Abstract
Arabidopsis FLAKY POLLEN1 (FKP1) is the only gene encoding HMG-CoA synthase in mevalonate pathway, which involves in pollen coat formation and pollen tube elongation. This gene expresses both in tapetum and pollen. To examine which expression is responsible for the pollen coat formation, and for the pollen tube elongation, we joined FKP1 cDNA to tapetum specific (SP11) or pollen specific (LAT52) promoters, and introduced them into the fkp1 mutant. We found the pollen coat formation was recovered only by SP11:FKP1. Examining the pollen tube elongation is in progress.
SHEPHERD (SHD) encodes a Hsp90-type molecular chaperon resident in the ER. The shd pollen grains show defects in exine formation and pollen tube elongation. The pollen tube elongation was recovered by LAT52:SHD, whereas the exine formation was not by both promoters. The exine formation may require the SHD expression in both tissues, or earlier expression than SP11 and LAT52.
