Changing fates: rewiring gene expression in barley androgenesis

在大麦中，可以获得来自单个未成熟小孢子的植株，这种类型的细胞通常导致产生花粉粒。这被称为雄核发育，即获得只携带父本遗传物质(染色体)的植物的过程。事实上，与大麦植株通常携带的染色体对相反，小孢子只携带每个大麦染色体的一个拷贝。如果这种情况在从这个小孢子衍生的植物的整个发育过程中保持不变，就会导致这些植物不育。幸运的是，大多数通过雄核发育从未成熟小孢子再生的植物将经历染色体的自发加倍，从而恢复生育能力。这种植物被称为“双单倍体”，在遗传分析和育种中都是非常有价值的工具。事实上，雄核发育作用经常被用于植物育种，以加快新品种和改良品种的开发。

In barley, it is possible to obtain plants derived from a single immature microspore, the type of cell that usually leads to the production of pollen grains. This is termed androgenesis, i.e. the process of obtaining a plant carrying only the genetic material (chromosomes) of the male parent. Indeed, microspores only carry a single copy of each barley chromosome, contrary to the pair normally carried in the barley plant. If this situation remains unchanged throughout the entire development of the plant derived from this microspore, it will result in these plants being sterile. Fortunately, a majority of the plants regenerated from immature microspores via androgenesis will undergo a spontaneous doubling of their chromosomes, thus restoring fertility. Such plants are termed "doubled haploid" and are highly valuable tools in both genetic analysis and breeding. Indeed, androgenesis is often used in plant breeding to expedite the development of new and improved varieties.