Observation of unexpected neo like-fruit development from Cakile maritima calli

Abstract

Parthenocarpy, the ability of some plants to undergo fruit growth in absence of fertilization, is an important question of basic science and the subject of much interest due to its possible agricultural benefits. In the context of our cellular biology studies on a halophyte of interest, Cakile maritima, we generated calli, pluripotent cell masses, that unexpectedly allowed the appearance of parthenocarpic fruits without any floral tissues. These observations raise the hope to develop an in vitro model to study parthenocarpic fruit development.