Apomixis: The molecular Perspectives and its Utilization in Crop Breeding
Abstract
Apomixis gives rise to a novel prospect in agricultural production globally by establishing genetically stable, seed-propagating clones of crops, which can produce numerous sporophytic true-to-type generations. This asexual mode of reproduction may prove to be an unrivalled crop improvement tool to achieve higher yields and along with highly desirable traits in modern agriculture. In fact, apomixis results in offspring that are exact genetic replicas of its single parent because embryos are derived from the parthenogenic development of apomeiotic egg cells. The development of crops with apomictic ability to produce true to type progenies in agriculture requires a deeper knowledge of the mechanisms regulating reproductive development in plants. Molecular understanding of apomixis would be greatly increased if genes that are specifically or differentially expressed during the formation of the embryo and embryo sac could be identified and transgressed in cultivated crops
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