Springer Self-Incompatibility in Flowering Plants: Evolution, Diversity, and Mechanisms

Great progress has been made in recent decades in our understanding of pollen-pistil interactions and self-incompatibility (SI) in flowering plants. This book covers a broad spectrum of research into SI, with accounts by internationally renowned scientists. Review From the reviews: "Self-Incompatibility in Flowering Plants serves as a reference to the latest advances in self-incompatibility (SI) research. … The book can serve varied audience - an ecologist, evolutionary biologist, molecular biologist or cell biologist. It would also help some-one trying to gain a peek into all of these different areas … . The book overall is a good summary of the recent advances in SI and can form an immediate reference on topics … ." (H.S. Arathi, Plant Science Bulletin, Vol. 55 (3), 2009) “A book about progress in understanding self-incompatibility is a good idea. This topic is a classic, with importance for several different areas within biology, ranging from population and evolutionary genetics to cell biology … . This book, sensibly, contains chapters from experts in different aspects of self-incompatibility. … The book is … most suitable for researchers. Each chapter … provides a good account of the current information (often in great detail).” (Deborah Charlesworth, Annals of Botany, Vol. 105 (1), January, 2010) “It covers an enormous breadth of studies on various aspects of self-incompatibility (SI). … The book is without a doubt highly welcomed because it nicely shows the state-of-the-art in a time of rapid progress in the field, caused mostly by an explosive development of molecular tools. … can be recommended to theoretical and population geneticists, evolutionary biologists, molecular geneticists, cell biologists as well as ecologists.” (Jindřich Chrtek, Folia Geobotanica, Vol. 44, November, 2009) From the Back Cover Great progress has been made in our understanding of pollen-pistil interactions and self-incompatibility (SI) in flowering plants in the last few decades. This book covers a broad spectrum of research into SI, with accounts by internationally renowned scientists. It comprises two sections: Evolution and Population Genetics of SI Molecular and Cell Biology of SI Systems The reader will gain an insight into the diversity and complexity of these polymorphic cell-cell recognition and rejection systems. Heteromorphic and homomorphic SI systems and our current understanding of the evolution and phylogeny of these systems, based on the most recent molecular sequence data, are covered. Further, the book presents major advances in our knowledge of the pistil and pollen S-determinants and other unlinked components involved in SI, as well as the apparently diverse cellular regulatory mechanisms utilised to ensure inhibition of "self" pollen.   Contains a comprehensive glossary with all relevant terms relating to SI - an invaluable resource, not only for beginners in the field.