Compounds composition of pollen tubes of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the composition of pollen tubes of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Pollen cultivation on deionized distilled water excluded the potential influence of the cultivation medium on the pollen tube growth and development. The fluorescent study indicated a gradual distribution of chemical compounds along the length of the tube. It was shown that the protoplast apical zone and the parietal layer near the tube's tip are most likely actively involved in the ion transport regulation in the growing pollen tube. The callose synthesis in the tip of matured pine tube completed the first stage of its active growth. Significant differences and pH gradients at the nucleus region and the parietal layer of the tube wall indicate that H+ gradient is the direct driving force of vesicle transport and can regulate the growth of pollen tubes. The distribution of amino acids, RNA, proteins and lipids was uniform throughout the length of the pine pollen tube. The content of amino acids, RNA, DNA and proteins slightly increased near the cell nucleus and drastically increased in the apical zone. At the very tip of the tube, a slight increase in the concentration of polysaccharides and a significant decrease in the content of amino acids, RNA, DNA, proteins and lipids were detected.