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Archegonium

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– Bryophytes:
– Sperm reach the archegonium by swimming in water films.
Pollen are delivered by wind or animal vectors in Pinophyta and angiosperms.
– Gene expression pattern in Physcomitrella patens is determined by histochemical GUS assays.
– Archegonia in Physcomitrella patens are located on top of the leafy gametophore.
– The Polycomb protein FIE is expressed in the unfertilized egg cell in Physcomitrella patens.

– Gymnosperms:
– Archegonia are much-reduced and embedded in the megagametophytes of gymnosperms.
– The term archegonium is not used for angiosperms or gnetophytes like Gnetum and Welwitschia.
– The function of surrounding the gamete is assumed by diploid cells of the megasporangium inside the ovule.
– Gymnosperms have their archegonium formed after pollination inside female conifer cones.
– The megagametophyte in Gnetum and Welwitschia is reduced to just a few cells.

– References:
– Regulation of stem cell maintenance by the Polycomb protein FIE has been conserved during land plant evolution.
– The Polycomb gene FIE is expressed in unfertilized egg cells of Physcomitrella patens.
– Expression of FIE ceases after fertilization in the developing diploid sporophyte.
– In situ GUS staining of two female sex organs (archegonia) of a transgenic plant expressing FIE-uidA.
– Development journal covers the topic of stem cell maintenance by FIE.

– Development:
– The Polycomb protein FIE plays a role in regulating stem cell maintenance.
– FIE gene expression in Physcomitrella patens changes post-fertilization.
– In situ GUS staining of female sex organs reveals the expression pattern of FIE.
– Stem cell regulation by FIE is a conserved mechanism in land plant evolution.
– The Brooklyn Botanic Garden archives information related to plant development.

Archegonium:
– Sperm reach the archegonium by swimming in water films.
Pollen are delivered by wind or animal vectors in Pinophyta and angiosperms.
– Archegonia in Physcomitrella patens are located on top of the leafy gametophore.
– The Polycomb protein FIE is expressed in the unfertilized egg cell in Physcomitrella patens.
– Gymnosperms have their archegonium formed after pollination inside female conifer cones.

Archegonium (Wikipedia)

An archegonium (pl.: archegonia), from the Ancient Greek ἀρχή ("beginning") and γόνος ("offspring"), is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants, producing and containing the ovum or female gamete. The corresponding male organ is called the antheridium. The archegonium has a long neck canal or venter and a swollen base. Archegonia are typically located on the surface of the plant thallus, although in the hornworts they are embedded.

Diagram of archegonium anatomy
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