Molecular analysis of male gametogenesis in plants

Reproduction in plants rivals the complexity of the process in animals. Recently, several genes that are expressed at specific stages during male gametogenesis have been cloned. These anther-specific genes are providing tools with which to study the cis- and trans-acting factors that regulate gene expression during pollen formation. Sequence analysis of the coding regions of some of these abundantly expressed anther genes is providing unexpected insights into the cell-cell interactions occurring during gamete formation and fertilization.