A pistil-expressed pectin methylesterase confers cross-incompatibility between strains of Zea mays

Abstract

Domesticated maize and some varieties of wild teosinte grow in close proximity in parts of Mexico but rarely cross-fertilize. Here the authors show that a pistil-expressed pectin methylesterase, encoded by a gene within the Teosinte crossing barrier1-s haplotype, prevents fertilization of these teosintes by incompatible pollen.