Flavonols control pollen tube growth and integrity by regulating ROS homeostasis during high-temperature stress.

ABSTRACT: Plant reproduction requires long-distance growth of a pollen tube to fertilize the female gametophyte. Prior reports suggested that mutations altering synthesis of flavonoids, plant specialized metabolites that include flavonols and anthocyanins, impair pollen development in several species, but the mechanism by which flavonols enhanced fertility was not defined. Here, we used genetic approaches to demonstrate that flavonols enhanced pollen development by reducing the abundance of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We further showed that flavonols reduced high-temperature stress-induced ROS accumulation and inhibition of pollen tube growth. The anthocyanin reduced (are) tomato mutant had reduced flavonol accumulation in pollen grains and tubes. This mutant produced fewer pollen g

SUBMITTER: Muhlemann JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6255205 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature