We have analyzed two Arabidopsis strains differing in the mean seed size and seed number they produced. The accession Cape Verde Islands (Cvi) yielded on average about 40% fewer seeds than the laboratory strain Landsberg erecta (Ler), but Cvi seeds were almost twice as heavy. Maternal and nonmaternal genetic factors were involved in the seed size variation, and interactions between both types o...

The PRETTY FEW SEEDS2 gene encodes a homeodomain protein that regulates ovule development. In peptide alignments spanning the homeodomain and the WOX domain, PFS2 shared 95% amino acid identity with the PRESSED FLOWER and WUSCHEL proteins. In the pfs2-1 allele, the integuments display morphological abnormalities and 95% of the embryo sacs fail to develop properly, which results in reduced fecun...

The female gametophyte is an important participant in the sexual reproduction of plants. The molecular mechanism of its development has received much attention in recent years. As important regulators of gene expression, miRNAs have been certified to play a significant role in many biological processes of plants, including sexual reproduction. In this study, to investigate the potential regulat...

Litchi chinensis is a subtropical fruit crop, popular for its nutritional value and taste. Fruits with small seed size and thick aril are desirable in litchi. To gain molecular insight into gene expression that leads to the reduction in the size of seed in Litchi chinensis, transcriptomes of two genetically closely related genotypes, with contrasting seed size were compared in developing ovules...

Selective embryo abortion is one of the evolutionary explanations for the surplus of ovules found in many plant species. To manipulate the level of embryo abortion, we removed ovules and applied nutrients to plants of Cynoglossum officinale (Boraginaceae) after they started to flower. From these two treatments and a control series, seeds were collected, germinated, and transplanted in the field...

Seed development of flowering plant is a complicated process controlled by a signal network. Double fertilization generates 2 zygotic products (embryo and endosperm). Embryo gives rise to a daughter plant while endosperm provides nutrients for embryo during embryogenesis and germination. Seed coat differentiates from maternally derived integument and encloses embryo and endosperm. Seed size/mas...

B(sister) genes have been identified as the closest relatives of class B floral homeotic genes. Previous studies have shown that B(sister) genes from eudicots are involved in cell differentiation during ovule and seed development. However, the complete function of B(sister) genes in eudicots is masked by redundancy with other genes and little is known about the function of B(sister) genes in mo...

Complementary field and laboratory tests confirmed and quantified the pollination abilities of Tranes sp. weevils and Cycadothrips chadwicki thrips, specialist insects of their respective cycad hosts, Macrozamia machinii and M. lucida. No agamospermous seeds were produced when both wind and insects were excluded from female cones; and the exclusion of wind-vectored pollen alone did not eliminat...

The pistil is the specialized plant organ that enables appropriate pollination and ovule fertilization, after which it undergoes growth and differentiation to become a fruit. However, in most species, if ovules are not fertilized around anthesis the pistil irreversibly loses its growth capacity. We used physiological, molecular, and transcriptomic tools to characterize the post-anthesis develop...