NATURE COMMUNICATIONS 7 – 11/3/2016

Lena M. Müller, Heike Lindner, Nuno D. Pires, Valeria Gagliardini & Ueli Grossniklaus

Species-specific gamete recognition is a key premise to ensure reproductive success and the maintenance of species boundaries. During plant pollen tube (PT) reception, gametophyte interactions likely allow the species-specific recognition of signals from the PT (male gametophyte) by the embryo sac (female gametophyte), resulting in PT rupture, sperm release, and double fertilization. This process is impaired in interspecific crosses between Arabidopsis thaliana and related species, leading to PT overgrowth and a failure to deliver the sperm cells. Here we show …
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160311/ncomms10826/full/ncomms10826.html