Sperm movement during double fertilization of a flowering plant, Phaius tankervilliae

Fertilization in flowering plants involves the fusion of one sperm with the egg cell and a second sperm with the central cell. In the Nun orchid, Phaius tankervilliae (Aiton) Bl., the pollen tube deposits two sperms in the "cytoplasmic mass" of the degenerating synergid. Initially both sperms stay close together. Soon afterwards, the two sperms undergo migration. The leading sperm migrates towards the central cell, while the other sperm moves laterally towards the egg cell. The degenerated synergid cytoplasmic content fills in the available space between the central cell and the egg cell, forming the actin coronas. Due to the high actin content, the bright fluorescence initially prevents the visualization of cellular details. With the subsequent reduction in fluorescence, actin staining reveals that the two sperms are pear-shaped with pointed tails. As the sperms approach their respective target cells, cellular extensions form near the point of sperm entry in both the egg cell and the central cell. These structures appear to aid in the cell fusion process. The morphological and structural features observed provide evidence that the process of double fertilization requires the active participation of not only the two sperms but also the egg cell and the central cell.