Periplasmic multilamellar membranous structures in Nicotiana tabacum L. pollen grains treated with Ni²⁺ or Cu²⁺.

Essential trace elements Ni(2+) and Cu(2+) can block pollen germination without causing cell death. Mechanisms of this effect remain unclear. Using TEM, we studied the effects of Ni(2+) or Cu(2+) treatment on the ultrastructure of the aperture regions in tobacco pollen preparing to germinate in vitro, since in these zones, the main fluxes of water, ions, and metabolites cross the plasmalemma. Neither Ni(2+) nor Cu(2+) altered the cytoplasm ultrastructure, but both affected the reorganization of apertural periplasm during pollen activation. Numerous multilamellar membranous structures continuous with the plasma membrane could be seen in hydrated but not yet activated pollen. When the normal activation was completed, the structures disappeared and the plasmalemma became smooth. In the presence of 1 mM Ni(2+) or 100 μM Cu(2+), these structures preserved its original appearance. It is assumed to be the storage form for the membrane material, which is to provide an initial phase of the pollen tube growth. Ni(2+) and Cu(2+) affect the utilization of these membranes, thereby, blocking the pollen germination.