Angiosperm fertilisation, embryo and endosperm development in vitro

Abstract

The application of micromanipulation techniques enables the isolation and in vitro fusion of female and male angiosperm gametes. In combination with tissue culture methods, which are adapted for the culture of single cells, these techniques allow individual development of zygotes and endosperm. Both in vitro produced zygotes and zygotes which are isolated after in vivo pollination develop into embryos and fertile plants in culture. Zygotes and endosperm are able to self-organise in culture independently from maternal tissue. Many steps of early development in vitro of both the embryo and endosperm are comparable to the situation in planta, making this system a useful model for studies of embryogenesis and endosperm development. Because of access to single gametes and zygotes, these tools will also facilitate studies of gamete interaction and gametic hybridisation under defined conditions. The use of these techniques together with biochemical and molecular methods, adapted to the analysis of single cells, allows one to analyse early developmental events, precisely timed after fertilisation. Recent advances in the biotechnology of fertilisation and of zygote culture are discussed as well as prospects for future studies.