Chapter 17 Pollen and Pollen Tube Proteomics

Abstract Germinated pollen grains form pollen tubes that accomplish rapid polar-ized growth within female gametophytic tissues in order to deliver the sperm cell to the ovule. This process is essential for successful plant fertilization in vivo. Pollen tubes are considered to be an ideal model system to study tip growth. A more com-prehensive understanding of proteins involved in pollen development, germination and tube elongation is important not only for unraveling the intricate machinery of sexual reproduction in flowering plants, but has considerable potential for the improvement of crop plant production. Integrated proteomic, genomic and cell bio-logical studies offer powerful tools for dissection of the fascinating mechanisms of pollen development and tip-growth regulation in higher plants. Here, we provide a brief overview of current advances in pollen and pollen tube proteomics