Abstract
The phase that elapses from pollination to fertilization is re-examined giving special attention to pollen pistil interaction in compatible matings. Pollination induces an activation of the pistil. A number of changes take place in the different tissues of this organ that appear to support male gametophyte development and to assist fertilization. Thus pollination induces stigma secretion, the release of starch from the transmitting tissue and prolongs embryo sac viability. It appears that even those pollen grains that do not achieve fertilization have a synergistic role supporting others to do so.
The pistil also has an effect on pollen tube growth. Pollen tube growth along the pistil is not continuous, accelerations and decelerations take place depending on the different tissues they traverse. The fact that pollen tube growth is heterotrophic, at the expenses of the pistil reserves, and that these reserves are not continuously produced confers the pistil with a role controlling pollen tube growth kinetics.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arbeloa A and Herrero M (1987a) The significance of the obturator in the control of pollen tube entry into the ovary in peach (Prunus persica). Ann Bot 60: 681–685
Arbeloa A and Herrero M (1987b) Germinación y difusión de proteínas del polen de melocotonero. ITEA 69: 47–53
Barendse GWM, Rodrigues Pereira AS, Berkers PA, Driessen FM, van Eyden-Emons A and Linskens HF (1970) Growth hormones in pollen, styles and ovaries of Petunia hybrida and Lilium species. Acta Bot Neerl 19: 175–186
Brewbaker JL and Majumder SK (1961) Cultural studies of the pollen population effect and the self-incompatibility inhibition. Amer J Bot 48: 457–464
Buchholz JT and Blakeslee AF (1927) Pollen tube growth at various temperatures. Amer J Bot 14: 358–369
Deurenberg JJM (1976) Activation of protein synthesis in ovaries from Petunia hybrida after compatible and incompatible pollination. Acta Bot Neerl 25: 221–226
Dheim MA and Browning G (1987) The mode of action of (2RS, 3RS)-paclobutrazol on the fruit set of Doyenne du Comice pear. J Hort Sci 62: 313–327
Donk JAWMvan der (1974) Synthesis of RNA and protein as a function of time and type of pollen tube-style interaction in Petunia hybrida L. Mol Gen Gen 134: 93–98
Fitting H (1909) Die Beeinflussung der Orchideenblüten durch die Bestandung und durch andere Umstände. Zeit für Bot 1: 1–86
Fuller GL and Leopold AC (1975) Pollination and the timing of fruit set in cucumber. HortSci 10: 617–619
Gustafson FG (1936) Inducement of fruit development by growth promoting chemicals. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 22: 626–636
Hepher A and Boulter ME (1987) Pollen tube growth and fertilization efficiency in Salpiglosis sinuata: Implications for the involvement of chemotropic factors. Ann Bot 60: 595–601
Herrero M and Arbeloa A (1989) Influence of the pistil on pollen tube kinetics in peach (Prunus persica). Amer J Bot 76: 1441–1447
Herrero M, Arbeloa A and Gascon M (1988) Pollen pistil interaction in the ovary in fruit trees. In: M Cresti, P Gori and E Pacini, eds. Sexual Reproduction in Higher Plants, 297–302. Berlin: Springer
Herrero M and Dickinson HG (1979) Pollen-pistil incompatibility in Petunia hybrida: changes in the pistil following compatible and incompatible intraspecific crosses. J Cell Sci 36: 1–18
Herrero M. and Dickinson H.G. (1980). Pollen tube growth following compatible and incompatible intraspecific pollinations in Petunia hybrida. Planta 148: 217–221
Herrero M and Dickinson HG (1981) Pollen tube development in Petunia hybrida following compatible and incompatible intraspecific matings. J Cell Sci 47: 365–383
Herrero M and Gascón M (1987) Prolongation of embryo sac viability in pear (Pyrus communis) following pollination or treatment with gibberellic acid. Ann Bot 60: 287–294
Heslop-Harrison J and Heslop-Harrison Y (1985) Surfaces and secretions in the pollen-stigma interaction: A brief review. J Cell Sci Supl 2: 287–300
Heslop-Harrison J (1983) Self-incompatibility: Phenomenology and physiology. Proc Roy Soc Lond Ser B Biol Sci 218: 371–395
Heslop-Harrison Y, Heslop-Harrison J and Reger BJ (1985) The pollen-stigma interaction in the grasses. 7. Pollen tube guidance and the regulation of tube number in Zea mays L. Acta Bot Neerl 34: 193–211
Jensen WA, Ashton ME and Beasley CA (1983) Pollen tube-embryo sac interaction in cotton. In: DL Mulcahy and E Ottaviano, eds. Pollen Biology and Implications for Plant Breeding, 67–72. New York: Elsevier Biomedical
Johnson LEB, Wilcoxson RD and Frosheirser FI (1975) Transfer cells in tissues of the reproductive system of alfalfa. Can J Bot 53: 952–956
Juel HO (1918) Beiträge zur Blütenanatomie und zur Sysstematik der Rosaceen. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar. 58: 5.
Kamienska A and Pharis RP (1975) Endogenous gibberellins of pipe pollen. II. Changes during germination of Pinus attenuata, P. coulteri and P. ponderosa pollen. Pl Physiol 56: 655–659
Kenrick J and Knox RB (1981) Post-pollination exudate from stigmas of Acacia (Mimosaceae). Ann Bot 48: 103–106
Know RB (1984) The pollen grain. In: BM Johri, ed. Embryology of Angiosperms, 197–261. Berlin: Springer
Labarca C and Loweus F (1973) The nutritional role of pistil exudate in pollen tube wall formation in Lilium longiflorum. II. Production and utilization of exudate from stigma and stylar canal. Pl Physiol 52: 87–92
Linskens HF (1953) Physiologische und chemische Unterschiede zwischen selbst- und tremdbertaübten Petunien-Griffeln. Naturwiss 40: 28–29
Linskens HF (1986) Recognition during the programic phase. In: M Cresti and R Dallai, eds. Biology of Reproduction and Cell Motility in Plants and Animals, 21–32. Siena: University of Siena.
Lombard DB, Williams RR, Stott KG and Jefferies JC (1972) Temperature effects on pollen tube growth in styles of William's pear with a note on pollination deficiencies of Comice pear. Compte Rendu Symposium Culture du Poirier: 265–280
Lord EM and Kohorn LU (1986) Gynoecial development, pollination and the path of pollen tube growth in the tepary bean Phaseolus acutifolius. Amer J Bot 73: 70–78
Martin GC, Romani RJ, Weinbaum SA, Nishijima C and Marshack J (1980) Abscisic acid and polysome content at anthesis and shortly after anthesis in pollinated, nonpollinated, and non-pollinated ‘Winter Nelis’ pear flowers treated with gibberellic acid. J Amer Soc Hort Sci 105: 318–321
Mascarenhas JP (1975) The biochemistry of the angiosperm pollen development. Bot Rev 41: 259–314
Mulcahy DL (1979) The rise of angiosperm: A genecological factor. Science 206: 20–23
Mulcahy GB and Mulcahy DL (1983) A comparison of pollen tube growth in bi- and trinucleate pollen. In: DL Mulcahy and E Ottaviano, eds. Pollen Biology and Implications for Plant Breeding, 29–33. New York: Elsevier Biomedical
Mulcahy GB and Mulcahy DL (1987) Induced pollen tube directionality. Amer J Bot 74: 1458–1459
Nitsch JP (1952) Plant hormones in the development of fruits. Quart Rev Biol 27: 33–57
Peterson RL, Scott MG and Miller SL (1979) Some aspects of carpel structure in Caltha palustris L. (Ranunculacaea). Amer J. Bot 66: 334–342
Pimienta E and Polito VS (1983) Embryo sac development in almond as affected by cross-, self- and non-pollination. Ann Bot 51: 469–479
Rosen WG (1964) Chemotropism and fine structure of pollen tubes. In: HF Linskens, ed. Pollen Physiology and Fertilization, 159–166. Amsterdam: North-Holland.
Sedgley M and Buttrose MS (1979) Anatomy of watermelon embryo sacs following pollination, non-pollination or parthenocarpic induction of fruit development. Ann Bot 43: 141–146
Sedgley M and Scholefield PB (1980) Stigma secretion in watermelon before and after pollination. Bot Gaz 141: 428–434
Tilton VR and Horner HTJr (1980) Stigma, style and obturator of Ornithogalum caudatum (Liliaceae) and their function in the reproductive process. Amer J Bot 67: 1113–1131
Tilton VR and Lersten NR (1981) Ovule development in Ornithogalum caudatum (Liliaceae) with a review of selected papers on angiosperm reproduction. III. Nucellus and megagametophyte. New Phytol 88: 477–504
Tilton VR, Wilcox LW, Palmer RG and Albertsen MC (1984) Stigma, style and obturator of soybean, Glycine max L. Herr. (Leguminoseae) and their function in the reproductive process. Amer J Bot 71: 676–686
Tupy J (1961) Changes in glucose and fructose level in Nicotiana alata styles and ovaries accompanying compatible-pollen tube growth. Biol Plant 3: 1–14
Vasil IK (1974) The histology and physiology of pollen germination and pollen tube growth on the stigma and in the style. In: HF Linskens, ed. Fertilization in Higher Plants, 105–118. Amsterdam: North-Holland
Vithanage HIMV (1984) Pollen-stigma interactions: Development and cytochemistry of stigma papillae and their secretion in Annona squamosa L. (Annonaceae). Ann Bot 54: 153–167
Welk SM, Millington WF and Rosen WG (1965) Chemotropic activity and the pathway of the pollen tube in lily. Amer J Bot 52: 774–780
Went JVvan and Willemsen MTM (1984) Fertilization. In: BN Johri, ed. Embryology of Angiosperms, 273–317. Berlin: Springer
Williams RR (1970) Techniques used in fruit set experiments. In: RR Williams and D Wilson, eds. Towards Regulated Crop**, 57–61. London: Grower
Williams RR (1965) The effect of summer nitrogen applications on the quality of apple blossom. J Hort Sci 40: 31–41
Willson MF and Burley N (1983) Mate Choice in Plants: Tactics, Mechanisms, and Consequences. Princeton: Princeton University Press
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Herrero, M. From pollination to fertilization in fruit trees. Plant Growth Regul 11, 27–32 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00024429
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00024429