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EGG AND EMBRYO SAC CELL INTERACTIONS. "Here, as in the pollen, there is evidence that gametophytic central cell acts as a companion cell to the egg, first within the gametophyte and subsequently after fertilization, where it gives rise to the endosperm." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1534580713000427 View in LinkedIn

OVULE DEVELOPMENT. "Events within individual ovules of the female carpel follow a similar pattern, with the megaspore mother cell and the one functional meiotic product requiring the presence of a normal nucellar layer for correct development. Once the cells of the embryo sac are formed, their correct positioning, division, and specification results from a complex interplay involving hormone gradients and interactions between the egg and other cells of the embryo sac." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1534580713000427 View in LinkedIn

FRAGMENT FROM NATURE continues from last weekend on the complex reproductive strategies of plants. The descriptive is confounding without an explanation of how this came about, and the functions it serves. And this is the tip of the iceberg, for there are seemingly infinite variations on the theme when it comes to plant reproduction. Nothing has been left to the imagination. View in LinkedIn

CONTINUED THREAD. "Importantly, the supporting roles of the male and female companion cells do not end with gamete maturation. After pollen germination on the stigma surface, the male vegetative cell differentiates into the pollen tube that delivers the sperm to the ovule, whereas, after fertilization, the female central cell forms the basis of the triploid endosperm, which supports the developing next generation." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1534580713000427 View in LinkedIn

Russian trolls 'spreading discord' over vaccine safety online, a wedge issue https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/23/russian-trolls-spread-vaccine-misinformation-on-twitter?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other View in LinkedIn

STRESS GENES CAN EXTEND LIFESPAN. “This finding appears to illustrate the antagonistic pleiotropy theory of aging, which suggests that the post-reproductive decrescendo of the force of natural selection permits the evolution of genes that are essential early in life but detrimental late in life.” http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0048282 View in LinkedIn

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STRESS AND LONGEVITY GENES. “Overexpression of most of these genes extends lifespan and, where tested, increases stress tolerance” http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0048282 View in LinkedIn

STRESS GENES. “A study of over 50 long-lived C. elegans mutants reveals that each is resistant to one or more stressors, such as oxidative damage, heat stress or irradiation. Many genes required for the successful extension of lifespan in one or more long-lived mutants also contribute to the longevity of wild-type animals, but are distinguished by a proportionally greater change in the mutant background.” http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0048282 View in LinkedIn

LIFE SPAN AND STRESS. “Known longevity genes are enriched for roles in stress tolerance and development. Many mutations that modulate longevity were identified by virtue of their contribution to stress response pathways or by homology to genes of this kind.” http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0048282 View in LinkedIn