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REP Reproductive Biology --- endosperm --- reproductive biology --- seeds

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Secale cereale. --- Secale cereale --- Endosperm --- Endosperm --- chromosomes --- chromosomes --- nucleus --- nucleus --- Transgenic plants --- Transgenic plants --- chromosome number --- chromosome number --- gene expression --- gene expression --- genetic engineering --- genetic engineering

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Transfer cells are anatomically specialized cells optimized to support high levels of nutrient transport in plants. These cells trans-differentiate from existing cell types by developing extensive and localized wall ingrowth labyrinths to amplify plasma membrane surface area which in turn supports high densities of membrane transporters. Unsurprisingly, therefore, transfer cells are found at key anatomical sites for nutrient acquisition, distribution and exchange. Transfer cells are involved in delivery of nutrients between generations and in the development of reproductive organs and also facilitate the exchange of nutrients that characterize symbiotic associations. Transfer cells occur across all taxonomic groups in higher plants and also in algae and fungi. Deposition of wall ingrowth-like structures are also seen in “syncytia” and “giant cells” which function as feeding sites for cyst and root-knot nematodes, respectively, following their infection of roots. Consequently, the formation of highly localized wall ingrowth structures in diverse cell types appears to be an ancient anatomical adaption to facilitate enhanced rates of apoplasmic transport of nutrients in plants. In some systems a role for transfer cells in the formation of an anti-pathogen protective barrier at these symplastic discontinuities has been inferred. Remarkably, the extent of cell wall ingrowth development at a particular site can show high plasticity, suggesting that transfer cell differentiation might be a dynamic process adapted to the transport requirements of each physiological condition. Recent studies exploiting different experimental systems to investigate transfer cell biology have identified signaling pathways inducing transfer cell development and genes/gene networks that define transfer cell identity and/or are involved in building the wall ingrowth labyrinths themselves. Further studies have defined the structure and composition of wall ingrowths in different systems, leading in many instances to the conclusion that this process may involve previously uncharacterized mechanisms for localized wall deposition in plants. Since transfer cells play important roles in plant development and productivity, the latter being relevant to crop yield, especially so in major agricultural species such as wheat, barley, soybean and maize, understanding the molecular and cellular events leading to wall ingrowth deposition holds exciting promise to develop new strategies to improve plant performance, a key imperative in addressing global food security. This Research Topic presents a timely and comprehensive treatise on transfer cell biology to help define critical questions for future research and thereby generating a deeper understanding of these fascinating and important cells in plant biology.

Wall ingrowth --- Arabidopsis thaliana --- synctial cells --- Zea mays --- transfer cells --- endosperm transfer cells --- Giant Cells

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TAXONOMY --- FRUIT DEVELOPMENT --- IN VITRO --- POLYEMBRYONY --- APOMIXIS --- EMBRYOS --- ENDOSPERM --- FERTILIZATION --- OVULES --- GAMETOPHYTE --- ANGIOSPERMS --- EMBRYOLOGY --- CULTURES --- TAXONOMY --- FRUIT DEVELOPMENT --- IN VITRO --- POLYEMBRYONY --- APOMIXIS --- EMBRYOS --- ENDOSPERM --- FERTILIZATION --- OVULES --- GAMETOPHYTE --- ANGIOSPERMS --- EMBRYOLOGY --- CULTURES

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Apomixis is the consequence of a concerted mechanism that harnesses the sexual machinery and coordinates developmental steps in the ovule to produce an asexual (clonal) seed. Altered sexual developments involve widely characterized functional and anatomical changes in meiosis, gametogenesis, and embryo and endosperm formation. The ovules of apomictic plants skip meiosis and form unreduced female gametophytes whose egg cells develop into a parthenogenetic embryo, and the central cells may or may not fuse to a sperm to develop the seed endosperm. Thus, functional apomixis involves at least three components, apomeiosis, parthenogenesis, and endosperm development, modified from sexual reproduction that must be coordinated at the molecular level to progress through the developmental steps and form a clonal seed. Despite recent progress uncovering specific genes related to apomixis-like phenotypes and the formation of clonal seeds, the molecular basis and regulatorynetwork of apomixis is still unknown. This is a central problem underlying the current limitations of apomixis breeding. This book collates twelve publications addressing different topics around the molecular basis of apomixis, illustrating recent discoveries and advances toward understanding the genetic regulation of the trait, discussing the possible origins of apomixis and the remaining challenges for its commercial deployment in plants.

apomixis --- evolution --- germline --- gene regulation --- sporogenesis --- plant reproduction --- ribosome --- RNA helicase --- sexual development --- stress response --- apomeiosis --- clonal seeds --- endosperm --- heterosis capture --- molecular breeding --- parthenogenesis --- differentially expressed genes --- hybridization --- microarrays --- polyploidy --- Ranunculus --- sexuality --- character segregation --- crop biotechnology --- heterosis --- meiosis --- recombination --- agamospermy --- basal angiosperms (ANA-grade) --- sporocyteless --- polycomb-group proteins --- reproductive systems --- apomixis evolution --- APOSTART --- Poa pratensis --- diplospory --- autonomous endosperm --- genetics --- Taraxacum --- dandelion --- weeping lovegrass --- drought stress --- RNA-seq --- plant breeding --- plant development --- Hieracium piloselloides --- CRISPR/Cas9 --- PHYTOENE DESATURASE (PDS) --- amplicon sequencing --- genome editing --- tissue culture --- haploid progeny --- dicotyledon --- PsASGR-BBML --- pseudogamy --- 5-azacytidine --- abscisic acid --- apospory --- expression profiling --- fluridone --- metabolic homeostasis --- oxidative stress --- sucrose non-fermenting-related protein kinase --- n/a