The gymnosperm ortholog of the angiosperm central cell‐specification gene CKI1 provides an essential clue to endosperm origin

What is it about?

The study addresses a century-old scientific question, the evolution of endosperm, a vital component of the seed in all flowering plants. There has been very little information on female gametophyte genes in gymnosperms. Here, an ortholog of the CKI1 gene, key to specification of the endosperm precursor cell in Arabidopsis, has been shown to exist in Ginkgo, an ancient gymnosperm. Characterization of the expression and function of the Ginkgo CKI1 gene presented here provides new insights into the steps for endosperm evolution in flowering plants.

Featured Image