Abstract
Angiosperms form the largest group of land plants and display an astonishing diversity of floral structures. The development of flowers greatly contributed to the evolutionary success of the angiosperms as they guarantee efficient reproduction with the help of either biotic or abiotic vectors. The female reproductive part of the flower is the gynoecium (also called pistil). Ovules arise from meristematic tissue within the gynoecium. Upon fertilization, these ovules develop into seeds while the gynoecium turns into a fruit. Gene regulatory networks involving transcription factors and hormonal communication regulate ovule primordium initiation, spacing on the placenta, and development. Ovule number and gynoecium size are usually correlated and several genetic factors that impact these traits have been identified. Understanding and fine-tuning the gene regulatory networks influencing ovule number and pistil length open up strategies for crop yield improvement, which is pivotal in light of a rapidly growing world population. In this review, we present an overview of the current knowledge of the genes and hormones involved in determining ovule number and gynoecium size. We propose a model for the gene regulatory network that guides the developmental processes that determine seed yield.
Highlights
Life on earth is affected by plants in varied ways
Understanding and fine-tuning the gene regulatory networks influencing ovule number and pistil length opens up strategies for crop yield improvement, which is pivotal in light of a rapidly growing world population
We present an overview of the current knowledge of the genes and hormones involved in determining ovule number and gynoecium size
Summary
Of the estimated 400,000 extant plant species, approximately 94% are seed plants (Govaerts, 2001; Willis, 2017). This demonstrates that seed development and dispersion strategies greatly contributed to the success of this organismal group. The vast majority of seed plants are angiosperms and only a comparatively small number are gymnosperms. Both plant divisions produce ovules; only angiosperm species produce flowers and as another selective advantage, each flower produces one or more gynoecia that protect and nourish the ovules. Understanding the regulatory networks that determine ovule number and gynoecium size is important as they hugely impact seed yield, and fine-tuning them appears to be a promising strategy for enhancing crop yields
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