ARP2/3-independent WAVE/SCAR pathway and class XI myosin control sperm nuclear migration in flowering plants
Mohammad Foteh Ali, Umma Fatema, Xiongbo Peng, Samuel W. Hacker, Daisuke Maruyama, Meng‐Xiang Sun, Tomokazu Kawashima
Abstract
Significance Flowering plants have evolved a unique double-fertilization process along with an actin filament (F-actin)-based gamete nuclear migration mechanism. However, how dynamic F-actin movement is controlled in the female gametophytic cells remains unclear. We identified that the movement of F-actin is promoted via an ARP2/3-independent WAVE/SCAR-signaling pathway. We also discovered that the plant class XI myosin XI-G has a function involved in the active movement of F-actin required for sperm nuclear migration, which is different from the canonical myosin function as a cargo transporter. These breakthroughs also provide us with opportunities to further understand how flowering plants control double fertilization and plant cytoskeleton dynamics.