scholarly journals Sexual and asexual (apomictic) seed development in flowering plants: molecular, morphological and evolutionary relationships

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Tucker ◽  
Anna M. G. Koltunow
Keyword(s):  
Seed Development ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Paternal Contribution ◽  
Gamete Formation ◽  
Developmental Sense ◽  
Molecular Relationships ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Molecular Framework ◽  
Molecular Nature

Reproduction in the flowering plants (angiosperms) is a dynamic process that relies upon the formation of inflorescences, flowers and eventually seed. Most angiosperms reproduce sexually by generating gametes via meiosis that fuse during fertilisation to initiate embryo and seed development, thereby perpetuating the processes of adaptation and evolution. Despite this, sex is not a ubiquitous reproductive strategy. Some angiosperms have evolved an alternate form of reproduction termed apomixis, which avoids meiosis during gamete formation and leads to the production of embryos without paternal contribution. Therefore, apomixis results in the production of clonal progeny through seed. The molecular nature and evolutionary origin of apomixis remain unclear, but recent studies suggest that apomixis evolved from the same molecular framework supporting sex. In this review, we consider physical and molecular relationships between the two pathways, with a particular focus on the initial stages of female reproduction where apomixis deviates from the sexual pathway. We also consider theories that explain the origin of apomictic processes from sexual progenitors. Detailed characterisation of the relationship between sex and apomixis in an evolutionary and developmental sense is an important step towards understanding how apomixis might be successfully integrated into agriculturally important, but currently sexual crops.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial Sirtuins in Reproduction

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1047
Author(s):  
Giovanna Di Emidio ◽  
Stefano Falone ◽  
Paolo Giovanni Artini ◽  
Fernanda Amicarelli ◽  
Anna Maria D’Alessandro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Redox Balance ◽  
Antioxidant Defenses ◽  
Metabolic Abnormalities ◽  
Female Reproduction ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunctions ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
The Relationship

Mitochondria act as hubs of numerous metabolic pathways. Mitochondrial dysfunctions contribute to altering the redox balance and predispose to aging and metabolic alterations. The sirtuin family is composed of seven members and three of them, SIRT3-5, are housed in mitochondria. They catalyze NAD+-dependent deacylation and the ADP-ribosylation of mitochondrial proteins, thereby modulating gene expression and activities of enzymes involved in oxidative metabolism and stress responses. In this context, mitochondrial sirtuins (mtSIRTs) act in synergistic or antagonistic manners to protect from aging and aging-related metabolic abnormalities. In this review, we focus on the role of mtSIRTs in the biological competence of reproductive cells, organs, and embryos. Most studies are focused on SIRT3 in female reproduction, providing evidence that SIRT3 improves the competence of oocytes in humans and animal models. Moreover, SIRT3 protects oocytes, early embryos, and ovaries against stress conditions. The relationship between derangement of SIRT3 signaling and the imbalance of ROS and antioxidant defenses in testes has also been demonstrated. Very little is known about SIRT4 and SIRT5 functions in the reproductive system. The final goal of this work is to understand whether sirtuin-based signaling may be taken into account as potential targets for therapeutic applications in female and male infertility.

scholarly journals Artificial Cultivation System for Gastrodia spp. and Identification of Associated Mycorrhizal Fungi

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chie Shimaoka ◽  
Hirokazu Fukunaga ◽  
Seishu Inagaki ◽  
Shinichiro Sawa
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Cultivation System ◽  
Horticultural Plants ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Single Tuber ◽  
Artificial Cultivation

The Orchidaceae are the largest and most diverse family of flowering plants on earth, and include some of the most important horticultural plants. While mycoheterotrophic orchids belonging to the genus Gastrodia are known to be provided with carbon through mycorrhizal fungi, the relationship between the plants and fungi is poorly understood. Furthermore, it is challenging to cultivate Gastrodia spp. in vitro. In this study, we present an efficient method for germinating Gastrodia pubilabiata (Gp), Gastrodia nipponica (Gn), and Gastrodia confusa (Gc) plants in vitro, which results in the production of a protocorm and tuber, as under natural conditions. The Gp and Gc plants produced flowers 126 and 124 days after germination, respectively, and set seed under our artificial conditions. In addition, Gp plants flowered up to three times a year from a single tuber. Using our artificial cultivation system, we identified some of the mycorrhizal fungi associated with these plants. Gastrodia spp. appear to obtain carbon from many kinds of mycorrhizal fungi. Our artificial cultivation method is a rapid and efficient means of growing Gastrodia spp. In addition to having applications in research and commercial nurseries, this method could be used to conserve Gastrodia spp. in ex situ, many of which are endangered.

scholarly journals Whole genome comparisons of Staphylococcus agnetis isolates from cattle and chickens

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulkarim Shwani ◽  
Pamela R. F. Adkins ◽  
Nnamdi S. Ekesi ◽  
Adnan Alrubaye ◽  
Michael J. Calcutt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
Commercial Broiler ◽  
Chicken Isolate ◽  
Broiler Farm ◽  
Molecular Relationships ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Genome Comparisons

AbstractS. agnetis has been previously associated with subclinical or clinically mild cases of mastitis in dairy cattle and is one of several Staphylococcal species that have been isolated from the bone and blood of lame broilers. We were the first to report that S. agnetis could be obtained frequently from bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) lesions of lame broilers. Further, we showed that a particular isolate of S. agnetis, chicken isolate 908, can induce lameness in over 50% of exposed chickens, far exceeding normal BCO incidences in broiler operations. We have previously reported the assembly and annotation of the genome of isolate 908. To better understand the relationship between dairy cattle and broiler isolates, we assembled 11 additional genomes for S. agnetis isolates, including an additional chicken BCO strain, and ten isolates from milk, mammary gland secretions or udder skin, from the collection at the University of Missouri. To trace phylogenetic relationships, we constructed phylogenetic trees based on multi-locus sequence typing, and Genome-to-Genome Distance Comparisons. Chicken isolate 908 clustered with two of the cattle isolates along with three isolates from chickens in Denmark and an isolate of S. agnetis we isolated from a BCO lesion on a commercial broiler farm in Arkansas. We used a number of BLAST tools to compare the chicken isolates to those from cattle and identified 98 coding sequences distinguishing isolate 908 from the cattle isolates. None of the identified genes explain the differences in host or tissue tropism. These analyses are critical to understanding how Staphylococci colonize and infect different hosts and potentially how they can transition to alternative niches (bone vs dermis).ImportanceStaphylococcus agnetis has been recently recognized as associated with disease in dairy cattle and meat type chickens. The infections appear to be limited in cattle and systemic in broilers. This report details the molecular relationships between cattle and chicken isolates in order to understand how this recently recognized species infects different hosts with different disease manifestations. The data show the chicken and cattle isolates are very closely related but the chicken isolates all cluster together suggesting a single jump from cattle to chickens.

Stress protein content of mature Brassica seeds and their germination performance

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Bettey ◽  
W. E. Finch-Savage
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Seed Development ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Stress Proteins ◽  
Stress Protein ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Optimal Conditions ◽  
Seed Vigour ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractPlants respond to sub-optimal conditions by the synthesis of specific ‘stress’ proteins, and these are thought to play a role in stress tolerance. Some of these proteins accumulate during late seed development, arguably to protect against damage during post-maturation drying and subsequent imbibition, prior to germination. Seed vigour is also determined during this late stage of seed development. High vigour seeds are those that can withstand the desiccation required for storage and successfully germinate under sub-optimal conditions to establish healthy seedlings. If stress proteins are involved in tolerating stress conditions, then they are likely to be important determinants of seed vigour. In this work the relationship between seed vigour (measured by seed germination performance following rapid aging, or under water stress) in Brassica oleracea var. capitata and the content of two classes of stress protein (dehydrins and a low molecular weight heat shock protein HSP17.6) at maturity was examined. Dehydrins did not show a positive relationship with seed performance. However, the protein HSP17.6 showed a positive correlation with seed performance, and a treatment that reduced the amount of this protein in the seed also caused a reduction in subsequent seed performance.

scholarly journals Interaction Between Maternal Effect and Zygotic Effect Mutations During Maize Seed Development

Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 159 (1) ◽  
pp. 303-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew M S Evans ◽  
Jerry L Kermicle
Keyword(s):  
Seed Development ◽  
Maternal Effects ◽  
Maternal Effect ◽  
Male Gametophyte ◽  
Embryo Sac ◽  
Chromosome 2 ◽  
Maize Seed ◽  
Mutant Female ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Double fertilization of the embryo sac by the two sperm cells of a pollen grain initiates seed development. Proper development of the seed depends not only on the action of genes from the resulting embryo and endosperm, but also on maternal genes acting at two stages. Mutations with both sporophytic maternal effects and gametophytic maternal effects have been identified. A new maternal effect mutation in maize, maternal effect lethal1 (mel1), causes the production of defective seed from mutant female gametophytes. It shows reduced pollen transmission, suggesting a requirement in the male gametophyte, but has no paternal effect on seed development. Interestingly, the defective kernel phenotype of mel1 is conditioned only in seeds that inherit mel1 maternally and are homozygous for the recessive allele (endogenous to the W22 inbred line) of either of two genes, sporophyte enhancer of mel1 (snm1) or snm2, suggesting redundancy between maternally and zygotically required genes. Both mel1 and snm1 map to the short arm of chromosome 2, and snm2 maps to the long arm of chromosome 10. The mode of action of mel1 and the relationship between mel1 and snm1 and snm2 are discussed.

scholarly journals Evidence that glutathione S-transferases B1B1 and B2B2 are the products of separate genes and that their expression in human liver is subject to inter-individual variation. Molecular relationships between the B1 and B2 subunits and other Alpha class glutathione S-transferases

1989 ◽  
Vol 264 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
J D Hayes ◽  
L A Kerr ◽  
A D Cronshaw
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Human Liver ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence Analysis ◽  
Cdna Sequences ◽  
Glutathione S Transferases ◽  
Molecular Relationships ◽  
The Relationship

The Alpha class glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in human liver are composed of polypeptides of Mr 25,900. These enzymes are dimeric, and two immunochemically distinct subunits, B1 and B2, have been described that combine to form GSTs B1B1, B1B2 and B2B2 [Stockman, Beckett & Hayes (1985) Biochem. J. 227, 457-465]. Gradient affinity elution from GSH-Sepharose has been used to resolve the three Alpha class GSTs, and this method has been applied to demonstrate marked inter-individual differences in the hepatic content of GSTs B1B1, B1B2 and B2B2. The B1 and B2 subunits can be resolved by reverse-phase h.p.l.c., and their elution positions suggest that they are equivalent to the alpha chi and alpha y h.p.l.c. peaks described by Ketterer and his colleagues [Ostlund Farrants, Meyer, Coles, Southan, Aitken, Johnson & Ketterer (1987) Biochem. J. 245, 423-428]. The B1 and B2 subunits have now been cleaved with CNBr and the fragments subjected to automated amino acid sequence analysis. The sequence data show that B1 and B2 subunits do not arise from post-translational modification, as had been previously believed for the hepatic Alpha class GSTs, but are instead the products of separate genes; B1 and B2 subunits were found to contain different amino acid residues at positions 88, 110, 111, 112, 116, 124 and 127. The relationship between the B1 and B2 subunits and the cloned GTH1 and GTH2 cDNA sequences [Rhoads, Zarlengo & Tu (1987) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 145, 474-481] is discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of day length on pollen tube elongation, embryo formation and seed development after flowering in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsunori Isobe ◽  
Hikaru Sugiyama ◽  
Katsura Tamamushi ◽  
Taito Shimizu ◽  
Kana Kobashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Seed Development ◽  
Chenopodium Quinoa ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Day Length ◽  
Embryo Formation ◽  
Pollen Tube Elongation ◽  
Number Of Seeds ◽  
Seed Diameter

AbstractThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of day length after flowering on pollen tube elongation, embryo formation and seed development. The quinoa varieties used in this study were Amarilla de Marangani (valley type) and NL-6 (sea-level type). After sowing, the quinoa plants were cultivated in growth cabinets. From sowing to flowering, plants were exposed to a 15 h day length regime. After flowering, the plants were grown under either a 15 h or 11 h day length regime. The elongation of the pollen tube and the formation of the early embryo were not inhibited in either Amarilla de Marangani or NL-6 under the 11 or 15 h day length regimes. Although growth of the embryo in NL-6 was not inhibited by the 15 h day length regime after flowering, the same was not observed in the case for Amarilla de Marangani. In Amarilla de Marangani, seed diameter at 8 and 14 days after flowering under the 11 h day length regime was larger than that of seeds grown under the 15 h day length regime. Thus, the decrease in the number of seeds in Amarilla de Marangani grown under the 15 h day length regime may be caused by the suspension of embryo growth after fertilization.

Molecular characterisation of some species of Mylonchulus (Nematoda: Mononchida) from Japan and comments on the status of Paramylonchulus and Pakmylonchulus

Nematology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaaki Araki ◽  
Wasim Ahmad ◽  
Majid Olia ◽  
Nobuhiro Minaka
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Ssu Rdna ◽  
Rdna Sequences ◽  
The Status ◽  
Molecular Relationships ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractComparative analyses of different regions of ribosomal DNA have become a popular tool in understanding the relationship among different species and genera and nematodes are no exception to this. In this study, molecular relationships were inferred from a nearly complete small subunit (SSU) of total 16 OTUs for five species of Mylonchulus, Paramylonchulus and Pakmylonchulus collected from various parts of Japan with two out-group taxa (Mononchus aquaticus and Clarkus papillatus) to examine the relationship among these species. Out of 1685 bp SSU rDNA sequences, phylogenetic trees using distance (NJ), parsimony and likelihood algorithms were performed. Obtained tree topologies were stable across algorithms and sequence data show that populations of the same species clustered together and four out of five species (M. brachyuris, M. hawaiiensis, M. oceanicus, M. sigmaturus) formed a monophyletic assemblage while M. mulveyi formed a sister group. Populations of species lacking subventral teeth but with a double gonad (M. oceanicus) stand with other Mylonchulus species, thereby confirming the synonymy of Pakmylonchulus, while populations with a narrow buccal cavity with few rows of denticles, no subventral teeth and a single prodelphic gonad (M. mulveyi = Paramylonchulus mulveyi) support to some extent the validity of the genus Paramylonchulus. Though a preliminary investigation, it is the first report on molecular relationships in Mylonchulus, probably a paraphyletic genus. Our results suggest that SSU rDNA sequence data are useful in understanding the relationship between genera and species.

Reproductive cross-talk: seed development in flowering plants

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 604-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz K. Nowack ◽  
Alexander Ungru ◽  
Katrine N. Bjerkan ◽  
Paul E. Grini ◽  
Arp Schnittger
Keyword(s):  
Seed Development ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Development Communication ◽  
Genetic Dissection ◽  
Plant Seed ◽  
Common Principle ◽  
Evolutionary Success ◽  
The Trinity

Flowering plants have evolved to be a predominant life form on earth. A common principle of flowering plants and probably one of the main reasons for their evolutionary success is the rapid development of an embryo next to a supporting tissue called the endosperm. The embryo and the endosperm are protected by surrounding maternal tissues, the integuments, and the trinity of integuments, embryo and endosperm comprise the plant seed. For proper seed development, these three structures have to develop in a highly controlled and co-ordinated manner, representing a paradigm for cell–cell communication during development. Communication pathways between the endosperm and the seed coat are now beginning to be unravelled. Moreover, recently isolated mutants affecting plant reproduction have allowed a genetic dissection of seed development, and revealed that the embryo plays a previously unrecognized yet important role in co-ordinating seed development.

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