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Annals of Botany 85 (Supplement A): 79-85, 2000
© 2000 Annals of Botany Company

Changes in the Ovary Related to Pollen Tube Guidance

M. Herrero 1

1 Unidad de Fruticultura, S.I.A.-D.G.A. Campus de Aula Dei, Apartado 727, 50080 Zaragoza, Spain

Fax +34 976 575501, mherrero{at}posta.unizar.es

Pollen tube growth in the ovary is examined, paying particular attention to how changes in the sporophytic tissues of the ovary and ovule relate to pollen tube guidance. Once pollen tubes reach the ovary they have to ‘surf’ along the placenta, reach the ovule exostome, enter the micropyle, traverse the nucellus and enter the embryo sac via a synergid. In peach, as in other Prunus species, pollen tube growth in the ovary is not straight and accelerations and decelerations occur along this path. Likewise, while some pollen tubes follow a definite route and achieve fertilization, others lose their course and navigate in a chaotic way. Developmental changes in the ovary and ovule appear to be responsible for this different pollen tube behaviour. Pollen tubes first stop at the obturator, a placental protuberance that lines the pollen tube pathway towards the ovule. Pollen tube growth is not resumed until this structure enters a secretory phase. A close examination of the integumentary domain at the ovule shows that secretion is also required at that point for successful pollen tube penetration. The external integument cells at the exostome, that look no different to their neighbouring cells at anthesis, enter a secretory phase in older ovules; once again pollen tube penetration is concomitant with production of this secretion. A similar situation occurs in the internal integument cells that line the micropylar canal since pollen tubes also require a secretion to traverse this area. However, the production of these secretions does not occur in all ovules, only in those that retain their starch at the time of pollen tube arrival and, thus, are competent to enter the secretory phase.

Prunus, Prunus persica, peach, ovary, ovule, obturator, pollen tube, fertilization

Submitted on July 21, 1999
Revised on August 25, 1999
Accepted on October 5, 1999


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