The evolution of seeds was a major reason for the rise of angiosperms to ecological dominance. Seeds of angiosperms are composed of three main structures: the embryo, which will give rise to the next generation; the endosperm, a nurturing tissue whose main function is to deliver nutrients from the mother plant to the embryo; and the seed coat (or testa), a tissue that is derived from the maternal integuments and which provides support and protection to the growing embryo. All three seed components need to exchange signals to ensure co-ordinated growth and development. The present review discusses the structure of the seed coat, its interaction with the endosperm, and bidirectional signalling events between endosperm and seed coat that co-ordinate growth of both tissues. Angiosperm seeds are not only of evolutionary significance, but also of major agronomic importance, demanding a thorough understanding of the events governing seed growth and development.
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April 2014
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Conference Article|
March 20 2014
Signalling events regulating seed coat development
Duarte D. Figueiredo;
Duarte D. Figueiredo
*Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center of Plant Biology, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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Claudia Köhler
Claudia Köhler
1
*Department of Plant Biology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center of Plant Biology, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (emailclaudia.kohler@slu.se).
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Biochem Soc Trans (2014) 42 (2): 358–363.
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Received:
September 04 2013
Citation
Duarte D. Figueiredo, Claudia Köhler; Signalling events regulating seed coat development. Biochem Soc Trans 1 April 2014; 42 (2): 358–363. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20130221
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