The gametophyte represents the sexual phase in the alternation of generations in plants; the
other, nonsexual phase is the sporophyte. Here, we review the evolutionary origins of the …

Cell polarity refers to the asymmetric distribution of cellular components, structure, and
function within a cell. Most instances of cell polarity in plants involve single cells or groups of …

Brassica napus (rapeseed) is the second most important oilseed crop worldwide. Global rise
in average ambient temperature and extreme weather severely impact rapeseed seed yield …

During sexual reproduction in flowering plants, the two haploid sperm cells (SCs) embedded
within the cytoplasm of a growing pollen tube are carried to the embryo sac for double …

Increasing evidence suggests that posttranscriptional regulation is a key player in the
transition between mature pollen and the progamic phase (from pollination to fertilization) …

Intron retention (IR) is the most common alternative splicing event in Arabidopsis. An
increasing number of studies have demonstrated the major role of IR in gene expression …

Tassel weight (TW) is a crucial agronomic trait that significantly affects pollen supply and
grain yield development in maize breeding. To improve maize yield and develop new …

MYB98 is a key regulator of the genetic network behind pollen tube attraction toward the
female gametophyte. MYB98 is specifically expressed in the synergid cells (SCs), a female …

Eukaryotic precursor mRNAs often harbor noncoding introns that must be removed prior to
translation. Accurate splicing of precursor messenger RNA depends on placement and …

Efficient splicing requires a balance between high-fidelity splice-site (SS) selection and
speed. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pre-mRNA processing factor 8 (Prp8) helps to balance …