ABSTRACT

Flowers in dicotyledonous species contain the same basic four whorls of floral organs, sepals, petals, stamens and carpels. However, fruit structure varies dramatically depending on different floral organs or different cell types of an organ to derive the fruit flesh after pollination and fertilisation. In some cases, parthenocarpic fruit can form without the need of pollination. What are the key genes that initiate and maintain the growth (cell division and expansion) of cells in floral organs to form fruit? How do pollination and fertilisation signals induce early fruit development? These are important questions in early fruit development to be addressed using molecular and genetic approaches. This review summarises current achievements in studies of the function of several classes of genes in fruit development. They include floral organ identity genes, cell division genes, and hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction genes.