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Updated: May 30, 2026

In Vitro Ovule Cultivation for Live-cell Imaging of Zygote Polarization and Embryo Patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana
Published on: September 11, 2017
Cell-cell communication and signalling pathways within the ovule: from its inception to fertilization
Éric Chevalier1, Audrey Loubert-Hudon1, Erin L Zimmerman1
1Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 4101 rue Sherbrooke est, Montréal, QC, Canada H1X 2B2.
Abstract:
Cell-cell communication pervades every aspect of the life of a plant. It is particularly crucial for the development of the gametes and their subtle interaction leading to double fertilization. The ovule is composed of a funiculus, one or two integuments, and a gametophyte surrounded by nucellus tissue. Proper ovule and embryo sac development are critical to reproductive success. To allow fertilization, the correct relative positioning and differentiation of the embryo sac cells are essential. Integument development is also intimately linked with the normal development of the female gametophyte; the sporophyte and gametophyte are not fully independent tissues. Inside the gametophyte, numerous signs of cell-cell communication take place throughout development, including cell fate patterning, fertilization and the early stages of embryogenesis. This review highlights the current evidence of cell-cell communication and signalling elements based on structural and physiological observations as well as the description and characterization of mutants in structurally specific genes. By combining data from different species, models of cell-cell interactions have been built, particularly for the establishment of the germline, for the progression through megagametogenesis and for double fertilization.
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