Abstract
In spermatophytes the ovules upon fertilization give rise to the seeds. It is essential to understand the mechanisms that control ovule number and development as they ultimately determine the final number of seeds and, thereby, the yield in crop plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ovules arise laterally from a meristematic tissue within the carpel referred to as placenta. For a correct determination of the number of ovules, a precise establishment of the positions where ovule primordia emerge is needed, and a tight definition of the boundaries between ovules is therefore also required. In the last decades, few factors have been identified to be involved in the determination of ovule number. Recently, plant hormones have also been revealed as fundamental players in the control of the initiation of ovule formation. In this review we summarize the current knowledge about both the molecular and hormonal mechanisms that control ovule formation in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Highlights
Fruits are a major evolutionary acquisition of flowering plants (Angiosperms)
With this review on ovule initiation we aim to summarize the current knowledge about the factors and the hormonal pathways that have been identified to be involved in the determination of ovule numbers in Arabidopsis thaliana, and the cross-talk between these hormonal and regulatory pathways
Mutants presenting defects in the gynoecia or ovule development reported to be affected at the level of ovule number. *plants regenerated from calli; **Galbiati F. personal communication; ***the number refers to seeds
Summary
Fruits are a major evolutionary acquisition of flowering plants (Angiosperms). They likely evolved to protect the developing seeds and to ensure seed dispersal (Knapp, 2002). Carpels are essential for sexual plant reproduction because they house the ovules and upon fertilization the carpel develops into the fruit that protects, nourishes and disperses the seeds. Many genes that control ovule development are involved in initiation and growth of other floral organs, masking their effects on ovules. Understanding the factors that control ovule initiation is of great importance from an agricultural and economical point of view, as the ovule number will determine the number of seeds that develop in a fruit, and the crop yield. With this review on ovule initiation we aim to summarize the current knowledge about the factors and the hormonal pathways that have been identified to be involved in the determination of ovule numbers in Arabidopsis thaliana, and the cross-talk between these hormonal and regulatory pathways
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