The Pollen Tube A Cellular and Molecular Perspective [Hardcover]

New data on the pollen tube reflects its qualities as a biological model beyond its function as a carrier of sperm cells in plant reproduction. This book shows that pollen tubes are excellent models for plant cell research, suitable for investigations on cell tip growth and polarization, signal transduction, channel and ion flux activity, gene expression, cytoskeleton and wall structure, membrane dynamics and even cellto-cell communication.

The Pollen Tube: A Model System for Cell and Molecular Biology Studies.- Pollen Development, a Genetic and Transcriptomic View.- Ions and Pollen Tube Growth.- Genomic and Molecular Analyses of Transporters in the Male Gametophyte.- Small GTPases and Spatiotemporal Regulation of Pollen Tube Growth.- Lipid Metabolism, Compartmentalization and Signalling in the Regulation of Pollen Tube Growth.- The Actin Cytoskeleton in Pollen Tubes; Actin and Actin Binding Proteins.- The Microtubular Cytoskeleton in Pollen Tubes: Structure and Role in Organelle Trafficking.- The Architecture and Properties of the Pollen Tube Cell Wall.- Cellular Mechanisms for Pollen Tube Growth Inhibition in Gametophytic Self-incompatibility.- Extracellular Guidance Cues and Intracellular Signaling Pathways that Direct Pollen Tube Growth.-Screening and Analysis of Pollen Tube Mutations.- Comparative Analysis of Biological Models in the Study of Pollen Tube Growth.

Rui Malh? is an associate professor in the Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon. He holds a Ph.D. in cell biology, with a major interest in signal transduction mechanisms and imaging of cell dynamicsin particular, the study of pollen tube growth and its signalling pathways. Dr. Malh? did post-doctoral work at the University of Edinburgh with A.J. Trewavas and has published 40 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and 8 book chapters.

The enormous amount of data now available about the pollen tube clearly reflects its qualities lSI