Analysis of fluorescent reporter activity in the male germline during pollen development by confocal microscopy

Abstract

The male germline of flowering plants develops within the vegetative cell of the male gametophyte (pollen). The germline is established by asymmetric division of the microspore to form the generative cell. Mitotic division of the generative cell then produces the two sperm cells required for double fertilization. These differentiate to produce the proteins required for gamete attachment and fusion. An important aspect of understanding germline development is the characterization of germline gene expression. Here, we describe the use of a fluorescent reporter to study germline gene expression in developing pollen to assess the timing and specificity of expression.