Molecular control of autonomous embryo and endosperm development

Curtis, Mark D.; Grossniklaus, Ueli

doi:10.1007/s00497-007-0061-9

Cited by 62 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…For example, in such apomicts, fertilization of a tetraploid central cell may lead to a 4m:1p endosperm genome ratio, in contrast to the typical 2m:1p ratio of fully sexually reproducing species. Those apomicts that require fertilization to develop endosperm have therefore developed multiple strategies to ensure seed viability and these have been discussed in previous reviews (Koltunow and Grossniklaus 2003;Curtis and Grossniklaus 2008).…”

Section: Apomixis Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Genetic Control of Apomixis: Asexual Seed Formation

2014

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Apomixis (asexual seed formation) is the result of a plant gaining the ability to bypass the most fundamental aspects of sexual reproduction: meiosis and fertilization. Without the need for male fertilization, the resulting seed germinates a plant that develops as a maternal clone. This dramatic shift in reproductive process has been documented in many flowering plant species, although no major seed crops have been shown to be capable of apomixis. The ability to generate maternal clones and therefore rapidly fix desirable genotypes in crop species could accelerate agricultural breeding strategies. The potential of apomixis as a nextgeneration breeding technology has contributed to increasing interest in the mechanisms controlling apomixis. In this review, we discuss the progress made toward understanding the genetic and molecular control of apomixis. Research is currently focused on two fronts. One aims to identify and characterize genes causing apomixis in apomictic species that have been developed as model species. The other aims to engineer or switch the sexual seed formation pathway in non-apomictic species, to one that mimics apomixis. Here we describe the major apomictic mechanisms and update knowledge concerning the loci that control them, in addition to presenting candidate genes that may be used as tools for switching the sexual pathway to an apomictic mode of reproduction in crops.

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Section: Apomixis Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Genetic Control of Apomixis: Asexual Seed Formation

2014

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“…If we considered the general trend of reduction in the level of methylation in the tissues cultured in vitro, the FIE gene would exhibit relatively high activity in ovary tissues. In vivo, the FIE activity is high before fertilization and just after fertilization [48]. Perhaps regulation of its expression occurs, as in the case of MEA, by antagonistically acting proteins, viz., FIS-PCR2 (for H3K27me3 methylation), methyltrasferase MET1(for DNA methylation) and demethylase DME [6].…”

Section: Changes In Dna Methylation As a Probable Indicator Of Apomicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exogenous steroid hormones stimulate full development of autonomous endosperm in Arabidopsis thaliana

et al. 2015

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Most flowering plants, including important crops, require double fertilization to form an embryo and endosperm, which nourishes it. Independence from fertilization is a feature of apomictic plants that produce seeds, from which the plants that are clones of the mother plant arise. The phenomenon of apomixis occurs in some sexual plants under specific circumstances. Since the launch of a fertilization-independent mechanism is considered a useful tool for plant breeding, there have been efforts to artificially induce apomixis. We have been able to produce fertilization-independent endosperm in vitro in Arabidopsis over the last few years. This paper demonstrates the methods of improving the quality of the endosperm obtained using plant and mammalian steroid hormones. Additionally, it shows the study on the autonomous endosperm (AE) formation mechanism in vitro.This paper examines the effect of exogenous steroid hormones on unfertilized egg and central cell divisions in culture of unpollinated pistils of Arabidopsis Col-0 wild-type and fie-1 mutant. All media with hormones used (estrone, androsterone, progesterone, and epibrassinolide) stimulated central cell divisions and fertilization-independent endosperm development. The stages of AE development followed the pattern of Arabidopsis thaliana wild type after fertilization. Subsequent stages of AE were observed from 2-nuclear up to cellular with the most advanced occurring on medium with 24-epibrassinolide and progesterone. The significant influence of mammalian sex hormones on speed of AE development and differentiation was noticed. Using restriction analysis, the changes in methylation of FIE gene was established under in vitro condition. The authors of this paper showed that Arabidopsis thaliana has a high potency to fertilization-independent development.

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“…Patrigenes descend from an allele present in a microspore 11 and benefit from the same outcomes whether expressed in male gametophytes or from paternally-derived copies in embryos or endosperms. A 'gametophytic' effect could be explained by persistence of transcripts from before fertilization or by parent-specific expression after fertilization (Curtis & Grossniklaus 2008 . It is the same gene, with the same interests, whether it is transcribed in female gametophytes before fertilization or from maternallyderived copies after fertilization.…”

Section: Genomic Imprinting In Endospermmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kin Conflict in Seed Development: An Interdependent but Fractious Collective

Haig

2013

Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol.

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Seeds are complex structures that unite diploid maternal tissues with filial tissues that may be haploid (gametophyte), diploid (embryo), or triploid (endosperm). These different tissues are subject to distinct, sometimes conflicting, selective forces with respect to control of seed size. The theory of kin conflict does not distinguish between the 'interests' of genes expressed in gametophytes before fertilization and the same genes expressed in embryos or endosperms after fertilization. Maternal tissues are predicted to favor smaller seeds than filial tissues, and filial genes of maternal origin are predicted to favor smaller seeds than filial genes of paternal origin. Consistent with these predictions, seed size is determined by an interplay between growth of maternal integuments, limiting seed size, and of filial endosperm, promoting larger seeds.Within endosperm, genes of paternal origin favor delayed cellularization of endosperm and larger seeds whereas genes of maternal origin favor early cellularization and smaller seeds. The ratio of maternal and paternal gene products in endosperm contributes to the failure of crosses between different ploidy levels of the same species and crosses between species. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have been shown to inhibit the expression of complementary gene sequences. Within seeds, maternally-expressed siRNAs are predicted to associate with growth-enhancing genes and to be expressed before and after fertilization. By contrast, siRNAs associated with growth-inhibiting genes are expected to be expressed in male gametophytes before fertilization but not in endosperm after fertilization.CONTENTS:

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Molecular control of autonomous embryo and endosperm development

Cited by 62 publications

References 106 publications

The Genetic Control of Apomixis: Asexual Seed Formation

The Genetic Control of Apomixis: Asexual Seed Formation

Exogenous steroid hormones stimulate full development of autonomous endosperm in Arabidopsis thaliana

Kin Conflict in Seed Development: An Interdependent but Fractious Collective

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