Potassium homeostasis is essential for pollen development and pollen-pistil interactions during the sexual reproduction of flowering plants. Here, we described the role of a Shaker K+ channel, OsAKT1.2, in rice pollen germination and growth. OsAKT1.2 is specifically expressed in the tricellular pollen, mature pollen grains and growing pollen tubes. Using CRISPR gene editing, we found that knockout lines did not differ from wildtype in vegetative growth, but showed decreased pollen germination rate both in the germination medium and in vivo. OsAKT1.2-GFP fusion protein was localized in the plasma membrane and enriched at the pollen tube tip. OsAKT1.2 could complement the yeast strain which is deficient in K+ intake. These findings suggest that OsAKT1.2 is associated with pollen germination and tube elongation in rice.

中文翻译：

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水稻中 Shaker K+ 通道 OsAKT1.2 的破坏会影响花粉萌发

钾稳态对于开花植物的有性繁殖过程中的花粉发育和花粉-雌蕊相互作用至关重要。在这里，我们描述了 Shaker K+ 通道 OsAKT1.2 在水稻花粉萌发和生长中的作用。OsAKT1.2 在三细胞花粉、成熟的花粉粒和生长的花粉管中特异性表达。使用 CRISPR 基因编辑，我们发现敲除系在营养生长方面与野生型没有区别，但在萌发培养基和体内均显示出花粉萌发率降低。OsAKT1.2-GFP 融合蛋白定位于质膜并在花粉管尖端富集。OsAKT1.2可以补充K+摄入不足的酵母菌株。这些发现表明 OsAKT1.2 与水稻的花粉萌发和管伸长有关。