Endosperm‐based postzygotic hybridization barriers: developmental mechanisms and evolutionary drivers. Issue 11 (9th March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lafon‐Placette, Clément; Köhler, Claudia
• Other Names: Abbott Richard J. guestEditor.; Barton Nicholas H. guestEditor.; Good Jeffrey M. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Molecular ecology. Volume 25:Issue 11(2016)
• Page Start: 2620
• Page End: 2629
• Publication Date: 2016-03-09
• Subjects: endosperm -- genetic value -- genomic imprinting -- parental conflict -- postzygotic hybridization barrier; Molecular ecology -- Periodicals; Molecular population biology -- Periodicals; 576
• DOI: 10.1111/mec.13552
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-1083

Abstract

Abstract: The endosperm is a nourishing tissue that serves to support embryo growth. Failure of endosperm development will ultimately cause embryo arrest and seed lethality, a phenomenon that is frequently observed upon hybridization of related plant species or species that differ in ploidy. Endosperm‐based interspecies or interploidy hybridization barriers depend on the direction of the hybridization, causing nonreciprocal seed defects. This reveals that the parental genomes are not equivalent, implicating parent‐of‐origin specific genes generating this type of hybridization barrier. Recent work revealed that endosperm‐based hybridization barriers are rapidly evolving. In this review, we discuss the developmental mechanisms causing hybrid seed lethality in angiosperms as well as the evolutionary forces establishing endosperm‐based postzygotic hybridization barriers.