Experimental approaches to Arabidopsis embryogenesis

The Arabidopsis embryo represents a simple cellular pattern comprised of few basic tissues and prototypes of leaf- and root-like organs. These structures are generated in a series of highly reproducible stages that imply tight control of orientation and frequency of cell division as well as cell morphology and differentiation. Additional temporal control mechanisms are reflected in the succession of developmental programs that control deposition of storage materials and prepare the embryo for desiccation and dormancy. Arabidopsis embryogenesis has been studied in detail and these analyses have been refined by the use of molecular markers to trace embryonic structures. Embryo defective mutants and new techniques to study embryos in culture have enabled functional analyses that eventually provide the perspective for understanding plant embryo development at the molecular level. (C) Elsevier, Paris.