Cytological Analysis of the Mature Pollen of Actinidia deliciosa (Kiwifruit)

Abstract

Mature pollen grains from the male and the female flowers of Actinidia deliciosa (kiwifruit) were examined by DAPI (4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) -fluorescence microscopy. The generative nucleus and the vegetative nucleus were observed in the male pollen grain while neither nucleus was observed in the female pollen grain. In the generative cell of the pollen grains from the male flower, many organelle nuclei were observed. The DNA content of the generative and the vegetative nuclei was measured fluorimetrically by propidium iodide staining with a video-intensified microscope photon counting system. The DNA content of the generative nucleus was about twice as large as that of the vegetative nucleus. This suggests that the generative nucleus has 2C DNA and is arrested in the G2 phase.