title: Potassium flux in the pollen tubes was essential in plant sexual reproduction.
abstract: Potassium channels are controlling K (+) transport across plasma membrane and thus playing a central role in all aspects of osmolarity as well as numerous other functions in plants including in sexual reproduction. We have used whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp recording techniques investigated the regulation of intracellular free Ca ( 2+) -activated outward K (+) channels in Pyrus pyrifolia pollen tube protoplasts. We have also showed the channels could be inhibited by heme and activated carbon monoxide (CO). In the presence of oxygen and NADPH, hemoxygenases catalyzes heme degradation, producing biliverdin, iron and CO. Considered the oxygen concentration approaching zero in the ovary, the heme will inhibit the K (+) outward flux from the intracellular of pollen tube, increasing the pollen tubes osmolarity, inducing pollen tube burst. Here we discuss the putative role of K (+) channels in plant sexual reproduction.
authors: College of Horticulture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Ju-You
authors: JY
authors: Wu
authors: Cong
authors: C
authors: Jin
authors: Shao-Ling
authors: SL
authors: Zhang
references: Plant Mol Biol. 1997 Oct;35(3):343-54
references: 9349258
references: Planta. 2001 Jun;213(2):318-22
references: 11469598
references: Am J Med Sci. 1999 Oct;318(4):241-56
references: 10522552
references: FEBS Lett. 2007 May 25;581(12):2357-66
references: 17418142
references: PLoS One. 2010 Oct 06;5(10):e13157
references: 20949135
references: Plant Cell. 1995 Aug;7(8):1173-1184
references: 12242402
references: Plant Physiol. 2011 Feb;155(2):963-73
references: 21177472
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Nov 2;101(44):15621-6
references: 15505206
references: Plant Physiol. 2004 Jul;135(3):1398-406
references: 15247410
references: Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol. 1997 Jun;48:461-491
references: 15012271
references: PLoS Biol. 2010 Jun 01;8(6):e1000388
references: 20532241
references: Curr Biol. 2010 Aug 24;20(16):R681-3
references: 20728056
references: Genes Dev. 2002 Feb 1;16(3):339-50
references: 11825875
references: Plant J. 2010 Sep;63(6):1042-53
references: 20626657
references: Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2003;54:575-603
references: 14503004
references: Plant Cell Physiol. 1999 Aug;40(8):859-65
references: 10555306
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Jun 22;101(25):9502-7
references: 15197266
references: Planta. 1966 Mar;71(1):98-106
references: 24553992
references: Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2008;59:547-72
references: 18444907
references: Int J Dev Biol. 2009;53(8-10):1609-22
references: 19247955
references: New Phytol. 2011 Mar;189(4):1060-1068
references: 21133925
references: New Phytol. 2003 Sep;159(3):539-563
references: 33873604
references: J Membr Biol. 2003 May 15;193(2):99-108
references: 12879158
references: Plant Cell. 2011 Jan;23(1):81-93
references: 21239645
references: Planta. 1976 Jan;133(1):1-7
references: 24425171
references: Science. 1965 Dec 31;150(3705):1818-9
references: 17841976