Editor's Summary
17 May 2007
The seeds of success
One factor in the success of the flowering plants (angiosperms) may be the development of the embryo along with a second fertilization product, the endosperm. Two rival explanations for the evolutionary origin of the endosperm were proposed over a century ago, and have since divided the field of plant development. Nowack et al. present new evidence that favours one of the hypotheses, that of eminent botanist Eduard Strasburger. Seeds from an Arabidopsis mutant containing a maternally derived diploid endosperm, instead of a biparental triploid endosperm, are found able to develop into viable plants. This argues for female reproductive structures as the source for the endosperm, and against a requirement for genomic imprinting, where an allele is expressed dependent on which parent contributes it.
News and Views: Plant development: Parental conflict overcome
In flowering plants, viable seeds result even without two of the mechanisms that normally operate during embryogenesis. This finding illuminates the interplay of male and female factors in the process.
Nir Ohad
doi:10.1038/447275a
Letter: Bypassing genomic imprinting allows seed development
Moritz K. Nowack, Reza Shirzadi, Nico Dissmeyer, Andreas Dolf, Elmar Endl, Paul E. Grini & Arp Schnittger
doi:10.1038/nature05770
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