International Association of Sexual Plant Reproduction Research

Degradation of detrimental microRNAs safeguards the fertilized egg cells to establish an ECS-dependent polytubey block in Arabidopsis Shen et al. demonstrate that the miRNA degradation-related proteins SDN1–3 degrade miRNAs targeting ECS in egg cells, thereby ensuring the normal expression of ECS1/2. This enables the fertilized egg ...

Degradation of detrimental microRNAs safeguards the fertilized egg cells to establish an ECS-dependent polytubey block in Arabidopsis
www.cell.com/developmenta...

DNA TOP1α coordinates anther morphogenesis and fertility through gene regulatory networks in arabidopsis - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - DNA TOP1α coordinates anther morphogenesis and fertility through gene regulatory networks in arabidopsis

DNA TOP1α coordinates anther morphogenesis and fertility through gene regulatory networks in arabidopsis
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

An Automated Lab‐On‐A‐Chip Approach for Pollen Tube Growth Manipulation in a Controlled Chemical Environment Here, a microfluidic-based robotic lab-on-a-chip (LoC) device is presented for automated, continuous-flow investigation and manipulation of single pollen tube growth under precisely controlled chemic....

An Automated Lab‐On‐A‐Chip Approach for Pollen Tube Growth Manipulation in a Controlled Chemical Environment - Zhu - Advanced Science - Wiley Online Library advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Functional genetics of rice PISTILLATA genes reveals new roles and target genes in flowering time, female fertility, and parthenocarpy Rice lodicules are small fleshy floral petal homologs that enable floret opening and closing, for anthesis and seed maturation. We provide insights on OsMADS2 and OsMADS4, expanding their second and ....

Functional genetics of rice PISTILLATA genes reveals new roles and target genes in flowering time, female fertility, and parthenocarpy - Zamzam - 2025. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Plant’s developmental decision to either abort a flower or set seed A significant proportion of flowers in crop plants fail to produce seeds, particularly under heat and drought stress. This outcome reflects a regulated developmental process of reproductive abortion, ...

Plant’s developmental decision to either abort a flower or set seed
www.cell.com/trends/plant...

a poster with minions and the words let the countdown begin ALT: a poster with minions and the words let the countdown begin

📢📢save the dates for our 28th ICSPR meeting in Chengdu, China🇨🇳!!
👉5-8 september 2026, co-chaired by Professors Weicai Yang, Li-Jia Qu, Honghui Lin and Hongju Li.
Stay tuned! more details coming soon!
#ICSPR2026 🌱😉

Spatial organization and trafficking dynamics of ANX/BUPS-RALF-LLG signaling complexes during pollen tube growth
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Transgenerational polarity axis inheritance during Ceratopteris embryogenesis For sexually reproducing organisms to pass on their genetic information, progeny must successfully establish. Various life history strategies have evolved, using either dispersal of large numbers of p...

We are happy to present the magnum opus of Sjoerd Woudenberg, at the close of his PhD – Transgenerational inheritance of the polarity axis in a fern embryo…a thread (1/17)

tinyurl.com/4y53xekv

#mimuluspropaganda!!!!

Kinesins control male germ unit assembly for sperm delivery in Arabidopsis - Nature Plants Here Chang et al. found that two kinesins, HUG1 and HUG2, form a kinesin cage encasing the vegetative nucleus and a distinctive double-layered kinesin microtubule cage around the generative cell, teth...

Kinesins control male germ unit assembly for sperm delivery in Arabidopsis
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The tri-molecular interaction controlling plant cell structure The plant cell wall is a dynamic envelope crucial for cell structure. Recent insights highlight the pivotal roles of RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR (RALF…

The tri-molecular interaction controlling plant cell structure
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Maternal environmental effects and climate‐smart seeds: unlocking epigenetic inheritance for crop innovation in the seed industry Maternal stress memory is a reflection of the maternal environment to the offspring. Plant seeds can thus inherit tractable stress tolerance traits, meaning that the maternal environment allows the s...

Maternal environmental effects and climate‐smart seeds: unlocking epigenetic inheritance for crop innovation in the seed industry - Brunel‐Muguet - 2025 - The Plant Journal - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Targeted Overexpression of CBF1 Using a Pollen-specific Promoter Enhances Fertility in Heat-stressed Arabidopsis - Journal of Plant Biology Rising temperatures linked to global climate change pose a major threat to crop yield stability. Sexual reproduction in angiosperms is mediated by the female gametophyte and the male gametophyte (poll...

Targeted Overexpression of CBF1 Using a Pollen-specific Promoter Enhances Fertility in Heat-stressed Arabidopsis
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Inspiration from apomictic species of Rutaceae: AGL11-FIE module induces autonomous development of maize embryo and endosperm without fertilization - Theoretical and Applied Genetics Apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction that produces offspring with the same genetic material as the female parent. Introducing apomixis into major food crops would revolutionize agricultural bree...

Inspiration from apomictic species of Rutaceae: AGL11-FIE module induces autonomous development of maize embryo and endosperm without fertilization
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Kinesin proteins HUG1 and HUG2 are essential for the formation and transportation of male germ units in Arabidopsis pollen tubes - Nature Plants In flowering plants, the sperm cells travel attached to the vegetative nucleus, forming a unit known as the male germ unit in pollen. This study reports that two kinesins, HUG1 and HUG2, are key for a...

Kinesin proteins HUG1 and HUG2 are essential for the formation and transportation of male germ units in Arabidopsis pollen tubes
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The synaptonemal complex central element SCEP3 interlinks synapsis initiation and crossover formation in Arabidopsis thaliana - Nature Plants This study identifies SCEP3 as a conserved central element of the plant synaptonemal complex. SCEP3 is critical for synapsis, heterochiasmy and crossover interference. SCEP3 also promotes a subset of ...

The synaptonemal complex central element SCEP3 interlinks synapsis initiation and crossover formation in Arabidopsis thaliana
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The cenH3 assembly factor ZmKNL2 boosts haploid induction in maize Click on the article title to read more.

The cenH3 assembly factor ZmKNL2 boosts haploid induction in maize
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

BONOBO transcription factors positively regulate STICKY GENERATIVE CELL for generative cell internalisation in Arabidopsis - Plant Reproduction Key message Generative cell internalisation establishes distinctive ‘cell-within-a-cell’ pollen organization in angiosperms. Comparative and transgenic expression analyses provide valuable insights in...

BONOBO transcription factors positively regulate STICKY GENERATIVE CELL for generative cell internalisation in Arabidopsis
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Incredible diversity of #pollen grains!

Pollen autofluorescence acquired with @zeiss-microscopy.bsky.social #superresolution Airyscan & color-coded for depth

#microscopy #bioimaging #bioart #sciart #botany #plantscience #fluorescencefriday

In Vitro Live Cell Imaging Reveals Nuclear Dynamics and Role of the Cytoskeleton During Asymmetric Division of Pollen Mitosis I in Nicotiana Benthamiana Pollen is a male gametophyte of angiosperms. Following meiosis, the microspore undergoes an asymmetric division called pollen mitosis I (PMI), which produces two cells of different sizes: a large veg...

In Vitro Live Cell Imaging Reveals Nuclear Dynamics and Role of the Cytoskeleton During Asymmetric Division of Pollen Mitosis I in Nicotiana Benthamiana - Mizuta - Cytoskeleton - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Brassinosteroids promote pollen tube guidance by coordinating gene expression in male and female reproductive tissues Brassinosteroids (BRs) were originally isolated from pollen grains, but their role in plant reproduction remains a mystery. Matsuura-Tokita et al. show that biologically active BRs are detected in rep...

Brassinosteroids promote pollen tube guidance by coordinating gene expression in male and female reproductive tissues
www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Semi-automated high content analysis of pollen performance using tubetracker - Plant Reproduction Key message TubeTracker provides a method to partially automate analysis of pollen tube growth using live imaging. Abstract Pollen function is critical for successful plant reproduction and crop produ...

Semi-automated high content analysis of pollen performance using tubetracker
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The regulation of vacuole morphology in stigma papilla cells is involved in water transfer to pollen in Arabidopsis thaliana - Plant Reproduction Key message The stigma papilla cells of Arabidopsis thaliana control water transport to pollen by regulating the morphology of vacuoles in papilla cells after pollination. Abstract Pollen hydration is...

The regulation of vacuole morphology in stigma papilla cells is involved in water transfer to pollen in Arabidopsis thaliana
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

ROS regulation of stigma papillae growth and maturation in Arabidopsis thaliana - Plant Reproduction Key message Superoxide accumulates during early stigma papillae growth stages in Arabidopsis. Abstract Highly specialized stigma papillae cells play a critical role in plant reproduction. Their main p...

ROS regulation of stigma papillae growth and maturation in Arabidopsis thaliana
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Anisotropic diffuse growth in Arabidopsis thaliana stigma papillae - Plant Reproduction Key message Arabidopsis stigma papillae grow by a diffuse growth mechanism rather than by tip growth. Abstract In angiosperms, the stigma is the first point of contact between the pollen (male) and pi...

Anisotropic diffuse growth in Arabidopsis thaliana stigma papillae
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Stomatal transpiration and rapid programmed cell death ☠️ triggered by lowered ambient humidity causes anther tissue collapse for effective pollen release !

Happy to be part of this great PNAS story with @kampova.bsky.social, Matyáš Fendrych, and @svosolsobe.bsky.social! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Sexual reproduction in land plants: an evolutionary perspective - Plant Reproduction Key message We link key aspects of land plant reproductive evolution and detail how successive molecular changes leading to novel tissues and organs require co-evolution of communication systems betwe...

Sexual reproduction in land plants: an evolutionary perspective
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A pick for your next journal club? We discovered a gene regulatory network involving RALF12 and ROS leading to PCD of a single cell (synergid) within the ovule. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The image shows the three cells of a maize egg apparatus (synergids on top and egg cell below).

A two-step self-pollination mechanism maximizes fertility in Brassicaceae Self-pollination in self-compatible plant species often occurs prior to flower opening. By tracking the temporal progress of pollination in Arabidopsi…

A two-step self-pollination mechanism maximizes fertility in Brassicaceae
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Fertilization-dependent phloem end gate regulates seed size Liu et al. identify a fertilization-dependent “gate,” a new plant tissue located at the ovule, which is open when a plant fertilizes and stays closed when a plant fails fertilization, having an essent...

Fertilization-dependent phloem end gate regulates seed size: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...