XVI International Botanical Congess

The pollen germination and tube growth processes occur in the extracellular matrix of stigmatic and stylar transmitting tissue of the pistil. Hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins are abundantly secreted by the female cells as well as secreted by the male gametophyte. To understand the functional roles of these major extracellular matrix glycoproteins in pollen-pistil interactions, we have characterized the cDNAs, genes, and proteins for several of these extracellular matrix glycoproteins from the self-compatible N. tabacum. Structural, functional and regulation analyses for these proteins will be discussed.