Hydrogel control of water uptake by pectins during in vitro pollen hydration of Eucalyptus globulus.

Premise Of The Study: Upon pollination, dehydrated pollen grains take water out of the stigma surface, an event that constitutes the first functional checkpoint of sexual reproduction in higher plants. Little is known about possible functional connections between rehydration speed and further steps of fertilization. Here we addressed the mechanisms of water uptake control by dehydrated pollen grains.

Gametophyte interaction and sexual reproduction: how plants make a zygote.

The evolutionary success of higher plants relies on a very short gametophytic phase, which underlies the sexual reproduction cycle. Sexual plant reproduction takes place in special organs of the flower: pollen, the male gametophyte, is released from the anthers and then adheres, grows and interacts along various tissues of the female organs, collectively known as the pistil. Finally, it fertilizes the female gametophyte, the embryo sac.