Distinct short-range ovule signals attract or repel Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes in vitro.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pollen tubes deliver sperm after navigating through flower tissues in response to attractive and repulsive cues. Genetic analyses in maize and Arabidopsis thaliana and cell ablation studies in Torenia fournieri have shown that the female gametophyte (the 7-celled haploid embryo sac within an ovule) and surrounding diploid tissues are essential for guiding pollen tubes to ovules. The variety and inaccessibility of these cells and tissues has made it challenging to characterize the sources of guidance signals and the dynamic responses they elicit in the pollen tubes.

Results

Here we developed an in vitro assay to study pollen tube guidance to excised A. thaliana ovules. Using this assay we discerned the temporal and spatial regulation and species-specificity of late

SUBMITTER: Palanivelu R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1489931 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature