Microtubules in Arabidopsis pollen tubes are oriented away from the tube apex and are actin-independent at the cortex.

ABSTRACT: Pollen tubes are dynamic tip-growing cells that deliver sperm nuclei to female gametes in flowering plants, allowing for sexual reproduction and seed formation. Actin and microtubule cytoskeletons both play important roles in directional pollen tube growth and guidance. While actin dynamics are well-studied in pollen tubes, the role of microtubules and the interactions between these two cytoskeletal filaments are less well understood. To address this knowledge gap, we imaged growing Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes co-expressing fluorescently-labeled tubulin and actin markers and observed partial co-localization of actin and microtubule filaments. We found that treatment with microtubule disrupting drugs did not affect the actin cytoskeleton. In contrast, when actin filaments were

SUBMITTER: Coomey JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12871779 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature