Callose (beta-1,3 glucan) is essential for Arabidopsis pollen wall patterning, but not tube growth.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Callose (beta-1,3 glucan) separates developing pollen grains, preventing their underlying walls (exine) from fusing. The pollen tubes that transport sperm to female gametes also contain callose, both in their walls as well as in the plugs that segment growing tubes. Mutations in CalS5, one of several Arabidopsis beta-1,3 glucan synthases, were previously shown to disrupt callose formation around developing microspores, causing aberrations in exine patterning, degeneration of developing microspores, and pollen sterility.

Results

Here, we describe three additional cals5 alleles that similarly alter exine patterns, but instead produce fertile pollen. Moreover, one of these alleles (cals5-3) resulted in the formation of pollen tubes that lacked callose walls and plugs

SUBMITTER: Nishikawa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1274334 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature