Common floral bacteria can induce pollen germination

Certain species of floral bacteria can enhance pollen germination, according to a study published today from the University of California, Davis in the journal Current Biology."This is the first paper documenting stimulation of pollen germination by non-plants," said first author Shawn Christensen, a doctoral candidate in associate professor Rachel Vannette's laboratory in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. "Nectar-dwelling Acinetobacter bacteria stimulate protein release by inducing pollen to germinate and burst, benefitting Acinetobacter."

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