Pre-zygotic mate selection affects progeny fitness and is only partially correlated with the expression of NaS-like RNases

O_LINicotiana attenuata styles preferentially select pollen from accessions with corresponding expression patterns of NaS-like-RNases (SLRs), and the post-pollination ethylene burst (PPEB) is an accurate predictor of seed siring success. However, the ecological consequences of mate selection, its effect on the progeny, and the role of SLRs in the control of ethylene signaling are still not well understood. C_LIO_LIWe explored the link between the magnitude of the ethylene burst and transcript and protein abundance of the SLRs in a set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and investigated the fitness consequences of mate selection for the next generation. Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) identified novel candidate genes potentially involved in the control of mate selection. C_LIO_LIWe found that high levels of PPEB are associated with the absence of SLR2 but not with the expression of SLR1 in most of the tested RILs. Maternal genotypes that favor certain pollen produce offspring with longer roots when pollinated with these donors, but the selection for beneficial traits is abolished when the maternal genotype selects only against certain pollen donors. C_LIO_LIWe conclude that mate selection mechanisms affect the offspring number and performance in ways that might be adaptive. C_LI