The Pollen Receptor Kinase LePRK2 Mediates Growth-Promoting Signals and Positively Regulates Pollen Germination and Tube Growth

ZHANG, DONG; WENGIER, DIEGO; SHUAI, BIN; GUI, CAI-PING; MUSCHIETTI, JORGE; MCCORMICK, SHEILA; TANG, WEI-HUA

PLANT PHYSIOLOGY.

AMER SOC PLANT BIOLOGISTS

Año: 2008 vol. 148 p. 1368 - 1379

0032-0889

In flowering plants, the process of pollen germination and tube growth is required for successful fertilization. A pollen receptorkinase from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), LePRK2, has been implicated in signaling during pollen germination and tubegrowth as well as in mediating pollen (tube)-pistil communication. Here we show that reduced expression of LePRK2 affectsfour aspects of pollen germination and tube growth. First, the percentage of pollen that germinates is reduced, and the timewindow for competence to germinate is also shorter. Second, the pollen tube growth rate is reduced both in vitro and in thepistil. Third, tip-localized superoxide production by pollen tubes cannot be increased by exogenous calcium ions. Fourth,pollen tubes have defects in responses to style extract component (STIL), an extracellular growth-promoting signal from thepistil. Pollen tubes transiently overexpressing LePRK2-fluorescent protein fusions had slightly wider tips, whereas pollen tubescoexpressing LePRK2 and its cytoplasmic partner protein KPP (a Rop-GEF) had much wider tips. Together these results showthat LePRK2 positively regulates pollen germination and tube growth and is involved in transducing responses to extracellulargrowth-promoting signals.