Understanding the mechanisms whereby plant development is regulated is crucial for crop improvement using genetic engineering. This work, comprising two volumes, reviews recent advances in plant developmental biology and explores the possibility of their practical applications from biotechnological perspectives.

Volume 1 deals with the plant model and its life cycle. Topics include the formation of shoots, roots, flowers and gametes, pollen germination, fertilization, fruit development and ripening, seed development, dormancy and germination, apomixis, male sterility and self-incompatibility.

Volume 2 focuses on development-related areas, including tissue culture (somatic embryogenesis, microspore embryogenesis, somaclonal variation), plant processes (photosynthesis, seed maturation and seed proteins, fatty acids, vitamins, alkaloids, flower pigments and scent), signalling (amino compound-containing lipids, auxins, cytokinins and light), and molecular genetics of developmental regulation (RNA silencing, DNA methylation, epigenetics, activation tagging, homologous recombination and synthetic promoter engineering).

This work is a key reference for plant breeders, researchers and graduate students in the fields of plant biotechnology, agronomy, horticulture, genetics and functional genomics, and cell and molecular biology.

Cell Differentiation and Development In Vitro

Developmental Biology of Somatic Embryogenesis
Microspore Embryogenesis
Stress and Somaclonal Variation
Plant Processes and Their Regulation
Photosynthate Partitioning
Molecular Physiology of Seed Maturation and Seed Storage Protein Biosynthesis
Fatty Acid Biosynthesis and Regulation in Plants
Biosynthesis and Regulation of Carotenoids in Plants-Micronutrients, Vitamins and Health Benefits
Biosynthesis and Regulation of Alkaloids
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Flower Pigments
Biosynthesis and Regulation of Flower Scent
Hormonal and Environmental Signalling
Amino Compound-Containing Lipids: a Novel Class of Signals Regulating Plant Development
The Roles of YUCCA Genes in Local Auxin Biosynthesis and Plant Development
Role of Cytokinin in the Regulation of Plant Development
Light Signalling in Plant Developmental Regulation
Molecular Genetics of Developmental Regulation
RNA Silencing in Plants
DNAMethylation: a Dynamic Regulator of Genome Organization and Gene Expression in Plants
Molecular Mechanisms in Epigenetic Regulation of Plant Growth and Development
Activation Tagging for Gain-of-Function Mutants
Regulatory Mechanisms of Homologous Recombination in Higher Plants
Synthetic Promoter Engineering.