The Arabidopsis thaliana gametophytic mutation gemini pollen 1 disrupts microspore polarity, division asymmetry and pollen cell fate

Pollen development and male gametogenesis are critically dependent upon cell polarization leading to a highly asymmetric cell division termed pollen mitosis I. A mutational approach was adopted in Arabidopsis thaliana to identify genes involved these processes. Four independent gemini pollen mutants were isolated which produce divided or twin-celled pollen. The gemini pollen1 mutant was characterized in detail and shown to act gametophytically resulting in reduced transmission through both sexes. gemini pollen1 showed an incompletely penetrant phenotype resulting in equal, unequal and partial divisions at pollen mitosis I. The division planes in gemini pollen1 were shown to be aligned with the polar axis (as in wild type) and evidence was obtained for incomplete nuclear migration, which could account for altered division symmetry. gemini pollen1 also showed division phenotypes consistent with spatial uncoupling of karyokinesis and cytokinesis suggesting that GEMINI POLLEN1 may be required for the localization of phragmoplast activity. Cell fate studies showed that in both equal and unequal divisions a vegetative cell marker gene was activated in both daughter cells. Daughter cells with a range of intermediate or hybrid vegetative/generative cell fates suggests that cell fate is quantitatively related to cell size. The potential mode of action of GEMINI POLLENI and its effects on cell fate are discussed in relation to proposed models of microspore polarity and cell fate determination.