Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants (Second Edition)

Dear Colleagues,

Flower and fruit development are processes tightly regulated by genes and phytohormones. In recent decades, an enormous wealth of information and knowledge has been obtained on the developmental processes underlying the formation and development of flowers and fruits in model plants, non-model plants, and crops. The generation, integration, and translation of gene regulatory networks driving development are important goals of many colleagues around the world. Many challenges and opportunities lie ahead of the generation of a deep understanding of regulatory networks guiding plant reproductive development. This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the function of genes, phytohormones, and gene regulatory networks in flower and fruit development.

Prof. Dr. Stefan de Folter
Guest Editor

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• gene regulation
• transcription factors
• flower
• gynoecium
• fruit
• plant development
• regulatory networks
• plant reproduction

• Gene Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower and Fruit Development in Plants in Plants (8 articles)

Title: Immunolocalization of Arabinogalactan-Proteins (AGPs) During Vegetative and Reproductive Development of Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
Authors: Mercedes Verdugo 1, Rosabel Velez 1, Tomas Osuna1, Maria A. Islas2, Gerardo Acosta 3,* and J. Adriana Sañudo 1,*
Affiliation: 1 Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C. Unidad Culiacán, Carr. a Eldorado km 5.5, Campo El Diez, Culiacán, Sinaloa, México; [email protected] 2 Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Carretera a La Victoria Km 0.6, Ejido La Victoria, Hermosillo, Sonora, 83304, Mexico; [email protected]. 3 Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico en Celaya. Av. García Cubas 600pte, Celaya, Guanajuato. México.
Abstract: The arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are described as a class of complex, highly glycosylated hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins, participate in aspects of plant growth and development to accomplish diverse functions. In plants, flower organs had an abundant AGPs recognition toward stigma and pistil structures, whereas their abundance in female and male sexual organs was positioned to the ovule and tapetum, respectively. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of AGPs in C. annuum was investigated, an immunohistochemical technique using LM14 against AGPs glycan-epitopes was used to distinguish total AGPs in vegetative and reproductive organs during seedling, flowering and fruiting developmental stages. The results showed that AGPs epitopes were successfully recognized by LM14 antibody being predominant distributed in the palisade mesophilic cells during seedling suggesting an association with leaf differentiation, also, strong labelling was detected in the stigmatic surface of pistil. In ovary, an intense signal was localized in ovary-wall and embryo sac during anthesis stage, in anthers, AGPs were present in pollen-wall and tapetum during microspore cell division. These results provide insights into the cellular location and distribution of AGPs in C. annuum and indicate that action is spatio-temporal regulated, bring about evidence of their possible roles during development.