Fibrous masses and cell and nucleus movement in the pollen tube of Petunia hybrida

As revealed by papers of Bopp-Hassenkamp (1960) and Korobova (1974) the movement of the generative cell and vegetative nucleus during pollen tube growth is still an unanswered question. The presence of a fibrillar-like material near the generative cell and vegetative nucleus during pollen tube growth of Petunia hybrida may be related to the movement of these structures. In pollen tubes different zones of cytoplasm organization can be distinguished (van Went 1976). In Petunia hybrida the generative cell and vegetative nucleus are situated about half way between the tip of the pollen tube and the latest formed callose plug. Only in this zone near the vegetative nucleus and generative cell fibrillarlike structures can be observed (figs. 1,2). The structures are strands of a fibrous mass of electron dense material enclosed by electron transparent material. In the fibrous mass microfilaments and granular material are visible (fig. 5). The regular arrangement of several masses of fibrous material along the generative cell and the vegetative nucleus may indicate the presence of one or few long strands.