BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ranunculaceae has a prominent phylogenetic position in Ranunculales which appears at the base of eudicots. The aims of the present paper are to reveal the features of ovule morphogenesis in different taxa and gain a better understanding of the systematics of Ranunculaceae. METHODS Flowers of 17 species from three subfamilies, nine tribes and 16 genera of Ranunculaceae, at ...

In vitro procedures are playing a major role in plant breeding. Embryo rescue, either through the culture of excised embryos derived from incompatible crosses or by means of ovule culture, has been a standard procedure for the introgression of genes conferring disease resistance into economically important plants. Somatic hybridization (i.e., protoplast fusion) has also been demonstrated to hav...

Title of Document: POLLEN TUBES FAIL TO TARGET OVULE IN THE ABSENCE OF TWO CATION/PROTON EXCHANGERS IN ARABIDOPSIS Yongxian Lu Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Directed By: Professor Heven Sze Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics Flowering plant reproduction requires precise delivery of the sperm cells to the ovule by a pollen tube. Guiding signals from female cells are being identified, t...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Pollen limitation is a significant determinant of seed production, and can result from both insufficient pollen quantity (pollen shortage) and quality (mainly relating to self-pollination). For animal-pollinated tree species with large floral displays, pollen limitation may be determined by a balance between increased pollen quantity due to increased attractiveness for polli...

Ovules are fundamental for plant reproduction and crop yield as they are the precursors of seeds. Therefore, ovule specification is a critical developmental program. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ovule identity is redundantly conferred by the homeotic D-class genes SHATTERPROOF1 (SHP1), SHP2 and SEEDSTICK (STK), phylogenetically related to the MADS-domain regulatory gene AGAMOUS (AG), essential in f...

Sterility in edible bananas is as a result of long history anthropogenic-driven selection for sterile genotypes, since seed not desirable fruit pulp human consumption. However, this poses challenge to conventional genetic improvement by slowing breeding pipelines. In study, we investigated whether pollen tubes reach all parts the ovary, position fertilized ovule development fruits, and potentia...