Pollen-pistil interaction and its molecular basis in angiosperms

In angiosperms, a serious of recognition events are involved in pollen-pistil interactions since pollen grains landed on the stigma. Such interaction processes include recognition between pollen and stigma, hydration and germination of pollen grains, pollen tube growth and guidance, sperm release and double fertilization in the embryo sac. In recent years, the genes involved in process of pollen-pistil interactions, pollen tube growth and guidance have been discovered and cloned. In this paper, the advances of adhesion of pollen grains and their hydration, germination and growth have been reviewed. In particular, the machanisms of chemical compounds, such as glycoproteins interactions in pollen adhesion, lipid regulation pathway in pollen hydration and arabinogalactan proteins in polar growth of pollen tube, have been discussed to provide theoretical basis for the reproductive biology in angiosperms.