Conserved molecular components for pollen tube reception and fungal invasion.
During sexual reproduction in flowering plants such as Arabidopsis, a tip-growing pollen tube (PT) is guided to the synergid cells of the female gametophyte, where it bursts and releases the two sperm. Here we show that PT reception and powdery mildew (PM) infection, which involves communication between a tip-growing hypha and a plant epidermal cell, share molecular components. NORTIA (NTA), a member of the MLO family originally discovered in the context of PM resistance, and FERONIA (FER), a receptor-like kinase, both control PT reception in synergids. Homozygous fer mutants also display PM resistance, revealing a new function for FER and suggesting that conserved components, such as FER and distinct MLO proteins, are involved in both PT reception and PM infection.
Institute of Plant Biology and Zürich Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zürich, Switzerland.
Sharon A
SA
Kessler
Hiroko
H
Shimosato-Asano
Nana F
NF
Keinath
Samuel E
SE
Wuest
Gwyneth
G
Ingram
Ralph
R
Panstruga
Ueli
U
Grossniklaus
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000502:physiology*; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005298:Fertility; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D017343:Genes, Plant; D025301:Hyphae / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology; D011058:Pollen / Q000235:genetics; D053205:Pollen Tube / Q000502:physiology*; D054817:Pollination; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000502:physiology; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002148:Calmodulin-Binding Proteins; D010770:Phosphotransferases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C554107:NORTIA protein, Arabidopsis; C522131:At3g51550 protein, Arabidopsis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases