Molecular Embryology of Flowering Plants

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Oct 13, 1997 - Science - 690 pages
This book presents a general picture of our current understanding of plant embryology from the formation of floral organs concerned with embryological processes to the genetic manipulation of embryos. Against the background of classical embryological studies, chapters in this book highlight, from a molecular-genetic perspective, investigations on the development of the male and female reproductive units, male sterility, incompatibility, fertilization, embryo and endosperm development, storage protein synthesis and adventive embryogenesis in flowering plants. Dramatic new developments in molecular biology and genetic engineering techniques have opened up new frontiers in our commercial exploitation of flowering plants. Manipulation of embryological processes to improve the quantity and quality of plant food products is one of the cherished goals of plant biologists and the work described in this book provides the up-to-date fundamental information necessary to achieve this goal.

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Contents

Genetic and molecular perspectives
7
Scope of molecular embryology
13
Anther development
25
Microsporogenesis
41
Anther culture in the study of meiosis
57
The first haploid mitosis
75
Vegetative and generative cells
82
General comments
89
Papaver rhoeas and other plants
290
Odyssey of the sperm and double
301
In vitro approaches to the study
313
SECTION III
319
Nutritional role of the endosperm
327
Analysis of storage protein gene
342
Cloning and characterization
350
General comments
356

Isolation of genes controlling pollen
104
Promoter analysis of pollenspecific
112
General comments
118
Developmental biology
244
Homomorphic selfincompatibility
251
Structural developmental and functional
269
The Nicotiana system
284
Cellular aspects of embryogenesis
371
Nutrition of the embryo
382
Embryogenic development
500
Genetic transformation of embryos
525
References
533
Index
669
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