A flourishing time for flower development. Workshop on Flower Development, sponsored by Fundación Juan March, Madrid, Spain, March 11-13, 1991.
Molecular genetics has recently erupted in the field of flower development, an area of research traditionally cultivated by plant physiologists. The isolation and molecular characterization of seven homeotic genes (four in Antirrhinum majus and three in Arabidopsis thaliana) that control both floral organogenesis and the transition from inflorescences to floral meristems is leading to major breakthroughs in the understanding of the mechanisms governing flower development. This has already had a great impact among plant physiologists, who are incorporating mutant analysis into studies of floral induction and flower development. We are still missing data about the nature of the pollen product of the S-locus in self-incompatibility systems, although current experimental approaches might provide this information in the near future. Gene technology appears to have a high potential in hybrid seed production through the construction of male sterile plants as well as of plants able to restore fertility. The study of genes regulating pigment formation in flowers continues to provide interesting data on gene expression in plants, in which phenomena such as co-suppression and methylation seem to play an important role. Altogether, one can predict that very exciting times are coming in the field of flower development.
Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos, Valencia, Spain.
J P
JP
Beltrán
D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000502:physiology; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics