Identification and localization of three classes of myosins in pollen tubes of Lilium longiflorum and Nicotiana alata

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (7) ◽  
pp. 2549-2563
Author(s):  
D.D. Miller ◽  
S.P. Scordilis ◽  
P.K. Hepler
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Generative Cell ◽  
Freeze Substitution ◽  
Lilium Longiflorum ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Vegetative Nucleus ◽  
Nicotiana Alata ◽  
Myosin V ◽  
Myosin I

The presence and localization of actin and myosin have been examined in pollen tubes of Lilium longiflorum and Nicotiana alata. Immunoblot analysis of pollen tube extracts with antibodies to actin, myosins IA and IB, myosin II, and myosin V reveals the presence of these contractile proteins. Immunofluorescence microscopy using various methods to preserve the pollen tubes; chemical fixation, rapid freeze fixation and freeze substitution (RF-FS) followed by rehydration or by embeddment in a methacrylate mixture, was performed to optimize preservation. Immunocytochemistry reaffirmed that actin is localized longitudinally in the active streaming lanes and near the cortical surface of the pollen tube. Myosin I was localized to the plasma membrane, larger organelles, the surface of the generative cell and the vegetative nucleus, whereas, myosin V was found in the vegetative cytoplasm in a punctate fashion representing smaller organelles. Myosin II subfragment 1 and light meromyosin were localized in a punctate fashion on the larger organelles throughout the vegetative cytoplasm. In addition, isolated generative cells and vegetative nuclei labeled only with the myosin I antibody. Competition studies indicated the specificity of the heterologous antibodies utilized in this study suggesting the presence of three classes of myosins in pollen. These results lead to the following hypothesis: Myosin I may move the generative cell and vegetative nucleus unidirectionally through the pollen tube to the tip, while myosin V moves the smaller organelles and myosins I and II move the larger organelles (bidirectionally) that are involved in growth.

scholarly journals Localization of actin in pollen tubes of Ornithogalum virens L.

2014 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-102
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Stępka ◽  
Fabricio Ciampolini ◽  
Mauro Cresti ◽  
Maria Charzyńska
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
Generative Cell ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Confocal Laser ◽  
Vegetative Nucleus ◽  
Ornithogalum Virens

The germinating pollen grain (in vivo on the stigma or in vitro in germination medium) forms a pollen tube which transports the vegetative nucleus and generative cell/two sperm cells participating in the process of double fertilization. The growth of the tube and the transport of organelles and the cells occur due to two major motor systems existing in the pollen tubes of higher plants: the tubuline-dynein/kinesin and the actin-myosin system. In pollen tubes of <em>Ornithogalum virens</em> the actin filaments were labelled with TRITC-phalloidin (2 µg/ml) in the PIPES buffer and the 10% sucrose, without the fixative and DMSO. Omission of the fixative and permeabilizing agent (DMSO) allowed better preservation of the structure, and the "fluorescence" of actin was observed in living pollen tubes. Observations in CLSM (confocal laser scanning microscope) showed that actin is distributed in the vicinity of the cell membrane. This could support the view that actin filaments and the plasmalemma form the pollen tube cortex along which the cytoplasmic movement of organelles, and cell transport occurs.

scholarly journals Persistent directional growth capability in Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes after nuclear elimination from the apex

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuki Motomura ◽  
Hidenori Takeuchi ◽  
Michitaka Notaguchi ◽  
Haruna Tsuchi ◽  
Atsushi Takeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Sperm Cell ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Vegetative Nucleus ◽  
Sperm Cells ◽  
Apical Region ◽  
Basal Region ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Directional Growth

AbstractDuring the double fertilization process, pollen tubes deliver two sperm cells to an ovule containing the female gametes. In the pollen tube, the vegetative nucleus and sperm cells move together to the apical region where the vegetative nucleus is thought to play a crucial role in controlling the direction and growth of the pollen tube. Here, we report the generation of pollen tubes in Arabidopsis thaliana whose vegetative nucleus and sperm cells are isolated and sealed by callose plugs in the basal region due to apical transport defects induced by mutations in the WPP domain-interacting tail-anchored proteins (WITs) and sperm cell-specific expression of a dominant mutant of the CALLOSE SYNTHASE 3 protein. Through pollen-tube guidance assays, we show that the physiologically anuclear mutant pollen tubes maintain the ability to grow and enter ovules. Our findings provide insight into the sperm cell delivery mechanism and illustrate the independence of the tip-localized vegetative nucleus from directional growth control of the pollen tube.

scholarly journals Immunochemical and immunocytochemical identification of a myosin heavy chain polypeptide in Nicotiana pollen tubes

1989 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-574
Author(s):  
X.J. Tang ◽  
P.K. Hepler ◽  
S.P. Scordilis
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Nuclear Envelope ◽  
Myosin Heavy Chain ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Immunofluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Generative Cell ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Nuclear Surface ◽  
Common Pattern ◽  
Western Blots

A myosin heavy chain polypeptide has been identified and localized in Nicotiana pollen tubes using monoclonal anti-myosin antibodies. The epitopes of these antibodies were found to reside on the myosin heavy chain head and rod portion and were, therefore, designated anti-S-1 (myosin S-1) and anti-LMM (light meromyosin). On Western blots of the total soluble pollen tube proteins, both anti-S-1 and anti-LMM label a polypeptide of approximately 175,000 Mr. Immunofluorescence microscopy shows that both antibodies yield numerous fluorescent spots throughout the whole length of the tube, often with an enrichment in the tube tip. These fluorescent spots are thought to represent vesicles and/or organelles in the pollen tubes. In addition to this common pattern, anti-S-1 stains both the generative cell and the vegetative nuclear envelope. The different staining patterns of the nucleus between anti-S-1 and anti-LMM may be caused by some organization and/or anchorage state of the myosin molecules on the nuclear surface that differs from those on the vesicles and/or organelles.

Citrus pollen tube development in cross-compatible gynoecia, self-incompatible gynoecia, and in vitro

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 2527-2532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy L. Kahn ◽  
Darleen A. DeMason
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Generative Cell ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Citrus Paradisi ◽  
Incompatible Pollination ◽  
Incompatible Cross ◽  
Compatible Pollinations ◽  
Compatible Pollen ◽  
Incompatibility Reaction

The route of 'Orlando' tangelo (Citrus paradisi Macf. × C. reticulata Blanco) pollen tubes was traced and compared in self-incompatible pollinations and cross-compatible pollinations with 'Dancy' tangerine (C. reticulata Blanco). In both crosses, 'Orlando' pollen germinated in the stigmatic exudate and grew between the papillae on the stigma surface and inter-cellularly between the parenchymatous cells until reaching a stylar canal by 3 days. However, in the incompatible pollination, irregular deposition of callose occurred in the pollen tube walls as early as 1 day after pollination. By day 6, pollen tubes were in the upper portion of the ovary in the compatible pollination, whereas most pollen tubes from the incompatible pollination were still in the upper style. 'Orlando' pollen tube growth rate decreased substantially by day 3 in both the self-incompatible pollination and in vitro but increased rapidly after day 3 in the compatible combination. The generative cell divided between 1 and 3 days after pollination in the compatible cross. Generative cell division was observed by day 3 in only a few pollen tubes in the incompatible cross and in cultured tubes. Compatible pollen tubes grew slowly for the first 3 days after pollination, during which time generative cells divided and then grew rapidly until fertilization. In contrast, incompatible pollen tubes showed morphological features indicative of an incompatibility reaction by 1 day after pollination and grew slowly for a period of 6 days, and then ceased growth.

Association of the Generative Cell and Vegetative Nucleus in Pollen Tubes of Rhododendron

1987 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. KAUL ◽  
C. H. THEUNIS ◽  
B. F. PALSER ◽  
R. B. KNOX ◽  
E. G. WILLIAMS
Keyword(s):  
Generative Cell ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Vegetative Nucleus

scholarly journals pH gradients are not associated with tip growth in pollen tubes of Lilium longiflorum

1997 ◽  
Vol 110 (15) ◽  
pp. 1729-1740 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.D. Fricker ◽  
N.S. White ◽  
G. Obermeyer
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Tip Growth ◽  
Lilium Longiflorum ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Tube Growth ◽  
Cytoplasmic Ph ◽  
Clear Zone ◽  
External Application ◽  
Ph Gradients ◽  
External Ph

The cytoplasmic pH of growing pollen tubes of Lilium longiflorum Thunb. was measured using the pH-sensitive fluorescent dye 2′,7′-bis-(carboxyethyl)-5(6′)-carboxyfl uorescein and confocal fluorescence ratio imaging. The average cytoplasmic pH in the clear zone of the pollen tube tip was pH 7.11, and no consistent pH gradients were detected in the clear zone, averaging around -1.00 milli pH unit microm(−1), or along the first 50 microm of the tube (3.62 milli pH units microm[-1]). In addition, no correlation was observed between the absolute tip cytoplasmic pH or the pH gradient and the pollen tube growth rates. Shifts of external pH to more acidic pH values (pH 4.5) caused a relatively small acidification by 0.18 pH units, whereas a more alkaline external pH &gt;7.0 caused a dramatic increase in cytoplasmic pH and growth stopped immediately. Stimulation of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase by fusicoccin, resulted in an increase of tube growth but no change in cytoplasmic pH. On the other hand, vanadate (250–500 microM), a putative inhibitor of the pump, stopped tube growth and a slight cytoplasmic alkalinisation of 0.1 pH units was observed. Vanadate also arrested fusicoccin-stimulated growth and stimulated an increased alkalinisation of around 0.2 pH units. External application of CaCl2 (10 mM) caused a small acidification of less than 0.1 pH units in the clear zone, whilst LaCl3 (250 microM) caused slight and rather variable perturbations in cytoplasmic pH of no more than 0.1 pH units. Both treatments stopped growth. It was inferred from these data that tip-acid cytoplasmic pH gradients do not play a central role in the organisation or maintenance of pollen tube tip growth.

Cytoskeletal Elements, Cell Shaping and Movement in the Angiosperm Pollen Tube

1988 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. HESLOP-HARRISON ◽  
Y. HESLOP-HARRISON ◽  
M. CRESTI ◽  
A. TIEZZI ◽  
A. MOSCATELLI
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Generative Cell ◽  
Vegetative Nucleus ◽  
Microtubule Cytoskeleton ◽  
Tube Shape ◽  
Galanthus Nivalis ◽  
Angiosperm Pollen ◽  
Cytoskeletal Elements ◽  
Generative Cells

The ellipsoidal generative cell of the pollen grain of Endymion nonscriptus usually elongates further following germination and entry into the tube, producing attenuated extensions the forward one of which may reach into the vicinity of the vegetative nucleus. This shape change is accompanied by the stretching of the microtubule cytoskeleton of the cell, identified in the present work by immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies to tubulin. Complementary observations of living generative cells of Iris pseudacorus showed that they undergo slow undulatory movements accompanied by variation in shape and length during passage through the tube. Such changes must presumably be accompanied by modifications of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Colchicine at 1 mM eliminated microtubules from tubes and most generative cells of E. nonscriptus, but did not radically affect pollen-tube shape or extension growth, nor arrest the movements of the vegetative nucleus and generative cell into and through the tube. Generative cells in colchicinetreated pollen of Galanthus nivalis rounded up and failed to undergo the usual changes in shape during passage through the tube. Secondary consequences were changes in precedence in movement through the tube, and a greater dispersal along its length. On the assumption that no other cytoskeletal elements remain to be discovered, it seems likely that microfilaments rather than microtubules provide the motive force for movement in the tube, although the latter are involved in shaping the generative cell and adapting it to its passage.

Multiple unconventional myosin domains of the intestinal brush border cytoskeleton

1994 ◽  
Vol 107 (12) ◽  
pp. 3535-3543 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.B. Heintzelman ◽  
T. Hasson ◽  
M.S. Mooseker
Keyword(s):  
Brush Border ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Myosin Vi ◽  
Myosin V ◽  
Terminal Web ◽  
Intestinal Brush Border ◽  
Myosin I ◽  
Biochemical Fractionation

Representatives of class V and class VI unconventional myosins are identified as components of the intestinal brush border cytoskeleton. With brush border myosin-I and myosin-II, this brings to four the number of myosin classes associated with this one subcellular domain and represents the first characterization of four classes of myosins expressed in a single metazoan cell type. The distribution and cytoskeletal association of each myosin is distinct as assessed by both biochemical fractionation and immunofluorescence localization. Myosin-VI exists in both the microvillus and terminal web although the terminal web is the predominant site of concentration. Myosin-V is present in the terminal web and, most notably, at the distal ends of the microvilli, thus becoming the first actin-binding protein to be localized to this domain as assessed by both immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. In the undifferentiated enterocytes of the intestinal crypts, myosin-VI is expressed but not yet localized to the brush border, in contrast to myosin-V, which does demonstrate an apical distribution in these cells. An assessment of myosin abundance indicates that while myosin-II is the most abundant in the cell and in the brush border, brush border myosin-I is only slightly less abundant in contrast to myosins-V and -VI, both of which are two orders of magnitude less abundant than the others. Extraction studies indicate that of these four myosins, myosin-V is the most tightly associated with the brush border membrane, as detergent, in addition to ATP, is required for efficient solubilization.

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