RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Pollen Tube Attraction by the Synergid Cell
JF Science
JO Science
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP 1480
OP 1483
DO 10.1126/science.1062429
VO 293
IS 5534
A1 Higashiyama, Tetsuya
A1 Yabe, Shizu
A1 Sasaki, Narie
A1 Nishimura, Yoshiki
A1 Miyagishima, Shin-ya
A1 Kuroiwa, Haruko
A1 Kuroiwa, Tsuneyoshi
YR 2001
UL http://science.sciencemag.org/content/293/5534/1480.abstract
AB In flowering plants, guidance of the pollen tube to the embryo sac (the haploid female gametophyte) is critical for successful fertilization. The target embryo sac may attract the pollen tube as the final step of guidance in the pistil. We show by laser cell ablation that two synergid cells adjacent to the egg cell attract the pollen tube. A single synergid cell was sufficient to generate an attraction signal, and two cells enhanced it. After fertilization, the embryo sac no longer attracts the pollen tube, despite the persistence of one synergid cell. This cessation of attraction might be involved in blocking polyspermy.