Premium
Increased endocytosis of fluorescent phospholipid in tobacco pollen in microgravity and inhibition by verapamil
Author(s) -
Scherer G. F. E.,
Quader H.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1111/plb.12061
Subject(s) - biology , endocytosis , microbiology and biotechnology , pollen tube , cytoskeleton , gravitropism , verapamil , organelle , botany , actin cytoskeleton , calcium , biophysics , biochemistry , pollen , cell , chemistry , organic chemistry , pollination , arabidopsis , gene , mutant
Gravity sensing in plants occurs in specialised tissues, like in the columella in root tips or the endodermis in shoots. Generally, dense organelles, acting as statoliths, are thought to interact with the cytosekeleton and ion channels in gravitropism. We examined the possibility that tobacco pollen tubes ( N icotiana sylvestris ) having an elaborate cytoskeleton could perceive gravity through interaction of the cytoskeleton and the endomembrane system and organelles. Using lipid endocytosis as a quantitative parameter, we show that endocytosis is increased transiently in microgravity within 3 min. This increase is inhibited by the calcium blocker verapamil, suggesting that calcium is lowered in the tip, which is known to increase endocytosis in the pollen tube.