Hormone Regulation of Sex Determination in Maize
玉米性别决定的激素调控

Maize is a typical monoecious plant, and the formation of a unisexual flower undergoes a complex process of sex determination. Monoecious and spatially separated unisexual flowers are produced by selective abortion of pistil primordia in both tassel floral and lower ear floral parts and arrest of all stamen primordia in tassel spikelets. Previous study of related mutants revealed that sex determination is a complex process involving selective cell death, cell protection and signal transduction. Phytohormones and their signal transduction play an important role. Recent studies indicated that gibberellins, cytokinin and jasmonic acid are involved in the regulation of sex determination in maize. In this paper, we summarize the latest advances in the roles and regulatory pathways of plant hormones in maize sex determination. We describe problems in research and future directions in the field.