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Background:
Pollen tube contains a vegetative cell and a generative cell. The vegetative cell contains the tube nucleus, and the generative cell contains two male gametes. The two male gametes fuse with the egg to form the embryo and with the polar nuclei to form the triploid endosperm in angiosperms.

Question:
What happens to the tube nucleus of the pollen tube after/during fertilization?

Research:

  • This site says that the tube nucleus disintegrates.

  • This article does not mention about disintegrating nor discuss anything about the fate of tube nucleus.

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Short Answer: It disintegrates.

Background: Although I was unable to find any primary reference, there were many secondary references stating that the pollen tube does disintegrate. In very short, after the pollen tube reaches the female gametophyte, the pollen tube nucleus disintegrates. For the 'why', it disintegrates to let the two sperm cells pass through, and also since its function of controlling the growth of pollen tube has finished.

diagram

For citation, you can have a look at:

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