Yokohama City University

Blue light irradiation induces pollen tube rupture in various flowering plants.

2024.03.18

 In flowering plants, the pollen tube (PT) serves as a vehicle to transport two nonmotile sperm cells. PTs exhibit one of the fastest tip growth rates among cells (Williams 2012, Rabille et al. 2019). Various factors were identified to maintain proper balance between turgor pressure and cell wall (CW) synthesis at the PT tip, crucial for rapid growth, and any disruption can cause PT rupture (Ogawa and Kessler 2023). Herein, we reveal that blue light (BL) irradiation induces PT rupture in Arabidopsis, torenia and tobacco. Additionally, we observed Ca2+ influx after BL irradiation, accompanied by PT rupture or temporary elongation halt. These findings offer insights into the interplay between PT integrity and Ca2+ influx at the PT tip, presenting a novel method to control PT bursts.

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Naoya Sugi
Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Daisuke Maruyama
Associate Professor
Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan