Ultrastructural changes in the sieve element and dense cells of nectariferous tissue during the development of floral nectary in Arabidopsis thaliana L. were investigated with transmission electron microscopy. Samples were prepared with high pressure freezing and freeze substitution techniques. The ultrastructure of dense cell was similar to that of sieve element at its early developmental stage. With the concurrent agglutination of chromatin in the nucleus, the abnormal location of organelles and the high density of cytoplasm, the ultrastructural characteristics in die dense cells of the nectariferous tissue and in the sieve element are matched with those of the programmed cell death in animal and plant reported in recent years. The disorganization of nucleus and most organelles in the differentiation of sieve elements and dense cells is closely associated with the transportation and modification of pre-nectar and the transference of nectar. This suggests that the cytological changes in sieve element and nectariferous tissue are closely associated with the nectary functional activities.
The ultrastructure of the vegetative cells of Nostoc flagelliforme Born. et Flah. was investigated with high pressure freezing and freeze substitution technique and compared with the results obtained by using conventional preparation methods. During the processes of chemical fixation, dehydration and embedding, the cell structures might be more artificially modified than that obtained from high pressure freezing and freeze substitution. With the present method, the sheath of N. flagelliforme could be well penetrated and no extra big space could exist between the cell and the sheath. The cell protoplasm rarely shrinked. Some fine structures of cell inclusions and unit membranes became visualized. Many bacteria were harbored in the sheath. In addition, the presence of big vacuoles in the cell of N. flagelliforme as well as the presence of bacteria in the sheath shown in the present preparation for cyanobacteria has not been described so far in the literature.
