DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMBRYO SAC AND EMBRYO OF TEFF, ERAGROSTIS TEF

1966 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 1071-1075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melak H. Mengesha ◽  
A. T. Guard

A careful study of the floral development of Eragrostis tef indicates that the flowers do not open and that self-pollination is the rule. Observations of the development of the female gametophyte show that it is of the normal monosporic type common to most angiosperms. The three antipodals divide several times as is common in grasses. Study of many ovules before and after fertilization showed absence of any apomictic type of embryo formation. Fertilization was found to occur in the basal floret of a spikelet when that floret was at the base of the flag leaf blade.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Acevedo-Benavides ◽  
Pablo Bolaños-Villegas

ABSTRACTPapaya (Carica papaya Linn.) is a tropical plant whose draft genome has been sequenced. Papaya produces large fruits rich in vitamins A and C and is an important cash crop in developing countries. Nonetheless, little is known about how the female gametophyte develops, how it is fertilized and how it develops into a mature seed containing an embryo and an endosperm. The Papaya female gametophyte displays a Polygonum-type architecture consisting of two synergid cells, an egg cell, a central cell, and three antipodal cells. Reports are available of the presumed existence of varieties in which cross fertilization is bypassed and autonomous development of embryos occurs (e.g., apomixis). In this study, we analyzed the development of female gametophytes in a commercial Hawaiian parental line and in the presumed apomictic Costa Rican line L1. Samples were collected before and after anthesis to compare the overall structure, size and transcriptional patterns of several genes that may be involved in egg and endosperm cell fate and proliferation. These genes were the putative papaya homologs of ARGONAUTE9 (AGO9), MEDEA (MEA), RETINOBLASTOMA RELATED-1 (RBR1), and SLOW WALKER-1 (SWA1). Our results suggest that its feasible to identify the contour of structural features of Polygonum-type development, and that in bagged female flowers of line L1 we might have observed autonomous development of embryo-like structures. Possible downregulation of papaya homologs for AGO9, MEA, RBR1 and SWA1 was observed in embryo sacs from line L1 before and after anthesis, which may suggest a tentative link between suspected apomixis and transcriptional downregulation of genes for RNA-directed DNA methylation, histone remodelers, and rRNA processing. Most notably, the large size of the papaya embryo sac suggests that it could be a cytological alternative to Arabidopsis thaliana for study. Significant variation in embryo sac size was observed between the varieties under study, suggesting wide differences in the genetic regulation of anatomical features.


Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
pp. 1009-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F Sheridan ◽  
Nadezhda A Avalkina ◽  
Ivan I Shamrov ◽  
Tatyana B Batyea ◽  
Inna N Golubovskaya

Abstract The switch from the vegetative to the reproductive pathway of development in flowering plants requires the commitment of the subepidermal cells of the ovules and anthers to enter the meiotic pathway. These cells, the hypodermal cells, either directly or indirectly form the archesporial cells that, in turn, differentiate into the megasporocytes and microsporocytes. We have isolated a recessive pleiotropic mutation that we have termed multiple archesporial cells1 (macl) and located it to the short arm of chromosome 10. Its cytological phenotype suggests that this locus plays an important role in the switch of the hypodermal cells from the vegetative to the meiotic (sporogenous) pathway in maize ovules. During normal ovule development in maize, only a single hypodermal cell develops into an archesporial cell and this differentiates into the single megasporocyte. In macl mutant ovules several hypodermal cells develop into archesporial cells, and the resulting megasporocytes undergo a normal meiosis. More than one megaspore survives in the tetrad and more than one embryo sac is formed in each ovule. Ears on mutant plants show partial sterility resulting from abnormalities in megaspore differentiation and embryo sac formation. The sporophytic expression of this gene is therefore also important for normal female gametophyte development.


Genome ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshinobu Morikawa

Inheritance of the peroxidase isoenzymes of the flag leaf blade was examined by isoelectrofocusing in the hexaploid oats Avena byzantina cv. Kanota, Avena fatua ssp. compacta, and Avena sativa cv. Cherokee. Two independent peroxidase loci (Px0 and Px9) were detected in the F2 from the 'Kanota' × compacta cross. The Px0a derived from compacta expressed the highest peroxidase activity and was accompanied by a post-transcriptionally modified form or mozyme. A monosomic analysis of the Px0 and Px9 loci revealed that they were located on chromosomes 18 and 6, respectively. Phenotypic expression of the peroxidases varied in each genotye at the Px0 and Px9 loci. Phenotypes of the homozygote (Px0aPx0a) and the hemizygote (Px0a—) were similar to each other. The heterozygote (Px0aPx0b) had half the enzymatic activity of the others. Px9b of compacta was functional as a suppressor but that of 'Cherokee' was nonfunctional.Key words: monosomic analysis, peroxidase loci, isoenzyme, hexaploid oats.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
MS Rahman ◽  
MKH Sohag ◽  
L Rahman

A total of 110 rice varieties of which 108 local (From Bangladesh Rice Research Institute) and two hybrid varieties (From ACI Ltd. Bangladesh) were used to identify the morphological traits during July, 2008 to June, 2009. These varieties represented four types viz. T. Aman (n=92), B. Aman (n=15), Boro (n=2) and Jhum accession (n=1) as described by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute’s literature. Though all these materials were varied ecotypically but grown in one (T. Aman) season. Irrespective of groups of all, 90 varieties were appeared distinctly morphologically from others due to seed colour; stigma colour; anthocyanin colouration of leaf sheath, nodes and lemma:palea, presence of awn and nodal root. Among 90 distinct varieties 19 were distinctly different from others by four traits, nine by three traits, 24 by two traits and 38 varieties by only single trait. The rest 20 varieties were distinguished flag leaf: attitude of the leaf blade. This was done to assess the quality traits of distinctness as major concern and was noninfluenced by the environment. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v12i1.21236 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 12(1): 29-36, June 2014


F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra J Skinner ◽  
Venkatesan Sundaresan

The haploid female gametophyte (embryo sac) is an essential reproductive unit of flowering plants, usually comprising four specialized cell types, including the female gametes (egg cell and central cell). The differentiation of these cells relies on spatial signals which pattern the gametophyte along a proximal-distal axis, but the molecular and genetic mechanisms by which cell identities are determined in the embryo sac have long been a mystery. Recent identification of key genes for cell fate specification and their relationship to hormonal signaling pathways that act on positional cues has provided new insights into these processes. A model for differentiation can be devised with egg cell fate as a default state of the female gametophyte and with other cell types specified by the action of spatially regulated factors. Cell-to-cell communication within the gametophyte is also important for maintaining cell identity as well as facilitating fertilization of the female gametes by the male gametes (sperm cells).


1997 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.K. Wojciechowicz ◽  
M. Samardakiewicz

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
IC Beltran

Ovule development, embryo sac formation, and embryogeny of I. Petraea are described. The ovules are anatropous, unitegmic, and tenuinucellar. Meiosis in the megaspore mother cell is regular and the chromosomes with terminalized chiasmata form ring bivalents at metaphase 1. The Polygonum type embryo sac, Scutellaria type endosperm development, and Solanad embryo formation correspond with development patterns in other members of the Lobeliaceae.


1989 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Carapetian ◽  
EA Rupert

Development of safflower ovules and female gametophytes was compared in fertile and genetically sterile F2 and backcross segregants from the cross between 'US-10' and '57-147' genotypes. Fertile plants formed normal anatropous ovules with eight-nucleate embryo sacs, typical of the angiosperms. One week before anthesis, the eight-nucleate embryo sac is well developed and undergoes rapid elongation and expansion during the 24 h prior to anthesis, accompanied by a doubling in length of the florets. Sterile plants also formed normal ovules, but apparently with a delayed initiation of meiosis which was subsequently arrested at Metaphase I. Embryo sacs did not form in sterile florets except for rare observations of uninucleate embryo sacs which began to degenerate before anthesis. The integumentary tapetum which normally developed upon completion of meiosis in fertile plants, was well developed during Prophase I of megasporogenesis in sterile plants. This observation suggests that cell differentiation and development of this nutritive jacket is basically controlled by the age of the ovules rather than initiated by appearance of the functional megaspore. Failure of both female and male gametogenesis seems to result from interaction of three independently segregating genes.


1971 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Newcomb ◽  
Taylor A. Steeves

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (10) ◽  
pp. 964-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Ying Xue ◽  
Hong Wang ◽  
De-Zhu Li

Musella is a monotypic genus composed of a single species, Musella lasiocarpa (Franch.) C.Y. Wu ex H.W. Li, endemic to Southwestern China. The genus status of Musella remains controversial. Musella had been placed first in Musa , then in Ensete , and back to Musa before its monotypic status was recognized. Musella was reported to be extinct in the wild and maintained through cultivation only via vegetative propagation through sprouting of rhizomes. In this study, female gametophyte and seed development of Musella are described to assess its systematic position and possible reasons why the wild population is now extinct. The ovules are anatropous, bitegmic, and crassinucellar. The micropyle is formed by both integuments. The megaspore mother cell undergoes meiotic division and forms a linear megaspore triad or more rarely, a T-shaped megaspore tetrad. The chalazal megaspore develops into a Polygonum type embryo sac. A nucellar pad forms, and a hypostase differentiates. Fertilization is porogamous. Endosperm formation is of the nuclear type. The zygote degenerates and so the process by which the embryo develops, if it does, remains unclear. An operculum, micropylar collar, and chalazal chamber form in mature seeds. The storage tissue is mainly endosperm containing large, compound starch grains and some perisperm. The seed coat has lignified exotestal cells, 25–30 cell layers of sclerotic mesotestal cells, and unspecialized endotesta cells; the tegment consists of two layers of longitudinally elongated cells. The seed is inviable. After comparison with the other Musaceae s. str. taxa using embryological and botanical features, we conclude that Musella should be a distinct genus. Female sterility in Musella may be the main reason why the wild population is extinct. Based on these findings, we propose conservation strategies for this endemic species, including habitat protection as well as ex-situ conservation.


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