Somers J, Nelms B. The sporophyte-to-gametophyte transition: The haploid generation comes of age.
Curr Opin Plant Biol 2023;
75:102416. [PMID:
37441836 DOI:
10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102416]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Flowering plants alternate between two multicellular generations: the diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte. Despite its small size, the gametophyte has significant impacts on plant genetics, evolution, and breeding. Each male pollen grain and female embryo sac is a multicellular organism with independent gene expression, a functioning metabolism, and specialized cell types. In this review, we describe recent progress in understanding the process in which the haploid genome takes over expression from its diploid parent - the sporophyte-to-gametophyte transition. The focus is on pollen, but similar concepts may also apply to the female gametophyte. Technological advances in single-cell genomics offer the opportunity to characterize haploid gene expression in unprecedented detail, positioning the field to make rapid progress.
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