Tapetosome， An Oil-accumulating Organelle Newly Found in Tapetum Cells of Anthers

Xin-Juan Luo, Xu-Hao Liu, Xin-Yu Wang^*

Institute for Cell Biology, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China

Abstract: Tapetosome is a type of lipid-containing organelles recently discovered in tapetum cells of anthers. This review will make a brief introduction of the morphological， structural and biochemical properties of tapetosome， and its differences with other lipid-containing organelles. Finally we will talk about the functions and mechanisms of the tapetosome in the formation of pollen coat.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2006.01.0014