Main description:

The anther tapetum, present in all land plants, is a highly specialized, transient tissue surrounding the (micro-)spores and/or pollen grains during their development.
Any tapetum malfunction causes male sterility. The exact knowledge of tapetum form and function therefore is indispensable not only for basic research, but also and especially in plant breeding and plant genetics.
In fourteen contributions by reknown experts, a comprehensive account of the various characters and functions of the tapetum is provided, covering the areas of cytology, cytophysiology, biochemistry, tapetum development and function.

Contents:

Role of the tapetum in pollen and spore dispersal.- Tapetum development inCucurbita pepo(Cucurbitaceae).- Cycles of hyperactivity in tapetal cells.- Pollenkitt development and composition in Tilia platyphyllos(Tiliaceae) analysed by conventional and energy filtering TEM.- Secretory events in the freeze-substituted tapetum of the orchidPterostylis concinna.- Cytochemical and ultrastructural evolution of orbicules inLilium.- Immunolocalization of nuclear antigens and ultrastructural cytochemistry on tapetal cells ofScilla peruviana and Capsicum annuum.- Nuclease activities inTradescantia paludosa and Brassica napuspollen and tapetum.- Changes in protein electrophoretic patterns during pollen development inTradescantia bracteataplasmodial tapetum and effect of 2, 4-D applications.- Calcium and calmodulin distribution in the tapetum ofGasteria verrucosaduring anther development.- The significance of the anther tapetum in the biochemistry of pollen pigmentation-an overview.- Recent trends in tapetum research. A cytological and methodological review.- Conspectus/Outlook.