In vitro fertilization: analysis of early post-fertilization development using cytological and molecular techniques

Kranz, Erhard; Scholten, Stefan

doi:10.1007/s00497-007-0060-x

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…If male germ transmission is successful, one sperm cell fuses with the egg to produce the embryo, and the other fuses with the central cell to produce the nutritive endosperm. Although molecular details are yet incomplete, in vitro experiments suggest that sperm cells, although naturally fusogenic, discriminate and fuse only with egg and central cellswhich constitute the female gametic cells-rather than with synergids, antipodals or somatic cells (Faure et al 1994;Wang et al 2006;Kranz and Scholten 2008;this issue). The idea that cell surface molecules in male gametes may mediate gametic recognition and fusion processes in flowering plants seems a logical conclusion based on studies of preferential gamete fusion (Russell 1985) and is supported by analogy with animal systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Among factors contributing to difficulties in characterizing molecular determinants of plant sexual reproduction are the relative inaccessibility of sperm and egg cells due to their encasement in gametophyte tissues; however, cell separation technologies for generative and sperm cells have been developed for numerous plant species (Russell 1991;Uchiumi et al 2006) leading the way to molecular approaches to studying these cells (see also Kranz and Scholten 2008;this issue). Metabolite labeling experiments using isolated male germ cells have confirmed that these cells possess transcriptional and translational capabilities independent of the outer pollen vegetative cell (Zhang et al 1993;Blomstedt et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Molecular repertoire of flowering plant male germ cells

2008

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Sperm cells-the male gametes of flowering plants-constitute the male founding lineage of angiosperms, possessing the unique capacity to fuse with the egg and central cells during double fertilization. Although it is well established that these cellular fusions are involved with initiating the development of the seedling-forming zygote and the endosperm that nourishes it, considerable information will be needed to characterize the full male molecular repertoire, which includes expressed genes of the male lineage, encoded proteins, and regulatory elements controlling male germ line identity, as well as male molecules that may mediate interactions with the female partner that initiate fertilization and development. Progress is being made using increasingly sensitive molecular methods to uncover important genes. With the pace of this discovery rapidly increasing, the likely outcome is that key molecules will be discovered within the next several years that control the founding cells of the embryo and endosperm and are involved in directing early development. Further insights into the genes and gene pathways that regulate male germ line differentiation will advance not only our fundamental understanding of these reproductive cells, but also the nature of cell-cell recognition, membrane fusion, double fertilization, zygote activation, early plant development and may aid our understanding of factors that have contributed to the overwhelming evolutionary success of flowering plants.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular repertoire of flowering plant male germ cells

2008

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“…We therefore restrict our comparative review to early molecular fertilization mechanisms in flowering plants and animals, reporting mainly about gamete morphology and function, as well as gamete cross-talk and fusion. Late fertilization events that include prevention of polyspermy, nuclear migration and karyogamy as well as egg activation are compared in the corresponding reviews elsewhere in this issue (Spielman and Scott 2008;Kranz and Scholten 2008;Curtis and Grossniklaus 2008, respectively).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of early molecular fertilization mechanisms in animals and flowering plants

Márton

Dresselhaus

2008

Sex Plant Reprod

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Since the first description of the double fertilization process in flowering plants (angiosperms) 110 years ago (Nawaschin in Bull Acad Imp Sci St Petersburg 9:377-382, 1898), little progress has been made during the following 100 years to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms. This seems to be in strong contrast to our steadily increasing knowledge of single fertilization in animals, where a large number of key players and the corresponding molecular mechanisms have been unclosed since the mid-1970s. Are the identified fertilization mechanisms ubiquitously dispersed, occurring also in higher plants? The past few years have seen a number of discoveries indicating that general principles of fertilization mechanisms in animals and flowering plants are more conserved than previously thought. Here, we compare the development and morphology of animal and flowering plant gametes, discuss cell-cell communication events between gametes and gametophytes as well as their physical interaction and fusion during single and double fertilization, respectively.

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“…Transcriptome and proteome analyses on isolated egg cells, zygotes and proembryos developing in vitro reveal several genes and proteins that play important roles during the initial phases of embryogenesis in wheat (Sprunck et al 2005;Sz} ucs et al 2006), maize (Okamoto et al 2004Yang et al 2006), tobacco (Ning et al 2006) and rice (Uchiumi et al 2007a). The aim of this research is to model the development of in planta zygotic embryos, which can only be accessed with difficulty (for review, see Kranz and Scholten 2008;Nawy et al 2008;Wang et al 2006). In order to set up a complete and reliable model, in addition to optimal culture systems and molecular research, histological and cytological studies to compare in vitro and in planta embryogenesis will be required.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Histological comparison between wheat embryos developing in vitro from isolated zygotes and those developing in vivo

et al. 2008

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There is currently great interest shown in understanding the process of embryogenesis and, due to the relative inaccessibility of these structures in planta, extended studies are carried out in various in vitro systems. The culture of isolated zygotes in particular provides an excellent platform to study the process of in planta embryogenesis. However, very few comparisons have been made between zygotic embryos grown entirely in cultures and those grown in vivo. The present study analyses the differences and similarities between the in vitro and in vivo development of wheat zygotic embryos at the level of morphology and histology. The study was possible thanks to an efficient culture system and an appropriate method of preparing isolated wheat zygotes for microscopy. The in vitro embryos were fixed, embedded and sectioned in the two-celled, globular, club-shaped and fully differentiated stages. Embryos developing in vitro closely followed the morphology of their in planta counterparts and their cell types and tissues were also similar, demonstrating the applicability of the present culture system for studying the process of zygotic embryogenesis. However, some important differences were also detected in the case of in vitro development: the disturbance of or lack of initial polarity led to changes in the division symmetry of the zygotes and subsequently to the formation of uniform cells in the globular structures. Presumably, differences between the in vitro and in planta environments resulted in a lower level of differentiation and maturation in in vitro embryos and in abundant starch and protein accumulation in the scutellum.

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In vitro fertilization: analysis of early post-fertilization development using cytological and molecular techniques

Cited by 20 publications

References 86 publications

Molecular repertoire of flowering plant male germ cells

Molecular repertoire of flowering plant male germ cells

A comparison of early molecular fertilization mechanisms in animals and flowering plants

Histological comparison between wheat embryos developing in vitro from isolated zygotes and those developing in vivo

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