Seed development in Arabidopsis: what we have learnt in the past 30 years

Seed development is one of the extensively investigated fields of plant developmental biology due to its great agricultural and economic value. Arabidopsis thaliana as a model plant has been widely employed in seed development research over the past 30 years and these studies provide vast information involving various aspects of seed development, which have greatly enhanced our understanding of the critical processes of seed development. As it is very difficult to summarize all advances in this field, in the present review we have to focussed on key points concerning embryogenesis, endosperm development and seed coat formation. Molecular mechanisms regulating essential processes of seed development are briefly described to outline what we know to date, which have led and enhanced relevant investigations in the seed biology of crops.