Molecular mechanism of the regulation of female gametophyte development in plants

In recent years, using the female sterile mutants as materials, research in the molecular regulation of female gametophyte and ovule development through genetic analysis and molecular biological technology has attracted more attention. Studies on molecular regulation of female gametophyte development were reviewed in terms of female gametophyte and ovule and integument development. Most of studies use model herbaceous plants or crop as materials. A number of mutants with aberrant ovule and embryo sac have been isolated in Arabidopsis through chemical induction and T-DNA or transposon insertion, and some gene clones have been obtained. The studies of developmental biology of woody plants still remain at the morphological and physiobiochemical levels because of their long and complex growth periods. In China, study of developmental biology of woody plants is under way at a molecular level using fertility-associated variants of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. and Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge as materials.