POLLEN GERMINATION AND TUBE GROWTH

Many aspects of Angiosperm pollen germination and tube growth are discussed including mechanisms of dehydration and rehydration, in vitro germination, pollen coat compounds, the dynamic involvement of cytoskeletal elements (actin, microtubules), calcium ion fluxes, extracellular matrix elements (stylar arabinogalactan proteins), and control mechanisms of gene expression in dehydrating and germinating pollen. We focus on the recent developments in pollen biology that help us understand how the male gamete survives and accomplishes its successful delivery to the ovule of the sperm to effect sexual reproduction.