IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL AND CHEMICAL-ANALYSES OF GOLGI VESICLES ISOLATED FROM THE GERMINATED POLLEN OF CAMELLIA-JAPONICA

As a first step towards studying the biochemical relationship between Golgi vesicles (GVs) and tube wall components, isolation of GVs from t he growing pollen tubes of Camellia japonica was attempted using a cen trifugation method with mannitol. The isolated GV was identified ultra structurally and immunocytochemically. The main components of the GV w ere proteins and carbohydrates. The main monosaccharides of GV polysac charides were galactose, arabinose and uronic acid, and pectins and ar abinogalactan proteins also were detected immunochemically. An antiser um against the isolated GVs reacted with the outer layer of the pollen tube wall and the intine layers of the grain wail as well as the in s itu GVs in the pollen tube and the grain cytoplasm. We have thus succe ssfully isolated GVs and shown that they contain pectic substances and arabinogalactan proteins which contribute to formation of the pollen tube primary wall.