Induction of Haploid Embryos in Datura metel by Anther Culture

Microspores, with a haploid number of chromosomes, are destined to produce the male gametophyte, which hosts the male gametes that fertilize the female egg cell. During microsporogenesis, a particular stage of development is amenable to be switched to undergo embryogenesis and developed into a haploid plant. By doubling the chromosomes, a doubled haploid plant, homozygous for all the gene loci, is produced. These plants are useful to study the expression of recessive genes and in plant breeding as a rapid pathway to achieve homozygosity.