Land plants alternate between multicellular haploid and diploid phases, requiring a tight coordination between vegetative growth and sexual reproduction. We investigated SWI3A/B , an ancient core subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, of the non-vascular liverwort Marchantia polymorpha . A mutation in the promoter of Mp SWI3A/B affected gametangiophore development and spermiogenesis in males, revealing its male-specific role in repro...

Key message Overview of the current understanding of PG development, PT growth and the role of AGPs in these processes. Abstract The pollen grain (PG) is a complex structure composed of three cells: the vegetative cell which develops into a pollen tube (PT) and two sperm cells that will fuse with the egg cell and central cell, giving rise to the embryo and endosperm, respectively. This resilient gametophyte is constantly subje...

Key message In barley ( Hordeum vulgare ), MTOPVIB is critical for meiotic DSB and accompanied SC and CO formation while dispensable for meiotic bipolar spindle formation. Abstract Homologous recombination during meiosis assures genetic variation in offspring. Programmed meiotic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are repaired as crossover (CO) or non-crossover (NCO) during meiotic recombination. The meiotic topoisomerase VI (Topo...