Microspore embryogenesis

Abstract

This chapter is devoted to the study of microspore embryogenesis, a fascinating and important process in plant breeding that involves the reprogramming of microspores from gametophytic development towards a sporophytic pathway, leading to the formation of haploid plants. The aim is to introduce the reader to this useful way of shortening the breeding process and the study in vitro of the initial stages of plant embryogenesis. In this chapter, the discovery of the production of haploid plants by anther culture is discussed, the strategies followed to induce this process, how different factors influence induction, embryo development and plant formation, and the cellular and molecular events associated with microspore embryogenesis. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.