雌蕊胞外基质在花粉管生长中的作用

雌蕊胞外基质对雌蕊与花粉的识别以及花粉管的定向生长有着重要的作用,是近年来植物生殖生物学的研究热点之一。与花粉萌发和花粉管生长相关的雌蕊胞外基质种类主要包括阿拉伯半乳糖蛋白、类伸展素糖蛋白、富含脯氨酸糖蛋白、钙调素、S-糖蛋白、果胶以及子房的特异性物质等。本文着重介绍这些雌蕊胞外基质的生理功能及其研究进展。     

G蛋白对花粉管生长的调控作用

花粉萌发和花粉管生长是花粉与雌蕊相互作用过程中受到高度调控的发育过程,它涉及花粉与雌蕊的识别作用、细胞间及细胞内信息传递等生理反应。近年的研究表明G蛋白作为一类重要的信号分子在调控花粉管生长中起重要作用。着重介绍G蛋白对花粉管生长的调控作用以及此过程中G蛋白与其它信号组分的协同作用。     

花粉-雌蕊的相互作用机制

就近年来有关被子植物有性生殖过程中,雌蕊对花粉萌发、花粉管生长以及生长方向的作用和传粉对雌蕊发育的影响的研究进展作了介绍。     

沙田柚花柱蛋白对花粉管生长的影响

本文以沙田柚及其授粉树种酸柚为材料,对其花粉在不同培养介质中的萌发率进行测定,筛选了０２～０４ｍｏｌ／Ｌ聚乙二醇－４００（ＰＥＧ－４００）＋００１％硼酸作为花粉萌发介质。用授粉后３ｄ的花柱提取液进行沙田柚、酸柚花粉萌发抑制实验,花柱提取液对自交花粉萌发无抑制作用,明显地抑制花粉管的生长。其中以花柱提取液的３５％饱和度硫酸铵级分对花粉管伸长的抑制最明显。模拟了花粉在雌蕊中的生长方式,进行花粉萌发生长,能收集到较多的花粉管,为研究花粉管的Ｓ－糖蛋白提供了材料。     

小毛茛雌蕊群的授粉率及花粉管生长途径

为探讨毛茛属中是否具有与慈姑属中类似的花粉管再分配现象,对小毛茛开花后不同时期柱头的授粉率和花粉量进行了统计,并采用荧光显微术观察了其花粉在雌蕊群中的萌发及花粉管生长过程。该种的每朵花中含有39.2±9.9个离生心皮,开花过程常持续4~6d,开花2d后,柱头授粉率就可达到100%,平均每柱头的花粉量在3d后达到17.0±2.4粒。虽然开花的当天即有少数柱头落置有花粉粒,但花粉萌发常自开花的次日开始。花粉管先沿各雌蕊之向心一侧的组织中穿行至子房基部后部分花粉管转向胚珠,由珠孔进入珠心。从花粉粒落置于柱头到花粉管进入珠心大约需要24h。尽管毛茛属有着与慈姑属类似的多心皮雌蕊群,但大量的荧光显微观察表明,与慈姑属植物中不同的是,小毛茛的花粉管生长均局限于每一雌蕊中而不能穿过子房向其他雌蕊生长。雌蕊群的比较解剖发现野慈姑的子房基部有一条通向花托表面的孔道,这正是花粉管由一个雌蕊到另一个雌蕊的通路,但小毛茛的子房基部不存在此孔道。     

花粉—雌蕊相互作用的控制机理

本文介绍了近年来在花粉—雌蕊相互作用的控制机理及发育调控中取得的一些进展。花粉与雌蕊的识别由一系列不亲和基因所控制的专一性糖蛋白所介导。在花成熟后期这些基因开始表达,合成大量的S蛋白质,从而植物获得自交不亲和的特性。雌蕊S蛋白质位于柱头或花柱中,它们能抑制自交不亲和花粉管生长。     

高等植物自交不亲和性的分子生物学

自交不亲和性是大多数高等植物防止近亲繁殖的一种遗传屏障。它涉及受精时雄配子（花粉）和雌蕊之间的相互作用。目前,已经分离获得了编码控制雌蕊自交不亲和性的Ｓ基因。在孢子体型自交不亲和的芸苔属中,雌蕊Ｓ基因编码Ｓ位点糖蛋白（ＳＬＧ）和Ｓ受体激酶（ＳＲＫ）。它们可能与磷酸化和去磷酸化参与了的某种信号传递有关,最后导致自交花粉生长的抑制。在配子分配体型自交不亲和的茄科中,雌蕊Ｓ位点糖蛋白为一种核糖核酸酶,称为Ｓ－核酸酶（Ｓ－ＲＮａｓｅ）。自交不亲和反应与Ｓ－核酸酶引起的花粉管ＲＮＡ降解有关,并且可能通过花粉管特异性地摄入Ｓ－核酸酶或者花粉管内存在的特异性的核酸酶抑制剂的作用,达到对自交花粉生长的抑制。另外,从配子体型自交不亲和的罂粟中,分离到了与芸台属和茄科不同的雌蕊Ｓ基因,其作用机理可能与Ｃａ＋＋参与的信号传递有关。     

花粉——雌蕊相互作用的分子基础

显花植物授粉过程包含了花粉与雌蕊一系列复杂的细胞间相互作用。花粉在柱头上必须发生粘附与水合作用后才能萌发,花粉胞被蛋白可能在粘附机制中起主要作用,而水孔蛋白调节了花粉的水合过程;花粉管在花柱引导组织中定向生长,受引导组织胞间质、向化性物质及细胞粘附机制等因素的影响,也与花粉受体及子房有关。在植物的自交不亲和性反应中,配子体型自交不亲和性反应主要是由自交不亲和基因蛋白产物降解花粉RNA或以Ca^2 介导的信号级联反应实现的;孢子体型自交不亲和性反应则依赖于干性柱头以及雌蕊的S受体激酶及S位点糖蛋白与花粉S基因配体之间的相互作用。     

南瓜雌蕊与自花及远缘花粉的相互作用

南瓜柱头表面经去垢剂、蛋白酶及Con A处理后花粉不能萌发或花粉管生长受阻,Con A能专一地与柱头表面结合。柱头块加入培养液可促进花粉萌发。不同的远缘花粉授粉后在雌蕊不同部位受阻。在成熟南瓜雌蕊提取液中检测到血凝活性,凝集素可能参与雌蕊对远缘花粉的抑制。     

Ca2+、pH在花粉及萌发花粉管生长中的作用研究进展

花粉正常萌发并生长是精细胞顺利到达胚囊并实现受精作用的前提,因而是高等植物有性生殖的一个关键环节。花粉管生长涉及一系列过程,而花粉(或花粉管)内外的Ca^2 和pH的变化与花粉萌发、花粉管生长有着密切的关系。比较详细地论述了Ca^2 和pH在花粉萌发、花粉管生长过程中的分布特点、生理功能及分子机制。     

A functional study of stylar hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins during pollen tube growth

Class III pistil-specific extensin-like proteins (PELPIII) are chimeric hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins with properties of both extensins and arabinogalactan proteins. The abundance and specific localization of PELPIII in the intercellular matrix (IM) of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) stylar transmitting tissue, and translocation of PELPIII from the IM into the pollen tube wall after pollination, presume the biological function of these glycoproteins to be related to plant reproduction. Here we show that in in vitro assays the translocation of PELPIII is specifically directed to the callose inner wall of the pollen tubes, indicating that protein transfer is not dependent on the physiological conditions of the transmitting tract. We designed a set of experiments to elucidate the biological function of PELPIII in the stylar IM. To study the function of the specific interaction between PELPIII proteins and the pollen tube wall, one of the PELPIII proteins (MG15) was ectopically expressed in pollen tubes and targeted to the tube wall. We also generated transgenic tobacco plants in which PELPIII proteins were silenced. In vitro bioassays were performed to test the influence of purified PELPIII on pollen tube growth, as compared to tobacco transmitting tissue-specific proteins (TTS) that were previously shown to stimulate pollen tube growth. The various tests described for activity of PELPIII proteins all gave consistent and mutually affirmative results: the biological function of PELPIII proteins is not directly related to pollen tube growth. These data show that similar stylar glycoproteins may act very differently on pollen tubes.     

Proteomic analyses of apoplastic proteins from germinating Arabidopsis thaliana pollen

Pollen grains play important roles in the reproductive processes of flowering plants. The roles of apoplastic proteins in pollen germination and in pollen tube growth are comparatively less well understood. To investigate the functions of apoplastic proteins in pollen germination, the global apoplastic proteins of mature and germinated Arabidopsis thaliana pollen grains were prepared for differential analyses by using 2-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) saturation labeling techniques. One hundred and three proteins differentially expressed (p value≤0.01) in pollen germinated for 6h compared with un-germination mature pollen, and 98 spots, which represented 71 proteins, were identified by LC-MS/MS. By bioinformatics analysis, 50 proteins were identified as secreted proteins. These proteins were mainly involved in cell wall modification and remodeling, protein metabolism and signal transduction. Three of the differentially expressed proteins were randomly selected to determine their subcellular localizations by transiently expressing YFP fusion proteins. The results of subcellular localization were identical with the bioinformatics prediction. Based on these data, we proposed a model for apoplastic proteins functioning in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. These results will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of pollen germination and pollen tube growth.     

Extensin-like Glycoproteins in the Maize Pollen Tube Wall

We recently described the cloning and characterization of Pex1, a maize pollen-specific gene with an extensin-like domain. Here, we report that antibodies raised against a Pex fusion protein and a Pex synthetic peptide recognize a protein doublet with an apparent molecular mass of ~300 kD as well as larger proteins in pollen extracts. These proteins were not detected in extracts of seedling, endosperm, ear, silk, root, leaf, wounded leaf, meiotic tassel, or young microspore. After deglycosylation, only the protein doublet was detected by the anti-Pex antiserum, suggesting that the higher molecular mass proteins represent a glycosylated form of the Pex proteins. The anti-Pex antiserum was also used in immunolocalization experiments with in vitro-germinated pollen. With the aid of a confocal light microscope, the Pex proteins were localized to the pollen tube wall. The Pex proteins could not be removed with high salt, SDS, or chaotropic or reducing agents, suggesting a very tight association with the pollen tube wall. Immunocytochemical analysis at the ultrastructural level localized the Pex proteins to the intine in mature pollen and to the callosic sheath of the pollen tube wall in germinated pollen. Localization to the pollen tube wall strongly suggests that the Pex proteins play a role in pollen tube growth during pollination.     

Protein synthesis in tobacco pollen tubes: preferential synthesis of cell-wall 69-kDa and 66-kDa glycoproteins

One- and two-dimensional electrophoresis of Nicotiana tabacum pollen and pollen tube proteins confirmed that a new protein is preferentially synthesized during pollen germination and tube growth and becomes the most abundant protein in pollen tubes. Analysis of proteins extracted with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from different pollen tube fractions showed that it is the most abundant non-covalently bound wall protein, characterized by molecular mass of 69 kDa, pI between 7.9 and 8.2, and glycosylation with glucose and/or mannose. Amino acid analysis revealed relative abundance of serine, glutamic acid and glycine, but did not show the presence of hydroxyproline. According to all these characteristics, it cannot be classified as an extensin-like protein. Another prominent wall-bound glycoprotein has a molecular mass of 66 kDa and the same pI as the 69 kDa glycoprotein. These two glycoproteins are similar also in ConA binding, rate of synthesis, and rapid incorporation into pollen tube walls. Their synthesis is strongly reduced by tunicamycin and this inhibition results in the occurrence of new polypeptides in the range of 57–61 kDa. Tunicamycin also inhibited pollen tube growth. At 10 ng ml^-1 and 50 ng ml^-1 the inhibitor reduced pollen tube mass after 24 h of culture by 30% and 85%, respectively. This indicates that tobacco pollen presents a system highly sensitive to tunicamycin and that cotranslational N-linked glycosylation on the rough endoplasmic reticulum is required for 66 and 69 kDa glycoprotein formation and for pollen tube growth. Although other proteins appear during pollen germination and tube growth, the new proteins occur at low levels and seem to originate through modifications of preexisting polypeptides. In contrast to 69 and 66 kDa proteins, most proteins detected by [¹⁴C]amino acid incorporation and fluorography of gels were not revealed by Coomassie blue staining.     

Integrin-like proteins in the pollen tube: detection, localization and function

The distribution of integrin-like proteins in the pollen tube was examined by immunofluorescent labeling and western blotting techniques using antibodies against human placenta integrin vitronectin receptor (VnR), and alpha(v), beta3 and beta1 integrin subunits. Pseudocolor-coded confocal images showed intense immunostaining within 10 and 5 microm of the tip of the pollen tube in Lilium davidii and Nicotiana tabacum respectively. In both segments the site near the plasma membrane was labeled. Western blotting analyses revealed cross-reaction of anti-beta3, anti-alpha(v) and anti-VnR with the proteins in the plasma membrane preparation of L. davidii and Hemerocallis citrina pollen tube. These studies provide evidence for the first time that the integrin-like protein is present in pollen tubes, and it may be mainly composed of alpha(v) and beta3 subunits in lily pollen tubes. In a functional assay, neither anti-VnR antibody nor the Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser tetrapeptide inhibited pollen tube growth of N. tabacum in vitro, but both of them depressed tube growth on the stigma and in style under quasi in vivo culture conditions. The integrin-like proteins localized in the tip and periphery of the pollen tube appeared to play roles in growth of the pollen tube tip and interaction with the extracellular matrix of the style.     

Characterization of pollen tube development in Pinus strobus (Eastern white pine) through proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins

The differentially expressed proteins in pollen tubes indicate their specific roles in this stage of male gametophyte development. To isolate these proteins, 2-DE was done using ungerminated pollen and 2-day-old pollen tubes of Pinus strobus. Results show that 645 and 647 protein spots were clearly resolved from pollen grains and pollen tubes, respectively. Thirty-eight protein spots were expressed only in pollen tubes, while 19 increased in intensity. MALDI-TOF MS was used to generate tryptic peptide masses that were submitted to Mascot for identification. Of the differentially expressed proteins, 12% matched with hypothetical proteins, 33% did not hit any protein, and for the 55%, a putative function was assigned based on similarity of sequences with previously characterized proteins. Therefore, pollen tube development can be characterized by the cellular activities that involve metabolism, stress/defense response, gene regulation, signal transduction, and cell wall formation. This study expands our understanding of the changes in protein expression associated with pollen tube development and provides insights into the molecular programs that separate the development of the pollen tubes from pollen grains. This is the first report that describes a global analysis of differentially expressed proteins from the pollen tube of any seed plant.     

Appearance and interaction of pollen and pistil pathway proteins in Gasteria verrucosa (Mill.) H. Duval

Patterns of proteins excreted during pollen germination, of germinating pollen and of the stylar and placental fluids excreted by cells along the pistil pathway of Gasteria verrucosa were analyzed by electrophoresis. The medium from germinating pollen contains several pollen exudate proteins as well as glycoproteins from the sticky pollen wall coating. No protein could be detected in the stigmatic exudate. The stylar fluid shows a protein pattern different from that of the placental fluid. The placental fluid contains some glycoproteins. After pollination, three pollen proteins begin to appear in the stylar fluid. Two of these pollen proteins remain present in the placental fluid. Some placental fluid proteins and glycoproteins are modified after pollination. The difference in protein patterns demonstrates the heterogeneity of proteins in the pollen tube pathway and suggests that proteins excreted by the pollen tube interact with other proteins in the pistil pathway, especially those in the placental fluid.     

沙田柚自交、异交花粉管蛋白双向电泳分析

比较分析了沙田柚自交、异交花粉管蛋白的双向电泳图谱 ,两者的蛋白分布格局相似 ,具有重叠性 ,可分辨出 2 0 0多个蛋白点。在异交花粉管电泳图谱中发现了 1种特异蛋白 (A) ,A蛋白 (MrA =5 8.2 ,pI=5 9) ;在自交花粉管电泳图谱中发现了 2种特异蛋白 (B、C) ,B蛋白 (MrB =2 6.4,pI=6.1 ) ,C蛋白 (MrC =2 8 0 ,pI=6.3) ,这些蛋白可能与自交不亲和有关     

Microtubule motor proteins and the organization of the pollen tube cytoplasm

Molecular motors are molecules that drive a wide range of activities (for example, organelle movement, chromosome segregation, and flagellar movement) in cells. Thus, they play essential roles in diverse cellular functions. Understanding their structures, mechanisms of action and different roles is therefore of great practical importance. The role of microtubules during pollen tube growth is presently not identified, nor are basic properties. We do not know, for example, where microtubules are organized, the extent of microtubule dynamics, and the polarity of microtubules in the pollen tube. Roles of microtubules and related motors in organelle trafficking are not clear. Regardless of scarce information, microtubule-based motors of both the kinesin and dynein families have been identified in the pollen tube. Most of these microtubule motors have also been found in association with membrane-bounded organelles, which suggest that these proteins could translocate organelles or vesicles along microtubules. The biochemical features of these proteins are typical of the motor protein class. Immunofluorescence microscopy of pollen tubes probed with antibodies that cross-react with microtubule motors indicate that these proteins are localized in different regions of the pollen tube; therefore, they could have different roles. Although a number of microtubule motors have been identified in the pollen tube, the role of these proteins during pollen tube germination and growth or organelle movement is not yet recognized, as tube elongation and organelle movement in the pollen tube depend mostly on actin filaments. In the effort to understand the specific role that microtubules and related motors have in the pollen tube, it is therefore necessary to identify the molecular machinery that interacts with microtubules. Furthermore, it is crucial to clearly establish the types of interaction between organelles and microtubules. This review summarizes the current state of the art on microtubule motors in the pollen tube, mainly surrounding the putative roles of microtubule motors in organelle movement and cytoplasmic organization. Some hypotheses and speculations are also presented.