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 -- DNA Methylation: 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.

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.