Micropylar pollen tube guidance and burst: adapted from defense mechanisms?

After the first description of fertilization in flowering plants some 125 years ago (Strasburger E: Neue-Untersuchungen über den Befruchtungsvorgang bei den Phanerogamen als Grundlage für eine Theorie der Zeugung. Gustav Fischer; 1884), we are finally beginning to understand the various molecular mechanisms leading to sperm delivery and discharge inside the hidden micropylar region of the female gametophyte (embryo sac). The last phase of pollen tube guidance culminating in tube burst and explosive release of tube contents requires extensive crosstalk between both male and female gametophytes. The first molecules identified that play key roles in these processes represent highly polymorphic proteins, similar to major components of the plant innate immune system. Here we summarize recent advances and briefly discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms also in respect to prezygotic barriers of reproductive isolation.