<p dir="ltr">Communication between the male gametophyte (the tip-growing pollen tube) and the female gametophyte (the synergid cells) is crucial for sexual reproduction in flowering plants. The reception of the pollen tube (PT) depends on its recognition and sensitivity to the signals from the synergid cells for its rupture, sperm release, and double fertilization. Mutations in genes regulating communication between the synergid cells and pollen tube lead to PT overgrowth. Despite significant advances in understanding the molecular mechanism of pollen tube reception in Arabidopsis, there remains a need for more comprehensive information on the impact of natural variations on physiological traits related to pollen tube and synergid signals in pollen tube reception. This research investigates the effects of natural variation on pollen tube sensitivity to synergid signals mediated by NORTIA. In <i>nortia</i> homozygous mutants, PT-synergid communication is disrupted due to lower levels of calcium signals in the synergid cells, resulting in PT overgrowth. Using the Aniline blue staining procedure, this study identified twelve ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana out of the twenty-four ecotypes that could suppress the PT overgrowth phenotype of <i>nta-1</i>. I observed that the suppressor ecotypes exhibit characteristics like the Columbia (Col-0) ecotype, while non-suppressor ecotypes resemble the Ws-2 ecotype. Comparing the impact of the Columbia (Col-0) and Wassilewskija (Ws-2) ecotypes on PT overgrowth in the <i>nta-2</i> mutant revealed that Columbia (Col-0) effectively suppressed PT overgrowth compared to Wassilewskija (Ws-2). We investigated the sensitivity of PT integrity mutants to synergid signals. Our results showed that compromised PT integrity mutant genes (<i>mlo1mlo15</i>) partially suppressed PT overgrowth in <i>nta-1</i>. I propose that suppressor ecotypes and mutants may exhibit a heightened sensitivity to synergid signals, that help them to regulate their response to synergid signals finely.</p>

Cell-to-cell communication is the driving force behind successful reproduction in flowering plants. Extensive extracellular communication events occur between the male and female gametophytes during pollen tube reception to facilitate successful fertilization. These signaling events culminate into a product of great importance for both animals and plants: the seed. In this study, the pathogen defense regulator PATTERN-TRIGGERED IMMUNITY COMPROMISED RECEPTOR-LIKE CYTOPLASMIC KINASE 1 (PCRK1) was identified to function in pollen tube reception from both the male and female gametophytes in the flowering plant <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> using a forward genetic screen. A knockout of <i>pcrk1</i> suppresses the pollen tube overgrowth phenotype leading to infertility in <i>nortia</i> mutants. In addition, <i>pcrk1</i> pollen affected the pollen tube overgrowth phenotypes of pollen tube reception mutants <i>feronia</i> and <i>turan</i>. Shared molecular components of pollen tube reception and pathogen invasion have been reported. This study reveals another link between pathogen defense and pollen tube reception. By studying the links between fertility and disease in plants, we may be able to uncover potential trade-offs with fertility when breeding for pathogen resistance.<br>