Research Group Groß-Hardt
Research Interests
Formation and specification of gametes is of paramount importance for all sexually reproducing organisms. In contrast to animals, plant gametes develop in few-celled haploid structures, termed gametophytes. The female gametophyte of Arabidopsis consists of four distinct cell types (Fig. 1). The egg and the central cell get fertilized to form the main components of the seed. These gametes are flanked by accessory cells (synergids and antipodal cells) that partially aid fertilization.
| Figure 1 Female gametophyte and seed formation. A The female gametophyte contains seven cells, which differentiate into four distinct cell types: two synergids (dark green), one egg cell (red), one central cell containing two polar nuclei (orange) and three antipodal cells (light green). B The pollen tube (yellow) delivers two sperm cells, which fuse with the egg cell and the central cell. C The fertilization products develop into embryo (red) and endosperm (orange), respectively (Kägi et al., 2010). |
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Contact
Prof. Dr. Rita Groß-Hardt - Center for Plant Molecular Biology - ZMBP, Developmental Genetics - University of Tübingen - Auf der Morgenstelle 1 - 72076 Tübingen, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)7071 - 29 76159 Fax: +49 (0)7071 - 29 3287 Email: rita.gross-hardt(at)zmbp.uni-tuebingen.de
