Division of Free Nuclei in Rice Endosperm and Its Influencing Factors

The division process of endosperm in rice and its influencing factors were investigated. Total dissection, resin embedding and sectioning under light and transmission electron microscopes were used to observe the division patterns of free nuclei and cytological characters of an endosperm. The various division patterns of free nuclei in rice endosperm included mitosis, amitosis, and the mitosis to amitosis change without an interphase. The division velocity of free nuclei in rice endosperm varied with the internucleus distance. Comparing to a cluster, the division velocity increased when the free nuclei were separated from each other. Moderately higher temperatures also enhanced the proliferation and shortened the division cycle of free nuclei in rice endosperm. To a certain extent, nitrogenous fertilizer applied at the booting stage together with a moderate drought treatment accelerated the division of free nuclei as well.