Abstract: Changes in distribution of trans-zeatin (t-Z), gibberellin A7 and A4(GA7/4), ( + )abscisic acid [( + )ABA] and indoleacetic acid (IAA) in the egg cells of Nicotiana tabacum var. macrophylla before and after fertilization were studied with immunoelectron microscopy. The ovules just at pollination or 96 h after pollination were fixed with 2% EDC [ 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide] and then with the mixed paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde for acidic phytohormones (or only with the aldehydes for t-Z), then slightly posffixed in 0.5% OsO4 solution for 30 min. After etched in 1% H2O2 for 10 min, the ultrathin sections embedded in Epon 812 resin were immunostained with rabbit anti-t-Z (and t-ZR) polyclonal antibody (PAB), anti-lAA methyl ester PAb, mouse anti-GA7 and GA4 methyl esters monoclonal antibody(MAb), or anti-( + ) ABA methyl ester MAb, respectively. Protein A- or sheep anti-mouse IgG-colloidal gold (Φ 10 nm) were used to indicate rabbit PAbs or mouse MAbs respectively. In the model system of nitrocellulose membrane via immunogold-silver enhancement, the authors ascertained that immunostaining results at the basis of 1 ng per phytohonnone (t-Z, IAA, GA4, or ( + )ABA) were comparable among the four-kind phytohormones and that t-Z riboside was far less fixed than t-Z with aldehydes. So the anti-t-Z PAb mainly recognized t-Z in aldehyde-fixed tissues. Immunogold electron microscopic observations showed that t-Z was rich in the egg cells before fertilization. In contrast the amounts of GA7/4 and ( + )ABA were lower in egg cells before fertilization but slightly increased after fertilization. Less IAA in egg cells was found either before or after fertilization, t-Z in unfertilized egg cells appeared to concentrate on the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulnm and mitochondria, t-Z is rarely observed in the nuclei of synergids before fertilization but is abundant in the chalazal end of synergids and micropylar end of the central cell adjacent to the unfertilized egg cell. After fertilization, t-Z decreased bviously in the zygotes and the persistent synergids, but appeared in the thickened walls of the zygotes.

Key words: Fertilization, Egg cell, Phytohormone, lmmunogold electron microscopy, Nicotiana tabacum var. macrophylla