(1) Key Laboratory of MOE for Plant Developmental Biology, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, 430072 Wuhan , China;(2) Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Abstract:
Pollen tube growth in vitro requires calcium for most species but the in vivo source or reservoir of this calcium is not known. Using methods to localize calcium in situ, we confirm that low levels of calcium are detected in the transmitting tract extracellular matrix (ECM) in unpollinated lily styles. Pollination in lily induces an increase in the detectable levels of calcium in the transmitting tract ECM binding to the stylar cell and pollen tube walls. This calcium is detected in the cytoplasm and vesicles near the pollen tube tip.An erratum to this article can be found at