Pollen Tube and Plant Reproduction

Dear Colleagues,

The pollen tube is a fundamental cell in the reproduction process of seed plants. The evolution of this cell has allowed plants to significantly reduce the need for water during the reproductive process, allowing them to conquer more lands. In its simplicity, the pollen tube exhibits several remarkable peculiarities, such as tip growth, a specifically organized cytoskeleton, a cell wall adapted to the growth mechanism and internal transport of sperm cells. Its biological importance and ease of analysis have made the pollen tube one of the most important cell models in plant biology. The importance of research on pollen tubes is always relevant, as demonstrated by the several articles published each year. The purpose of this Special Issue (which should report information or viewpoints of outstanding novelty) is to explore the key aspects of the mechanisms of functioning of the pollen tube in terms of reproductive success of plants. Self-incompatibility, regulation of pollen tube growth by female signals, negative effects of adverse environments on the growth process and therefore on reproduction are only a few of the research topics that are welcome in the Special Issue. The structure and function of other components of the pollen tube growth machinery, metabolism, genomics, biogenesis and senescence, reactive oxygen species and membrane transport are also of interest. Significant progress in pollen transformation is also welcome.

Prof. Giampiero Cai
Prof. Stefano Del Duca
Guest Editors

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