Have necrohormones a role in embryogenesis?

Abstract

The recognition of apoptosis (programmed cell death) as an accompaniment of normal development, the products released by the protoplasts undergoing self-destruction being utilized by adjacent living cells, stimulates renewed interest in Haberlandt's concept of "necrohormones" playing a role in apomictic reproduction. Recent work on somatic embryogenesis in carrot shows that regular death of certain cells in embryogenic cultures satifies the criteria of apoptosis. Similar observations have been made with embryogenic cultures of Picea abies. Haberlandt's claim that cell death induced by injury adjacent to an ovule in Oenothera could lead to parthenogenesis, despite conflicting evidence from later experimenters, is worthy of reexamination.

Keywords

• necrohormones
• embryogenesis