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Plants
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Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Sexual Reproduction: From Sporogenesis to Fertilization
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Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Sexual Reproduction: From Sporogenesis to Fertilization

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Cell Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 7447

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Shuh-ichi Nishikawa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Niigata University, 8050 Ikarashi 2-no-cho, Nishi-ku, Niigata 950-2181, Japan
Interests: plant cell biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sexual reproduction is a fundamental process in the plant life cycle. The sexual reproduction of flowering plants involves various processes, such as sporogenesis (meiosis), the development of male and female gametophytes, pollination, the interaction of male and female gametophytes, and fertilization. Molecular genetics in combination with new techniques, including live-cell imaging and structural biology, have revealed molecular mechanisms that regulate each step of plant reproduction. The rapid collection of genomic resources from many land plant species and molecular genetic analyses using bryophytes have accelerated our understanding of the mechanisms regulating plant reproduction from an evolutionary perspective.

This Special Issue focuses on the molecular mechanisms of sexual reproduction in plants, especially from sporogenesis to fertilization (sporogenesis, gametogenesis, male and female interactions, fertilization, and early seed development). Articles (original research papers, perspectives, hypotheses, opinions, reviews, modeling approaches, and methods) are welcomed that focus on the molecular mechanisms of plant reproduction.

Prof. Dr. Shuh-ichi Nishikawa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sporogenesis
  • gametogenesis
  • pollen–pistil interactions
  • pollen tube guidance
  • fertilization
  • embryo and endosperm development

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1793 KiB  
Communication
Nuclear Fusion in Yeast and Plant Reproduction
by Nanami Kobayashi and Shuh-ichi Nishikawa
Plants 2023, 12(20), 3608; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12203608 - 18 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1305
Abstract
Nuclear fusion is essential for the sexual reproduction of various organisms, including plants, animals, and fungi. During the life cycle of flowering plants, nuclear fusion occurs three times: once during female gametogenesis and twice during double fertilization, when two sperm cells fertilize the [...] Read more.
Nuclear fusion is essential for the sexual reproduction of various organisms, including plants, animals, and fungi. During the life cycle of flowering plants, nuclear fusion occurs three times: once during female gametogenesis and twice during double fertilization, when two sperm cells fertilize the egg and the central cell. Haploid nuclei migrate in an actin filament-dependent manner to become in close contact and, then, two nuclei fuse. The nuclear fusion process in plant reproduction is achieved through sequential nuclear membrane fusion events. Recent molecular genetic analyses using Arabidopsis thaliana showed the conservation of nuclear membrane fusion machinery between plants and the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These include the heat-shock protein 70 in the endoplasmic reticulum and the conserved nuclear membrane proteins. Analyses of the A. thaliana mutants of these components show that the completion of the sperm nuclear fusion at fertilization is essential for proper embryo and endosperm development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Sexual Reproduction: From Sporogenesis to Fertilization)
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16 pages, 3369 KiB  
Article
Maintenance of Methyl-Esterified Pectin Level in Pollen Mother-Cell Stages Is Required for Microspore Development
by Kazuya Hasegawa, Ai Ichikawa, Haruki Takeuchi, Atsuko Nakamura and Hiroaki Iwai
Plants 2023, 12(8), 1717; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081717 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1363
Abstract
Pectin modification and degradation are vital for plant development, although the underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. Furthermore, reports on the function of pectin in early pollen development are limited. We generated OsPME-FOX rice lines with little methyl-esterified pectin even in [...] Read more.
Pectin modification and degradation are vital for plant development, although the underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. Furthermore, reports on the function of pectin in early pollen development are limited. We generated OsPME-FOX rice lines with little methyl-esterified pectin even in the early-pollen mother-cell stage due to overexpression of the gene encoding pectin-methylesterase. Overexpression of OsPME1 in rice increased the activity of PME, which decreased the degree of pectin methyl esterification in the cell wall. OsPME1-FOX grew normally and showed abnormal phenotypes in anther and pollen development, especially in terms of the pollen mother-cell stage. In addition, we examined modifications of cell-wall polysaccharides at the cellular level using antibodies against polysaccharides. Immunohistochemical staining using LM19 and LM20 showed that methyl-esterified pectin distribution and the pectin contents in pollen mother-cell wall decreased in OsPME1-FOX compared with the wild type. Thus, the maintenance of methyl-esterified pectin plays a role in degrading and maintaining the pollen mother-cell wall during microspore development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Sexual Reproduction: From Sporogenesis to Fertilization)
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8 pages, 478 KiB  
Article
The Hybridization Barrier between Herbaceous Medicago sativa and Woody M. arborea Is Weakened by Reproductive Abnormalities in M. sativa Seed Parents
by Edwin Bingham and John Irwin
Plants 2023, 12(4), 962; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040962 - 20 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 924
Abstract
Historically, crosses between Medicago sativa (alfalfa) and M. arborea with alfalfa as the seed parent failed, as did crosses using M. arborea as the seed parent. Thus, a reproductive barrier kept the two species isolated until early in this century. The breakthrough came [...] Read more.
Historically, crosses between Medicago sativa (alfalfa) and M. arborea with alfalfa as the seed parent failed, as did crosses using M. arborea as the seed parent. Thus, a reproductive barrier kept the two species isolated until early in this century. The breakthrough came when alfalfa seed parents were identified in Wisconsin USA and Queensland AU that produced partial hybrids (hereafter hybrids). The hybrids were obtained by making large numbers of crosses on selected alfalfa parents. This was the first level of weakening the crossing barrier as reported in Plants in 2013. Further weakening of the barrier is reported herein whereby more hybrids were obtained with fewer crosses. This was accomplished by pedigree selection for new alfalfa seed parents and by using a product of the first hybrids called Alborea. New alfalfa seed parents were crossed with M. arborea, and Alborea parents were backcrossed to M. arborea. Hybrid plants were produced with fewer crosses in both cases. These hybrids, like the first hybrids, have mostly alfalfa traits but also have traits from M. arborea. It was theorized early on that the alfalfa component could be explained by 2n eggs in the alfalfa parents that were fertilized by normal n gametes from M. arborea. Evidence that the Wisconsin alfalfa and Alborea seed parents did in fact produce 2n eggs was reported in Plants in 2022. Moreover, they produced 2n eggs at approximately the same frequency that they produced hybrids. As reported herein, Alborea parents produced the highest frequency of hybrids and thus had the weakest barrier. Importantly, they also have the highest frequency of 2n eggs. It was determined that alfalfa and Alborea parents that produce 2n eggs and hybrids, also produce 2n pollen. In effect, an experiment was undertaken in reverse showing that 2n pollen could be used to screen for plants that produce hybrids. In the thousands of crosses made over the years, fertilization of normal n eggs in alfalfa parents always failed. Normal meiosis appears to be the main barrier to producing interspecific hybrids in our case. Fertilization of abnormal 2n eggs ensures sufficient alfalfa genetic material to continue embryogenesis. Evidently, the meiotic abnormality of 2n eggs is the major factor that weakens the crossing barrier. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Sexual Reproduction: From Sporogenesis to Fertilization)
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Review

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18 pages, 4065 KiB  
Review
Genetic Regulation of Mitosis–Meiosis Fate Decision in Plants: Is Callose an Oversighted Polysaccharide in These Processes?
by Harsha Somashekar and Ken-Ichi Nonomura
Plants 2023, 12(10), 1936; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12101936 - 09 May 2023
Viewed by 3112
Abstract
Timely progression of the meiotic cell cycle and synchronized establishment of male meiosis in anthers are key to ascertaining plant fertility. With the discovery of novel regulators of the plant cell cycle, the mechanisms underlying meiosis initiation and progression appear to be more [...] Read more.
Timely progression of the meiotic cell cycle and synchronized establishment of male meiosis in anthers are key to ascertaining plant fertility. With the discovery of novel regulators of the plant cell cycle, the mechanisms underlying meiosis initiation and progression appear to be more complex than previously thought, requiring the conjunctive action of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases, transcription factors, protein–protein interactions, and several signaling components. Broadly, cell cycle regulators can be classified into two categories in plants based on the nature of their mutational effects: (1) those that completely arrest cell cycle progression; and (2) those that affect the timing (delay or accelerate) or synchrony of cell cycle progression but somehow complete the division process. Especially the latter effects reflect evasion or obstruction of major steps in the meiosis but have sometimes been overlooked due to their subtle phenotypes. In addition to meiotic regulators, very few signaling compounds have been discovered in plants to date. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge about genetic mechanisms to enter the meiotic processes, referred to as the mitosis-meiosis fate decision, as well as the importance of callose (β-1,3 glucan), which has been unsung for a long time in male meiosis in plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Mechanisms in Plant Sexual Reproduction: From Sporogenesis to Fertilization)
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