Polyamines treatment during pollen germination and pollen tube elongation in tobacco modulate reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide homeostasis

Several signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in the regulation of pollen germination and pollen tube elongation. Among others, exogenously applied polyamines were found to strongly affect pollen maturation, pollen tube emergence and elongation. In this study, our aim was to investigate the regulatory relation among exogenous polyamines, and endogenous reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide under pollen germination and the apical growth of pollen tube in tobacco plants. We have found that the various polyamines differentially affected the metabolism of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species during the processes of pollen germination in the grain and the lengthening pollen tube. It is hypothesized that their differential effects might be related to their distinct influence on the endogenous nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species levels.