Pollen cytoskeleton during germination and tube growth.

Sexual reproduction in higher plants requires the development of a special cell protrusion, the so-called pollen tube, which is generated by the male gametophyte. Like other plant cells, the pollen tube contains a conspicuous cytoskeletal apparatus that regulates and promotes most of its biological functions, the most important of which is the transport of sperm cells. The study of the pollen tube cytoskeleton has been intensified during the last few years on account of the critical importance of the pollen tube as a cell model. This review will focus on several aspects of the cytoskeleton in the pollen tube, from the way it assembles and organizes to discussing its role in organelle motility and tip growth.