Developmental Biology of Flowering Plants

363 Pages·2000·37.688 MB·English

by  V. Raghavan (auth.)

Developmental Biology
of Flowering Plants
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
V.Raghavan
Developlllental Biology
of FloW"ering Plants
With 157 Illustrations
Springer
~4b~1
V. Raghavan
Department of Plant Biology
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH 43210-1293
[email protected]
Cover illustration: C Color Box 1992/FPG International LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publieation Data
Raghavan, V. (Valayamghat), 1931-
Developmental biology of flowering plants/V. Raghavan.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4612-7054-6 ISBN 978-1-4612-1234-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4612-1234-8
1. Angiosperms-Development. 2. Plants-Development. I. litle.
QK731.R26 1999
571.8'2--dc21 99-10027
Printed on acid-free paper.
© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media New Y ork
Originally published by Springer-Verlag New Y ork, Inc. 2000
Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 2000
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987654321
It is sometimes worthwhile to remind ourselves that plants form the
background of our civilization-both the plants that we grow and
those that favor us with their spontaneous presence .... So whatever
we can learn about plants and their growth is closely related to our
fundamental needs for food and fiber, to the history of the human
race, and to our plans for the future.
-Kenneth V. Thimann
Hormone Action in the Whole Life of Plants
The University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, 1977
Preface
The study of the development of flowering plants may be said to be in the throes
of a revolution. The literature on the subject is extensive and continues to grow
rapidly as new discoveries pile one on top of the other; moreover, these striking
advances in our knowledge have put plant developmental biology well ahead of
other aspects of the study of plants. This has come about after a period of neglect
and stagnation in the field and has been triggered by the power of recombinant
DNA technology to analyze genetic information and by a fruitful cross-fertilization
between physiology, genetics, and molecular biology. Whereas considerations of
developmental phenomena were at one time largely restricted to the structure and
physiology of a wide selection of plants, recent molecular and genetic approaches
are focused on one or two model systems. Notwithstanding the difficulty of having
to relate developmental mechanisms in a few experimentally attractive models to
the enormous range of plants, the use of model systems has gained wide accep
tance.
This book is intended to meet the need for a unified account of the general
principles of development of flowering plants representing structural, physiolog
ical, biochemical, genetic, and molecular perspectives. It arose out of the revision
and upgrading of an undergraduate course in plant development that I have
taught here at The Ohio State University for more than 20 years. The upgraded
course-not yet taught at the time of this writing-is tailored mostly to students
majoring in plant biology, agronomy, horticulture, and forestry, who naturally
come with a good background in plants. Basically, the book is addressed to stu
dents of plant biology at the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels who
wish to acquaint themselves with the dynamic aspects of differentiation of plant
cells, tissues, and organs and the application of recombinant DNA and other ge
netic and molecular techniques to the analysis of growth, development, and re
production of flowering plants. It is hoped that the grasp of plant development
gained from the book will provide a foundation on which to build more focused,
advanced-level courses in plant biology. Although some knowledge of molecular
biology is expected of those who use this book, understanding of the material
discussed herein is not dependent on a molecular biology text. Another audience
I have in mind is molecular biologists who wish to acquaint themselves with some
of the insights gained in the study of plant development using molecular tools. I
vii
viii Preface
was also drawn to the writing of this book out of a personal satisfaction of re
viewing a body of accumulated facts on the progressive changes, viewed from
different angles, that occur during the life of plants, and seeing what they mean
and how they fit together.
For almost everyone, seed germination, seedling growth, flowering, fruit for
mation, and seed set have provided the framework for the life of a plant, and
therefore, these landmark stages constitute the framework of this book. The book
is not encyclopedic, and the tremendous growth of the literature alluded to earlier
has made any attempts at exhaustive treatment a daunting task. In selecting the
material to be included in each chapter, the aim has been to present the broad
outlines about the uniqueness of development of the particular cell, tissue, organ,
or organism under discussion and to weave the excitement of recent developments
into the corpus of past accomplishments. The intellectual organization of each
chapter may be said to derive mainly from the fundamental principles that unify
the study of plant development and from a desire to provide a balance in the
treatment of data obtained by various approaches. Admittedly, a book on a bur
geoning topic cannot be considered complete because conclusions are necessarily
tentative and concepts untested; the book is up-to-date at one period in time, but
this rapidly changes.
Most of the illustrations used in the book have been borrowed from pub
lished articles, with the permission of publishers and/ or authors. Some colleagues
have also provided me with prints of published or unpublished photographs for
use in the book. They are gratefully acknowledged here and in the respective
figure captions. The entire manuscript of the book was read by an anonymous
reviewer commissioned by the publisher. Any errors of interpretation and short
comings found in the book are in spite of the reviewer's counsel and suggestions,
and not because of them. Thanks are due to Dr. Robin C. Smith, Executive Editor,
Life Sciences, Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., who was very helpful in seeing the
manuscript through the review and editorial processes. Finally, I am indebted to
my wife, Lakshmi, for her appreciation of my interests that kept me away from
home or had me glued to the word processor while at home. My wife and my
daughter, Anita, have, as usual, provided wonderful support and confidence
throughout the preparation of this volume, and indeed without their help from
behind the scene, the book would yet be unfinished.
V.Raghavan
Columbus, Ohio
August 1999
Contents
Preface vii
Abbreviations xv
1. Introduction to Plant Developmental Biology 1
General References 3
PART 1 Seed to Seedling
2. Seed Germination 7
1. Nucleic Acid Metabolism 7
DNA Synthesis 8
RNA and Protein Synthesis 9
Long-Lived mRNA 10
2. Protein Metabolism 13
Use of Stored mRNAs for Protein Synthesis 14
Newly Synthesized mRNAs and Proteins 15
3. Mobilization of Stored Food Reserves 16
Regulation of a-Amylase Genes by Gibberellic Acid 17
Final Phases of Endosperm Dissolution 20
Interaction of Gibberellic Acid and Abscisic Acid 21
4. Summary and Conclusions 22
Further Reading 22
References 22
3. Seedling Growth 25
1. Tropisms 26
Gravitropism 26
Phototropism 30
Thigmotropism 31
2. Photomorphogenesis of the Seedling 32
Hypocotyl and Internode Growth 33
Regulation of Photomorphogenesis 39
ix
x Contents
3. Hormonal Control of Seedling Growth 40
Auxins 40
Ethylene 43
Gibberellins 45
Cytokinins, Abscisic Acid, and Brassinosteroids 46
Apical Dominance 47
4. Gene Expression During Seedling Growth 48
5. Summary and Conclusions 48
Further Reading 49
References 49
PART 2 Seedling to the Adult Plant
4. Growth and Differentiation of the Shoot 57
1. Organization of the Shoot Apex 58
Cytological and Molecular Analysis of the Shoot Apical Meristem 58
Autonomy of the Meristem 65
2. Regulation of Cell Fate in the Meristem 66
3. Tissue Differentiation in the Shoot 68
Vascular Tissue Differentiation in the Shoot Apex 69
Xylem Regeneration in Stem Internodes, Calluses,
and Isolated Cells 70
Phloem Differentiation 72
4. Summary and Conclusions 73
Further Reading 73
References 73
5. Leaf Growth and Differentiation 76
1. Leaf Determination and Development 76
Determination of Leaf Primordia 78
Postinitiation Development of Leaves 82
2. Evolution of Leaf Form 85
Heteroblasty 86
Heterophylly 88
3. Differentiation of Leaf Cells 89
Epidermis 89
Mesophyll 94
4. Senescence and Abscission of Leaves 98
5. Summary and Conclusions 100
Further Reading 101
References 101
6. Root Growth and Development 105
1. The Root Apical Meristem 106
Autonomy of the Root Apical Meristem 110
Pattern Formation in the Root Meristem 111
Cell Division, Cell Expansion, and Cell Elongation
in the Root Meristem 113
2. Differentiation of the Root 115
Vascular Tissue Differentiation 116
Root Hair Formation 119
Lateral Root Initiation 124
3. Regulation of Root Growth 129
4. Root-Microbe Interactions 131
5. Summary and Conclusions 136
Contents xi
Further Reading 136
References 136
PART 3 Reproduction
7. Floral Evocation and Development of the Floral Meristem 145
1. Acquisition of the Competence to Flower 146
Control of Floral Meristem Identity 149
Floral Evocation in Differentiated Cells 152
2. Physiology of Floral Evocation 153
Photoperiodic Control of Flowering 154
Temperature Control of Flowering 158
3. Molecular Control of Floral Evocation 159
Cellular Changes During Evocation 160
Isolation of Genes Involved in Flowering 162
4. Summary and Conclusions 164
Further Reading 165
References 165
8. Formation of Floral Organs 169
1. Determination of Floral Organs 170
Genetics of Floral Organ Determination 172
Organ Determination in Unisexual Flowers 173
Floral-Organ-Specific Polypeptides 174
2. Homeotic Mutants 175
Manipulation of Floral Organ Differentiation in Arabidopsis 175
Homeotic Mutations in Antirrhinum and Other Plants 178
Cloning and Characterization of Floral-Organ-Identity Genes 181
3. Summary and Conclusions 182
Further Reading 183
References 183
9. Microsporogenesis and Formation of the
Male Gametophyte 186
1. Anther Differentiation 187
Tapetum 189
Microsporogenesis 192
2. Pollen Development and Maturation 194
The First Pollen Mitosis 195
Gene Expression During Pollen Development 197
Male Sterility and Pollen Abortion 202
3. Male Gametogenesis 203
Division of the Generative Cell and Formation
of the Male Germ Unit 204
Pollen Germination 205
Structure and Growth of the Pollen Tube 207
4. Summary and Conclusions 210
Further Reading 211
References 211
10. Megasporogenesis and Formation of the Embryo Sac 216
1. Ovule Determination and Development 216
2. Megasporogenesis 220
3. Organization of the Embryo Sac 221
Structure of the Embryo Sac Cells 223
Gene Function During Megagametogenesis 224