Premium
The role of pollination in controlling Ginkgo biloba ovule development
Author(s) -
D’Apice Greta,
Moschin Silvia,
Araniti Fabrizio,
Nigris Sebastiano,
Di Marzo Maurizio,
Muto Antonella,
Banfi Camilla,
Bruno Leonardo,
Colombo Lucia,
Baldan Barbara
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.17753
Subject(s) - ovule , biology , pollination , integument , gynoecium , ginkgo biloba , botany , pollen , fertilisation , stamen , microbiology and biotechnology , embryogenesis , embryo , reproductive technology
Summary Generally, in gymnosperms, pollination and fertilization events are temporally separated and the developmental processes leading the switch from ovule integument into seed coat are still unknown. The single ovule integument of Ginkgo biloba acquires the typical characteristics of the seed coat long before the fertilization event. In this study, we investigated whether pollination triggers the transformation of the ovule integument into the seed coat. Transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses performed on ovules just prior and after pollination lead to the identification of changes occurring in Ginkgo ovules during this specific time. A morphological atlas describing the developmental stages of ovule development is presented. The metabolic pathways involved in the lignin biosynthesis and in the production of fatty acids are activated upon pollination, suggesting that the ovule integument starts its differentiation into a seed coat before the fertilization. Omics analyses allowed an accurate description of the main changes that occur in Ginkgo ovules during the pollination time frame, suggesting the crucial role of the pollen arrival on the progression of ovule development.