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Studies of the Mature Pollen of Spinacia oleracea after Freeze Substitution and Observed with Confocal Laser Scanning Fluorescence Microscopy
Author(s) -
Theunis C. H.,
Cresti M.,
Milanesi C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
botanica acta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 0932-8629
DOI - 10.1111/j.1438-8677.1991.tb00237.x
Subject(s) - spinacia , confocal laser scanning microscopy , confocal , pollen , ultrastructure , vacuole , biophysics , endoplasmic reticulum , biology , fluorescence , sperm , fluorescence microscope , vesicle , microscopy , botany , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , cytoplasm , optics , membrane , physics , chloroplast , gene
The three‐dimensional configuration of the nuclei of the trinucleate pollen grain of Spinacia oleracea L. has been examined by means of confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (CLSM). It shows the presence of a male germ unit (MGU) in which all three nuclei are usually positioned in the periphery of the pollen grain. After freeze fixation and freeze substitution, the ultrastructure is better preserved than with standard chemical fixation. It shows the presence inside the pollen grain of mitochondria, dictyosomes, large starch‐containing plastids, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), vacuoles and the MGU. In the sperm cells mitochondria, vesicles, dictyosomes and ER are also found. No microtubules were found in the grain and only very few inside the sperm cells. This is in contrast with earlier published results where fluorescent‐labeled antibodies were used.