliate. The results showed that on the 30th day after pollination thezygote remained a single cell. On the 40th day, the zygote began to divide. On the50th day, zygotic embryo became globular-shaped while nucellar embryos had notinvaded the embryo sac. On the 55th day, a few nucellar embryos began to invadethe embryo sac. On the 60th day, the zygotic embryo became heart-shaped, and atthe same time, a large number of nucellar embryos invaded the embryo sac. On the80th day after pollination, the zygotic embryo was surrounded by nucellar embryosand it was not easy to distinguish these embryos. The cross combination affected thedevelopments of zygotic embryos, ovules and fruits, which were mainly determined bythe cross parents. As compared with interspecies crossing, the zygotic division ofintergenus crossing began later, the zygotic embryos developed slowlier and theinvading time of nucellar embryos was also delayed.展开更多
文摘The distribution of acid phosphatase activity in nucellar cells of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) during degeneration has been studied using the lead precipitation method at the electron microscopic level. Acid phosphatase was localized in the slightly condensed nuclear chromatin in nucellar cells without any sign of ultrastructural degeneration. As the nucellar cells started degenerating, the enzyme activity in the cell was observed, in the order from small vacuoles to cell walls, mitochondria, plastids and endoplasmic reticulum. Enzyme activity was the highest in most components of the nucellar cells adjacent to the embryo sac where the degeneration of nucellar cells was the strongest, but it was not observed in the nuclei of the degenerated nucellar cells. The results indicated that the degeneration of nucellar cells was a progressive and orderly process and supported that the degeneration of nucellar cells was a programmed cell death.
文摘Programmed cell death (PCD) of the nucellar cells at the micropylar end is involved in pollen chamber morphogenesis in Ginkgo biloba L. A development-course observation of the morphological changes in the nucellar cells undergoing PCD to form pollen chamber was performed. During the PCD, the nucellar cells degraded their cellular components through an orderly progression. Through the vactiolation, the cytosol was engulfed by the enlarging vacuole, leaving out various organelles, which remained morphologically integrated. As the vacuolation continued, the vacuole collapsed with the breakage of the tonoplast and the cytosol disappeared completely. Organelles were subsequently destroyed. Ultimately, nucellar cells digested away all of their cytoplasm, leaving with cell walls. They became collapsed as the nucellus developed. Intracellular membranes were strikingly changed, playing a role in leading to cell death. Some of these noticeable changes were the appearance of multivesicular body, multicycle-like membranes, membrane-bounded bodies containing some organelles, tonoplast rupture and numerous vesicles. The dehiscence of the apical epidermis, resulting in the opening, appeared to have followed two different pathways with one involving a specific epidermal cell autolysis and the other by detachment from middle lamella of two neighboring epidermal cells without cell autolysis. The specific epidermal cells had been dead prior to the dehiscence of the apical epidermis, which marked the sites of the dehiscence followed. In view of the changes in the cellular morphology, a process of nucellar cell PCD in the course of the pollen chamber formation was demonstrated.
文摘Pollen morphology and hydration, ovule development, formation of pollination drop and the pollination process of Taxus chinensis (Pilg.) Rehd were investigated in detail. The results showed that mature pollen was one_celled, irregular in shape, nonsaccate, and the surface was covered with orbicules. When pollen became hydrated, the intine swelled and the exine bursted. The exine usually remained on the surface of water or on the pollination drop all the time, while the rest portion of the pollen sank into the drop of water or the pollination drop. In the late August, the down_curved female buds could be observed in the field trees. The downturning of the female buds was an characteristic feature discriminating from the vegetative buds. At this stage ovular primordium was present in the female bud with a dome_shaped nucellar primordium encircled by a rudimentary integument. The integument grew fast and overgrew the nucellus. In the March of the following year, the ovule formed a micropylar canal about 1?000 μm in length, 200-300 μm in width. Except the micropyle, the other part of the ovule was enclosed by 20-25 scales. During the early stage of the ovule development, the nucellar surface clearly showed cell configuration; but a membrane_like structure covering the nucellar apex appeared in the late stage of the ovule development, and subsequently broke down with nucellar cell disintegration before pollen shedding. The disintegrated cell products might partake in the formation of the pollination drop. Before and during pollination, the nucellar cells contained abundant mitochondria, endospermic reticulum and dictysomes with vesicles; the plasma membrane was undulated and there was no accumulation of electron_dense substances in the pericytoplasm. Pollination drops usually occurred at night, and disappeared by noon in the field tree. 15 days before pollination, the in vitro ovules from the field trees already had the capability of producing pollination drops, which could last for 4-5 days indoors. However, after these drops received pollen, they did not withdraw noticeably compared with the unpollinated ones. The retraction of the pollination drop was presumed not to be a nonmetabolic outcome but rather a result of evaporation.
文摘Embryonic development was studied in six cross combinations ofCitrus sinensis x C. tangerina, C. sinensis x C. reticulata, C. sinensis x (C. tangerina + C.reticulata), C. sinensis x Poncirus trifoliate, C.reticulata x C grandis and C. grandis xPoncirus trifoliate. The results showed that on the 30th day after pollination thezygote remained a single cell. On the 40th day, the zygote began to divide. On the50th day, zygotic embryo became globular-shaped while nucellar embryos had notinvaded the embryo sac. On the 55th day, a few nucellar embryos began to invadethe embryo sac. On the 60th day, the zygotic embryo became heart-shaped, and atthe same time, a large number of nucellar embryos invaded the embryo sac. On the80th day after pollination, the zygotic embryo was surrounded by nucellar embryosand it was not easy to distinguish these embryos. The cross combination affected thedevelopments of zygotic embryos, ovules and fruits, which were mainly determined bythe cross parents. As compared with interspecies crossing, the zygotic division ofintergenus crossing began later, the zygotic embryos developed slowlier and theinvading time of nucellar embryos was also delayed.
