Behaviour of the nucleolar fibrillar centres in reproducing plant cells

Abstract

The nucleolar fibrillar centres have been described recently in animal cells and in meristematic plant cells, as a constant component of the nucleolus, corresponding to the nucleolar organizing region (NOR).In order to find out if the nucleolar fibrillar centres represent a general nucleolar component, we have studied the nucleolus in several reproducing plant tissues (megasporocytes and megaspore from Pissum sativum and mono and bicellulate pollen grains from Allium cepa and Scilla non-scripta). In these cells the fibrillar centres have a different morphological behaviour during their development.Female reproductive tissueImmediately before the meiosis, the megasporocyte nucleolus has a compact and rounded aspect. The fibrillar part occupies the centre and the granular part the periphery. Inside the fibrillar part, there are clear areas containing in some cases, a dark core immersed in a grey fibrillar material (Fig. 1). A similar structure was described recently in meristematic cells. In the pachytene stage, when the nucleolus is joined to the nuclear envelope, the fibrillar centres are made up of a homogeneous fibrillar material with a medium electron density.