In higher plants, the developmental programs of the male and female organs are substantially independent of each other and of the vegetative plant. This developmental independence permits the genetic dissection of fertility processes without impairing vegetative growth. Male fertility requires a number of coordinated developmental events. These include the formation, as part of the flower, of s...

BACKGROUND In the USA, the postponement of childbearing reflects contemporary social norms of delaying marriage, pursing educational goals and securing economic stability prior to attempting conception. Although university students are more likely to delay childbearing, it is unclear to what extent they are aware of age-related fertility decline. The current study is the first of its kind to as...

Self-fertility evolved independently in three species of Caenorhabditis, yet the underlying genetic changes remain unclear. This transition required that XX animals acquire the ability to produce sperm and then signal those sperm to activate and fertilise oocytes. Here, we show that all genes that regulate sperm activation in C. elegans are conserved throughout the genus, even in male/female sp...

The combination of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in one parent and a restorer gene (Rf) to restore fertility in another are indispensable for the development of hybrid varieties. To genotype rice lines at the restoring fertility (Rf) loci, 38 lines were crossed with a sterile tester (rfrf) line. Pollen fertility test was performed to identify sterile and fertile F1 hybrids. Seven lines were ...