IITA supervisor: Dr. B. Uwimana / Crop improvement through crossbreeding relies on the generation of new hybrids from seeds. Therefore, seed set and seed germination are key determining factors for a successful breeding program. In banana breeding, both seed set and seed germination are low, especially in triploid and tetraploid bananas. To improve...
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
The mechanisms controlling the transcription of gene sets in specific regions of a plant embryo shortly after fertilization remain unknown. Previously, we showed that G564 mRNA, encoding a protein of unknown function, accumulates to high levels in the giant suspensor of both Scarlet Runner Bean (SRB) and Common Bean embryos, and a cis-regulatory mo...
The mechanisms controlling the transcription of gene sets in specific regions of a plant embryo shortly after fertilization remain unknown. Previously, we showed that G564 mRNA, encoding a protein of unknown function, accumulates to high levels in the giant suspensor of both Scarlet Runner Bean (SRB) and Common Bean embryos, and a cis-regulatory mo...
Auxin is a plant hormone that triggers a broad variety of responses during plant development. These responses range from correct cell division patterns during embryogenesis to formation and growth of different organs. Due to its importance for plant growth and development, many aspects of the biology of auxin have been studied. In Chapter 2, we use...
Growth of plant tissues and organs depends on continuous production of new cells, by niches of stem cells. Stem cells typically divide to give rise to one differentiating daughter and one non-differentiating daughter. This constant process of self-renewal ensures that the niches of stem cells or meristems stay active throughout plant-life. Specific...
Microspore embryogenesis is an expression of plant cell totipotency that leads to the production of haploid embryos. Besides being a widely exploited plant breeding tool, microspore embryogenesis is also a fascinating system that can be used to obtain a deeper mechanistic understanding of plant totipotency. This thesis aims to provide more insight ...
Byrsonima intermedia is a shrub from the Brazilian Cerrado with medicinal properties. The storage of biological material at ultra-low temperatures (-196°C) is termed cryopreservation and represents a promising technique for preserving plant diversity. Thawing is a crucial step that follows cryopreservation. The aim of this work was to cryopreserve ...
Plants develop highly elaborate structures, ranging from small mosses to large trees. All these structures are made by stem cells and consist of a few basic types of tissue. The field of Biochemistry of Plant Development studies the mechanisms by which regulatory proteins control the formation of stem cells and tissues. The young embryo, developing...
peer reviewed / The aim of this study was to describe the embryos abortion process and the inheritance of the embryos abortion trait in Phaseolus vulgaris plants deficient in seed development. These plants were isolated within the second generation of an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) TILLING population of P. vulgaris cv. 'BAT93'. Mutant embryos show...
