Differential sensitivity of ADF isovariants to a pH gradient promotes pollen tube growth

This study reveals that functional specification and cooperation of ADF isovariants with different pH sensitivities enable the coordination of the actin cytoskeleton with the cytosolic pH gradient to support pollen tube growth. The actin cytoskeleton is one of the targets of the pH gradient in tip-growing cells, but how cytosolic pH regulates the actin cytoskeleton remains largely unknown. We here demonstrate that Arabidopsis ADF7 and ADF10 function optimally at different pH levels when disassembling actin filaments. This differential pH sensitivity allows ADF7 and ADF10 to respond to the cytosolic pH gradient to regulate actin dynamics in pollen tubes. ADF7 is an unusual actin-depolymerizing factor with a low optimum pH in in vitro actin depolymerization assays. ADF7 plays a dominant role in promoting actin turnover at the pollen tube apex. ADF10 has a typically high optimum pH in in vitro assays and plays a dominant role in regulating the turnover and organization of subapical actin filaments. Thus, functional specification and cooperation of ADF isovariants with different pH sensitivities enable the coordination of the actin cytoskeleton with the cytosolic pH gradient to support pollen tube growth.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that different pH sensitivities enable Arabidopsis ADF7 and ADF10 to regulate actin dynamics in response to cytosolic pH gradient, which supports pollen tube growth. ADF7 plays a dominant role in promoting actin turnover at the pollen tube apex, while ADF10 regulates the turnover and organization of subapical actin filaments. This functional specification and cooperation enable the coordination of the actin cytoskeleton with the cytosolic pH gradient in supporting pollen tube growth.