JXB Advance Access originally published online on May 31, 2005
Journal of Experimental Botany 2005 56(417):1711-1726; doi:10.1093/jxb/eri190
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
REVIEW ARTICLE |
Androgenic switch: an example of plant embryogenesis from the male gametophyte perspective
1Center for Phytotechnology LU/TNO, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 64, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
2Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 64, PO Box 9505, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
3TNO Department of Applied Plant Sciences, Zernikedreef 9, PO Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden, The Netherlands
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: +031 71 5274999. E-mail: maraschin{at}rulbim.leidenuniv.nl
Embryogenesis in plants is a unique process in the sense that it can be initiated from a wide range of cells other than the zygote. Upon stress, microspores or young pollen grains can be switched from their normal pollen development towards an embryogenic pathway, a process called androgenesis. Androgenesis represents an important tool for research in plant genetics and breeding, since androgenic embryos can germinate into completely homozygous, double haploid plants. From a developmental point of view, androgenesis is a rewarding system for understanding the process of embryo formation from single, haploid microspores. Androgenic development can be divided into three main characteristic phases: acquisition of embryogenic potential, initiation of cell divisions, and pattern formation. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the main cellular and molecular events that characterize these three commitment phases. Molecular approaches such as differential screening and cDNA array have been successfully employed in the characterization of the spatiotemporal changes in gene expression during androgenesis. These results suggest that the activation of key regulators of embryogenesis, such as the BABY BOOM transcription factor, is preceded by the stress-induced reprogramming of cellular metabolism. Reprogramming of cellular metabolism includes the repression of gene expression related to starch biosynthesis and the induction of proteolytic genes (e.g. components of the 26S proteasome, metalloprotease, cysteine, and aspartic proteases) and stress-related proteins (e.g. GST, HSP, BI-1, ADH). The combination of cell tracking systems with biochemical markers has allowed the key switches in the developmental pathway of microspores to be determined, as well as programmed cell death to be identified as a feature of successful androgenic embryo development. The mechanisms of androgenesis induction and embryo formation are discussed, in relation to other biological systems, in special zygotic and somatic embryogenesis.
Key words: Androgenesis, developmental switch, embryogenesis, embryogenic potential, gene expression, microspore, programmed cell death, stress
![]()
CiteULike
Connotea
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
P. P. Jauhar, S. S. Xu, and P. S. Baenziger Haploidy in Cultivated Wheats: Induction and Utility in Basic and Applied Research Crop Sci., May 11, 2009; 49(3): 737 - 755. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. Darko, H. Ambrus, J. Fodor, Z. Kiraly, and B. Barnabas Enhanced Tolerance to Oxidative Stress with Elevated Antioxidant Capacity in Doubled Haploid Maize Derived from Microspores Exposed to Paraquat Crop Sci., March 17, 2009; 49(2): 628 - 636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. R. Malik, F. Wang, J. M. Dirpaul, N. Zhou, P. L. Polowick, A. M.R. Ferrie, and J. E. Krochko Transcript Profiling and Identification of Molecular Markers for Early Microspore Embryogenesis in Brassica napus Plant Physiology, May 1, 2007; 144(1): 134 - 154. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. Joosen, J. Cordewener, E. D. J. Supena, O. Vorst, M. Lammers, C. Maliepaard, T. Zeilmaker, B. Miki, T. America, J. Custers, et al. Combined Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis Identifies Pathways and Markers Associated with the Establishment of Rapeseed Microspore-Derived Embryo Development Plant Physiology, May 1, 2007; 144(1): 155 - 172. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Pulido, A. Hernando, F. Bakos, E. Mendez, M. Devic, B. Barnabas, and A. Olmedilla Hordeins are expressed in microspore-derived embryos and also during male gametophytic and very early stages of seed development J. Exp. Bot., August 1, 2006; 57(11): 2837 - 2846. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
X.-C. Tang, Y.-Q. He, Y. Wang, and M.-X. Sun The role of arabinogalactan proteins binding to Yariv reagents in the initiation, cell developmental fate, and maintenance of microspore embryogenesis in Brassica napus L. cv. Topas J. Exp. Bot., August 1, 2006; 57(11): 2639 - 2650. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||


