The Influence of Medium Composition on the Growth of Tobacco Pollen Tube

Purpose The normal growth of pollen tube is an important step for the completion of sexual reproduction in higher flowering plants. It is very important to study the culture medium suitable for pollen tube growth in vitro.

Method The influences of sucrose, boric acid, calcium and GABA on the pollen tube growth of Nicotiana alata, N. tabacum L. cv. K326, N. repanda and N. stocktonii were studied with in vitro culture medium.

Result The optimum sucrose massfraction for pollen tube growth of four Nicotiana species was 10 %, and the optimum mass concentration of boric acid was 0.1 g/L. The Ca²⁺ mass concentration for N. tabacum L. cv. K326 and N. alata pollen tubes was 0.02 g/L, while 2.0 g/L for N. repanda and N. stocktonii. GABA had no significant influence on pollen tube growth.

Conclusion The in vitro growth of tobacco pollen depended on exogenous supply of sucrose, boric acid, and Ca²⁺. The optimal concentration of Ca²⁺ in the in vitro pollen tube of tobacco plants was different, and the response of in vitro growth of pollen tubes to different concentrations of GABA was not obvious.