The pollen receptor kinase LePRK2 mediates growth-promoting signals and positively regulates pollen germination and tube growth

In flowering plants, the process of pollen germination and tube growth is required for successful fertilization. A pollen receptor kinase from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), LePRK2, has been implicated in signaling during pollen germination and tube growth as well as in mediating pollen (tube)-pistil communication. Here we show that reduced expression of LePRK2 affects four aspects of pollen germination and tube growth. First, the percentage of pollen that germinates is reduced, and the time window for competence to germinate is also shorter. Second, the pollen tube growth rate is reduced both in vitro and in the pistil. Third, tip-localized superoxide production by pollen tubes cannot be increased by exogenous calcium ions. Fourth, pollen tubes have defects in responses to style extract component (STIL), an extracellular growth-promoting signal from the pistil. Pollen tubes transiently overexpressing LePRK2-fluorescent protein fusions had slightly wider tips, whereas pollen tubes coexpressing LePRK2 and its cytoplasmic partner protein KPP (a Rop-GEF) had much wider tips. Together these results show that LePRK2 positively regulates pollen germination and tube growth and is involved in transducing responses to extracellular growth-promoting signals.     

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。     

Actin organization and regulation during pollen tube growth

Pollen is the male gametophyte of seed plants and its tube growth is essential for successful fertilization. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that actin organization and regulation plays a central role in the process of its germination and polarized growth. The native structures and dynamics of actin are subtly modulated by many factors among which numerous actin binding proteins (ABPs) are the most direct and significant regulators. Upstream signals such as Ca²⁺, PIP₂ (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bis-phosphate) and GTPases can also indirectly act on actin organization through several ABPs. Under such elaborate regulation, actin structures show dynamically continuous modulation to adapt to the in vivo biologic functions to mediate secretory vesicle transportation and fusion, which lead to normal growth of the pollen tube. Many encouraging progress has been made in the connection between actin regulation and pollen tube growth in recent years. In this review, we summarize different factors that affect actin organization in pollen tube growth and highlight relative research progress.     

Cdi gene is required for pollen germination and tube growth in Arabidopsis

Pollen germination and tube growth are of essential importance to sexual reproduction of flowering plants. Several biological processes including cell wall biosynthesis and modification are known to be involved in pollen tube growth, though the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely to be investigated. Here we report the identification and functional characterization of the Arabidopsis gene Cdi, which encodes a putative nucleotide-diphospho-sugar transferase. Cdi is preferentially expressed in pollen grains and pollen tubes. Transient expression of Cdi:GFP fusion protein showed that CDI is localized in the cytosol. Mutation in Cdi impaired pollen germination and pollen tube growth thus leading to disrupted male transmission. These results suggest that Cdi is an essential gene required for pollen germination and tube growth.     

Molecular evidence that most RNAs required for germination and pollen tube growth are stored in the mature pollen grain in petunia

After landing on the stigma, the pollen grain germinates and elongates a tube to deliver its generative nuclei to the egg cell of the ovule. The molecular mechanisms involved in the drastic morphological changes in the pollen grain during this fertilization process remain largely unknown. In this study, the expression of 732 randomly selected genes in petunia pollen and pollen tubes was analyzed by microarray and quantitative PCR analyses. We found no evidence for up-regulation of any of these genes in the pollen tube. Our findings provide support at the gene level for the longstanding hypothesis that pollen germination and tube growth are not dependent on new RNA synthesis and that the large number of RNAs required for germination and tube growth are stored in mature pollen grains.     

植物中的NO及其对花发育的调节

一氧化氮(NO)是具有生物活性的重要信号分子, 在植物生长发育的许多过程中发挥调节作用。越来越多的研究证据表明, NO在植物花发育过程中具有重要作用, 然而迄今尚未见关于NO调控植物花发育方面的系统报道。文章介绍了植物NO合成途径的最新研究进展, 综述了NO抑制植物开花转换可能的作用机理和NO在花粉萌发与花粉管延伸过程中的调节作用, 以期为植物内源NO的生物合成及NO对花发育的调节研究提供参考。     

EMB2473/MIRO1, an Arabidopsis Miro GTPase, is required for embryogenesis and influences mitochondrial morphology in pollen

The regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, subcellular distribution, morphology, and metabolism are essential for all aspects of plant growth and development. However, the molecular mechanisms involved are still unclear. Here, we describe an analysis of the three Arabidopsis thaliana orthologs of the evolutionarily conserved Miro GTPases. Two of the genes, MIRO1 and MIRO2, are transcribed ubiquitously throughout the plant tissues, and their gene products localize to mitochondria via their C-terminal transmembrane domains. While insertional mutations in the MIRO2 gene do not have any visible impact on plant development, an insertional mutation in the MIRO1 gene is lethal during embryogenesis at the zygote to four-terminal-cell embryo stage. It also substantially impairs pollen germination and tube growth. Laser confocal and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the miro1 mutant pollen exhibits abnormally enlarged or tube-like mitochondrial morphology, leading to the disruption of continuous streaming of mitochondria in the growing pollen tube. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial morphology is influenced by MIRO1 and plays a vital role during embryogenesis and pollen tube growth.     

Annexin5 Plays a Vital Role in Arabidopsis Pollen Development via Ca2+-Dependent Membrane Trafficking

The regulation of pollen development and pollen tube growth is a complicated biological process that is crucial for sexual reproduction in flowering plants. Annexins are widely distributed from protists to higher eukaryotes and play multiple roles in numerous cellular events by acting as a putative “linker” between Ca²⁺ signaling, the actin cytoskeleton and the membrane, which are required for pollen development and pollen tube growth. Our recent report suggested that downregulation of the function of Arabidopsis annexin 5 (Ann5) in transgenic Ann5-RNAi lines caused severely sterile pollen grains. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of the function of Ann5 in pollen. This study demonstrated that Ann5 associates with phospholipid membrane and this association is stimulated by Ca²⁺ in vitro. Brefeldin A (BFA) interferes with endomembrane trafficking and inhibits pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Both pollen germination and pollen tube growth of Ann5-overexpressing plants showed increased resistance to BFA treatment, and this effect was regulated by calcium. Overexpression of Ann5 promoted Ca²⁺-dependent cytoplasmic streaming in pollen tubes in vivo in response to BFA. Lactrunculin (LatB) significantly prohibited pollen germination and tube growth by binding with high affinity to monomeric actin and preferentially targeting dynamic actin filament arrays and preventing actin polymerization. Overexpression of Ann5 did not affect pollen germination or pollen tube growth in response to LatB compared with wild-type, although Ann5 interacts with actin filaments in a manner similar to some animal annexins. In addition, the sterile pollen phenotype could be only partially rescued by Ann5 mutants at Ca²⁺-binding sites when compared to the complete recovery by wild-type Ann5. These data demonstrated that Ann5 is involved in pollen development, germination and pollen tube growth through the promotion of endomembrane trafficking modulated by calcium. Our results provide reliable molecular mechanisms that underlie the function of Ann5 in pollen.     

Pollen Diffusates of Crotalaria retusa and their Role in pH Regulation

Details of the release of proteins and amino acids from culturedpollen grains and the role of the leached metabolites in pollengermination, pollen tube growth and regulation of pH of theculture medium in Crotalaria retusa have been investigated.In unbuffered media, satisfactory pollen germination and tubegrowth occurred over a wide range of pH values 4.0–9.0.This was related to the ability of pollen diffusates to shiftthe pH to 6.25 in all these media. Similar pollen germinationand pH shift was observed when the pollen was eluted twice beforeculturing. When the pH shift was reduced by using buffered media,optimal germination and tube growth occurred only at pH 6.0.Pollen diffusates had a strong buffering capacity. Proteinsand amino acids released from pollen do not seem to have a directrole in pH regulation. The components involved in pH regulationmay originate from the pollen wall as well as from the cytoplasm. Crotalaria retusa L, pH regulation, pollen diffusates, pollen germination     

Behavior of storage lipids during development and germination of olive ( Olea europaea L.) pollen

Summary.  The presence of abundant oil bodies in the mature olive pollen grain has led us to focus on the behavior of these lipid bodies during pollen development and in vitro pollen germination. The appearance, increase, and accumulation of lipid bodies have been determined by following the sequential development of the pollen grain. Semithin slices of anthers and pollen grains were stained with Sudan Black B in order to identify neutral lipids. Ultrastructural studies were also carried out. Our results show a notable increase in lipid bodies between the young-pollen-grain stage and the mature-pollen-grain stage. Substantial polarization of lipid bodies was observed after 1 or 2 h of pollen incubation in germination medium. During pollen tube growth, the lipid bodies are located near the germinative aperture after 3 h of incubation, as well as inside the pollen tube, thus suggesting that the lipid bodies move from the pollen grain to the pollen tube. After 7 h of germination the presence of lipid bodies inside the pollen tube is no longer substantial. Our results support the idea that lipid bodies are involved in pollen germination, stigma penetration, and pollen tube growth. These results are discussed in connection with their implications for the pollen germination process. Received June 4, 2002; accepted October 29, 2002; published online April 8, 2003 RID="*" ID="*" Correspondence and reprints: Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Celular y Molecular de Plantas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.     

The involvement of hydrogen peroxide in UV-B-inhibited pollen germination and tube growth of Paeonia suffruticosa and Paulownia tomentosa in vitro

Previous studies have shown that UV-B could affect pollen germination and tube growth. However, the mechanism of response of pollen to UV-B has not been clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the UV-B-induced reduction of in vitro pollen germination and tube growth of Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. and Paulownia tomentosa Steud. Exposure of pollen of the two species to 0.4 and 0.8 W m⁻² UV-B radiation for 3 h resulted in not only the reduction of pollen germination and tube growth, but also the H₂O₂ production in pollen grain and tube. Also, exogenous H₂O₂ inhibited pollen germination and tube growth of the two species in a dose-dependence manner. Two scavengers of H₂O₂, ascorbic acid and catalase, largely prevented not only the H₂O₂ generation, but also the reduction of pollen germination and tube growth induced by UV-B radiation in the two species. These results indicate that H₂O₂ is involved in the UV-B-inhibited pollen germination and tube growth.     

An apoplastic mechanism for short-term effects of rare earth elements at lower concentrations

The short-term effects of rare earth elements on pollen germination and tube growth were tested. Concentrations of 2.5 approximately 20 micro m lanthanum(La3+) or cerium (Ce3+)increased pollen germination and pollen tube growth, whereas concentrations higher than 40 micro m La3+ and Ce3+ inhibited this process. The most effective concentration of La3+ needed for promotion shifted from 10 to 40 micro m, depending on the Ca2+ concentration in the medium. Calmodulin (CaM) antagonist W7-agarose and anti-CaM antibody depressed La3+-promoted pollen germination and tube growth in a dose-dependent manner. La3+-CaM complexes (La3+-CaM) increased pollen germination and tube growth more than CaM or La3+ alone. Pertussis toxin (PTX) inhibited La3+-promoted pollen germination and tube growth. Cholera toxin (CTX) partially recovered the inhibition of the above La3+-promoted process by the anti-CaM antibody. Concentrations of 10-7 approximately 10-9 m La3+-CaM increased GTPase activity inside plasma membrane vesicles of the pollen tube, but apo-CaM or La3+ alone had no positive effects. The results suggest that apoplastic CaM may be involved in the promotion effects of lower concentrations of La3+ on pollen germination and tube growth, and the heterotrimeric G-protein on the plasma membrane may transduce La3+-activated CaM signalling. The present studies provide an apoplastic mechanism for short-term effects of rare earth elements at lower concentrations in the pollen system.     

In vitro Arabidopsis pollen germination and characterization of the inward potassium currents in Arabidopsis pollen grain protoplasts

The focus of this study is to investigate the regulatory role of K(+) influx in Arabidopsis pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Using agar-containing media, in vitro methods for Arabidopsis pollen germination have been successfully established for the first time. The pollen germination percentage was nearly 75% and the average pollen tube length reached 135 microm after a 6 h incubation. A decrease in external K(+) concentration from 1 mM to 35 microM resulted in 30% inhibition of pollen germination and 40% inhibition of pollen tube growth. An increase in external K(+) concentration from 1 mM to 30 mM stimulated pollen tube growth but inhibited pollen germination. To study how K(+) influx is associated with pollen germination and tube growth, regulation of the inward K(+) channels in the pollen plasma membrane was investigated by conducting patch-clamp whole-cell recording with pollen protoplasts. K(+) currents were first identified in Arabidopsis pollen protoplasts. The inward K(+) currents were insensitive to changes in cytoplasmic Ca(2+) but were inhibited by a high concentration of external Ca(2+). A decrease of external Ca(2+) concentration from 10 mM (control) to 1 mM had no significant effect on the inward K(+) currents, while an increase of external Ca(2+) concentration from 10 mM to 50 mM inhibited the inward K(+) currents by 46%. Changes in external pH significantly affected the magnitude, conductance, voltage-independent maximal conductance, and activation kinetics of the inward K(+) currents. The physiological importance of potassium influx mediated by the inward K(+)-channels during Arabidopsis pollen germination and tube growth is discussed.     

类整合素在烟草花粉萌发和花粉管生长中的作用

The effects of antiserum against human VnR integrin and integrin antagonist GRGDSP peptides on Nicotiana tabacum pollen germination and tube growth both in in vitro and in semi-vivo conditions were studied. No obvious inhibitory effects on pollen germination and tube growth in vitro were observed when anti-VnR serum or GRGDSP peptides was added to BK culture medium, but the enhancement of pollen germination and tube growth in vitro promoted by calmodulin was depressed by adding anti-VnR serum or GRGDSP peptides to BK culture medium. In addition to that, pollen germination and tube growth on stigma, as well as tube growth in styles were also inhibited at some extent by treating stigma and microinjecting GRGDSP peptides or anti-VnR serum into styles. The role of integrin-like proteins in regulation of pollen germination and tube growth in situ was discussed.     

钙调素对花粉萌发和花粉管生长的效应

牛脑和玉米胚ＣａＭ能显著促进花粉萌发和花粉管生长（图１）,而ＣａＭ抑制剂ＴＦＰ、ＣＰＺ及另外两个专一性更强的抑制剂Ｃｏｍｐｏｕｎｄ４８／８０和Ｗ７均严重抑制甚至阻止花粉的萌发（图２,３）。用对ＣａＭ亲和性较低的Ｗ７同系物Ｗ５,在与Ｗ７同样浓度下,对花粉萌发和花粉管生长无明显影响。此外,Ｗ７对花粉萌发和花粉管生长的抑制效应可被外源ＣａＭ所消除（图４）。在花粉萌发过程中,其内源ＣａＭ含量显著上升,在花粉萌发率接近最大值时,花粉ＣａＭ含量达最高水平（图５）。上述结果表明ＣａＭ对花粉萌发和花粉管生长的调控起重要作用。     

花粉蛋白质组学研究进展

花粉是高度退化的生物体(雄配子体), 在植物有性生殖过程中具有重要作用。解析花粉发育、花粉-柱头识别、萌发和花粉管生长等细胞学过程的分子机制是当前研究的热点问题之一。近年来, 应用高通量的蛋白质组学技术平台, 对水稻、拟南芥和裸子植物花粉的蛋白质组学研究揭示了花粉中表达蛋白质的功能类群特征。花粉中参与细胞壁代谢、蛋白质代谢、细胞骨架动态和信号转导的蛋白质被高度代表, 并且近1/4蛋白质有多个同工型。本文综述了花粉蛋白质组学的研究进展。