PLS 622, Lecture 7: Apomixis and Somatic Embryogenesis

9/10/99

I. Apomixis - asexual reproduction occurring in the ovule

- first discovered in 1845
- apomictic embryo has a genetic constitution identical to the mother plant
A. Why should we want to understand how apomixis works?
- maintenance of hybrids
- hemizygous transgene can be transmitted 100% to progeny
B. Three mode of apomictic development:
1. diplospory - meiotic and mitotic
2. apospory
3. adventitious embryony
Diplospory and apospory are considered "gametophytic apomictic processes",
because they give a megagametophytic structure that has not undergone meiotic
reduction. Adventitious embryony is called "sporophytic apomixis" because
embryos initiate directly from individual cells in sporophytic tissue of the ovule
(nucellus and inner integument).
The endosperm may develop autonomously (without fertilization), or may require
fertilization for development. Selective fusion of a sperm nucleus with unreduced
polar nuclei to initiate endosperm development is called pseudogamy.
C. Obligate and facultative apomicts
D. Studies on the genetic control of apomixis
E. The fie (fertilization independent endosperm) and fis (fertilization independent seed)
mutants of Arabidopsis.
II. Somatic embryogenesis
A. Direct and indirect somatic embryogenesis
B. Similarities to and differences from zygotic embryogenesis
C. Some gene expression studies:
- EP3 (extracellular protein 3) - an acidic endochitinase
- SERK (somatic embryo receptor-like kinase)
III. Androgenesis - (microspore embryogenesis)
A. Haploid and di-haploid embryos
B. Stress treatment