Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 1
Written by Ricardo MIR, Antonio CALABUIG-SERNA, Jose María SEGUÍ-SIMARRO
Upon fertilization, plants produce zygote-derived embryos that will develop into new individuals. The study of its regulation is important to overcome the post-zygotic barriers that may prevent hybridization, requiered for the development of new cultivars. The study of zygotic embryo development is challenging, since they are surrounded by a multilayer maternal tissue, and are difficult to reach. Alternatively, plants produce embryos from specific somatic cells under certain in vitro conditions. This process, referred to as somatic embryogenesis, has been established as a model to study plant embryogenesis, due to its similitudes with zygotic embryogenesis and its technical feasibility. Moreover, the production of somatic embryos allows to efficiently propagate plant material. Somatic embryogenesis is regulated by stimuli of different nature. Among others, calcium gradients within cells and tissues are important to achieve a proper consecution of embryogenesis from somatic cells. In this review, we summarize the most relevant advances in different plant species by using multiple approaches that shows the role of calcium in the regulation of somatic embryogenesis.
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