The seed habit is the most complex and successful method of sexual reproduction in vascular plants. It represents a remarkable moment in the evolution of plants that afterward spread on land. In particular, seed size had a pivotal role in evolutionary success and agronomic traits, especially in the field of crop domestication. Given that crop seeds constitute one of the primary products for consumption, it follows that seed size represents a fundamental determinant of crop yield. This adaptative feature is strictly controlled by genetic traits from both maternal and zygotic tissues, although seed development and growth are also affected by environmental cues. Despite being a highly exploited topic for both basic and applied research, there are still many issues to be elucidated for developmental biology as well as for agronomic science. This review addresses a number of open questions related to cues that influence seed growth and size and how they influence seed germination. Moreover, new insights on the genetic–molecular control of this adaptive trait are presented.

When Size Matters: New Insights on How Seed Size Can Contribute to the Early Stages of Plant Development / Boccaccini, Alessandra; Cimini, Sara; Kazmi, Hira; Lepri, Andrea; Longo, Chiara; Lorrai, Riccardo; Vittorioso, Paola. - In: PLANTS. - ISSN 2223-7747. - 13:13(2024). [10.3390/plants13131793]

When Size Matters: New Insights on How Seed Size Can Contribute to the Early Stages of Plant Development

Kazmi, Hira;Lepri, Andrea;Longo, Chiara;Lorrai, Riccardo;Vittorioso, Paola
2024

Abstract

The seed habit is the most complex and successful method of sexual reproduction in vascular plants. It represents a remarkable moment in the evolution of plants that afterward spread on land. In particular, seed size had a pivotal role in evolutionary success and agronomic traits, especially in the field of crop domestication. Given that crop seeds constitute one of the primary products for consumption, it follows that seed size represents a fundamental determinant of crop yield. This adaptative feature is strictly controlled by genetic traits from both maternal and zygotic tissues, although seed development and growth are also affected by environmental cues. Despite being a highly exploited topic for both basic and applied research, there are still many issues to be elucidated for developmental biology as well as for agronomic science. This review addresses a number of open questions related to cues that influence seed growth and size and how they influence seed germination. Moreover, new insights on the genetic–molecular control of this adaptive trait are presented.
2024
seed size; germination; cell wall; environment; development; Arabidopsis thaliana; Oryza sativa
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
When Size Matters: New Insights on How Seed Size Can Contribute to the Early Stages of Plant Development / Boccaccini, Alessandra; Cimini, Sara; Kazmi, Hira; Lepri, Andrea; Longo, Chiara; Lorrai, Riccardo; Vittorioso, Paola. - In: PLANTS. - ISSN 2223-7747. - 13:13(2024). [10.3390/plants13131793]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1727093
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