Establishing a framework for female germline initiation in the plant ovule

Female germline development depends on interactions between diverse molecular pathways and ovule cell types. This review considers progress in the search for factors contributing to the acquisition of germline identity. Abstract Female gametogenesis in flowering plants initiates in the ovule, where...

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Published in:Journal of experimental botany 2019-06, Vol.70 (11), p.2937-2949
Main Authors: Lora, Jorge, Yang, Xiujuan, Tucker, Mathew R
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Female germline development depends on interactions between diverse molecular pathways and ovule cell types. This review considers progress in the search for factors contributing to the acquisition of germline identity. Abstract Female gametogenesis in flowering plants initiates in the ovule, where a single germline progenitor differentiates from a pool of somatic cells. Germline initiation is a fundamental prerequisite for seed development but is poorly understood at the molecular level due to the location of the cells deep within the flower. Studies in Arabidopsis have shown that regulators of germline development include transcription factors such as NOZZLE/SPOROCYTELESS and WUSCHEL, components of the RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway such as ARGONAUTE9 and RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 6, and phytohormones such as auxin and cytokinin. These factors accumulate in a range of cell types from where they establish an environment to support germline differentiation. Recent studies provide fresh insight into the transition from somatic to germline identity, linking chromatin regulators, cell cycle genes, and novel mobile signals, capitalizing on cell type-specific methodologies in both dicot and monocot models. These findings are providing unique molecular and compositional insight into the mechanistic basis and evolutionary conservation of female germline development in plants.
ISSN:0022-0957
1460-2431
DOI:10.1093/jxb/erz212