Molecular Mechanisms of Ovule Development in Angiosperms
Summary
Ovule development in flowering plants is orchestrated by a finely tuned interplay of genetic, hormonal and epigenetic factors that ensure proper formation of the female gametophyte and ultimately influence seed set and yield. The process begins with the initiation of ovule primordia from placental tissue, followed by specification of a single megaspore mother cell, meiosis and differentiation of the haploid embryo sac. Core transcriptional regulators—including members of the YABBY, HD-ZIPIII and MADS-box families—establish adaxial–abaxial polarity and mediate organ outgrowth. Auxin gradients, established by polar localisation of PIN auxin efflux carriers, provide positional cues that guide primordium emergence and embryo sac patterning. Small RNAs and RNA helicases participate in epigenetic restriction of germline fate to a single cell per ovule. Crosstalk between cytokinins, gibberellins and brassinosteroids further refines boundary formation and primordium spacing. Advances in genome editing and live imaging have begun to bridge mechanistic insights with quantitative modelling, opening avenues to manipulate ovule number and quality in crop species.
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Molecular Mechanisms of Ovule Development in Angiosperms publication trend
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Technical terms
Ovule primordium: Initial outgrowth of placental tissue that gives rise to the ovule structure.
Megaspore mother cell: Somatic cell in the ovule that undergoes meiosis to produce megaspores.
Gametophyte: Haploid multicellular structure within the ovule that generates the egg cell.
Auxin efflux carrier (PIN): Membrane protein that directs polar transport of the hormone auxin.
YABBY transcription factors: Plant-specific regulators of lateral organ polarity and growth.
References
- Ovule development, a new model for lateral organ formation. Frontiers in Plant Science (2014).
- Transcriptome Analysis of the Arabidopsis Megaspore Mother Cell Uncovers the Importance of RNA Helicases for Plant Germline Development. PLOS Biology (2011).
- Maternal Control of PIN1 Is Required for Female Gametophyte Development in Arabidopsis. PLOS ONE (2013).
- Genome-Wide Analysis of the YABBY Gene Family in Grapevine and Functional Characterization of VvYABBY4. Frontiers in Plant Science (2019).
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