The gametophyte represents the sexual phase in the alternation of generations in plants; the
other, nonsexual phase is the sporophyte. Here, we review the evolutionary origins of the …

The evolution of seeds defines a remarkable landmark in the history of land plants. A
developing seed contains three genetically distinct structures: the embryo, the nourishing …

Atmospheric conditions affect the release of anemophilous pollen, and the timing and
magnitude will be altered by climate change. As simulated with a pollen emission model and …

Fertilization of an egg by multiple sperm (polyspermy) leads to lethal genome imbalance
and chromosome segregation defects. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the block to polyspermy is …

In flowering plants, fertilization requires complex cell-to-cell communication events between
the pollen tube and the female reproductive tissues, which are controlled by extracellular …

Epigenetic reprogramming in the germline contributes to the erasure of epigenetic
inheritance across generations in mammals but remains poorly characterized in plants. Here …

Upon gamete fusion, animal egg cells secrete proteases from cortical granules to establish a
fertilization envelope as a block to polyspermy,,–. Fertilization in flowering plants is more …

INTRODUCTION Reproductive isolation is the inability of a species to breed with a related
species and thus is key to the formation and evolution of a new plant species. Within the …

In angiosperms, two sperm cells are transported and delivered by the pollen tube to the
ovule to achieve double fertilization. Extensive communication takes place between the …

The superior photosynthetic efficiency of C4 leaves over C3 leaves is owing to their unique
Kranz anatomy, in which the vein is surrounded by one layer of bundle sheath (BS) cells and …