Presented here is an analysis of plant development and plant metabolism using the tools of genetics and molecular biology, such as mutant analysis, mutation tagging, mapping using polymorphic characters and basic molecular biology techniques. Studies with a range of model genetic organisms, most notably maize and Arabidopsis , are included. The reader gains a comprehensive view of the subject which is more and more of both scientific and industrial interest. The value of basic research in plants is highlighted and examples where basic studies have led to applications in agricultural biotechnology are given.

Inhalt
Plant Development.- The Genetics and Molecular Basis of Flower Development in Arabidopsis.- Genetic and Molecular Analyses of Pattern Formation Genes in Maize.- The Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Quiescent Centre in Relation to Root Development.- Genetic Regulation of Root Expansion in Arabidopsis thaliana.- Analysis of Root Development in Arabidopsis thaliana.- Genes specifying Floral Meristem Identity in Arabidopsis.- The S Gene Family: Genes with Diverse Structures and Functions.- The Genetics and Physiology of the Totipotent Cell.- The Carrot Extracellozar Lipid Transfer Protein EP2: Quantitative Aspects With Respect to its Putative Role in Cutin Synthesis.- Early Events in the Apical-basal Pattern Formation in Arabidopsis.- Diversity of Embryonic Mutants Identified Following Agrobacterium Mediated Seed Transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana.- The Use of Arabidopsis Genesis to Analyze Synthesis, Structure and Function of the Plant Cell Wall.- Plant Metabolism.- Molecular Genetics of Nitrate Assimilation in Solanaceous Species.- Molecular-Genetics of Nitrogen Assimilation into Amino Acids in Arabidopsis thaliana.- Genetic Dissection of Tryptophan Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.- Starch Biosynthesis in Storage Organs.- Responses to Hormones and Stress.- Auxin-Regulated Gene Expression.- Early Auxin Regulated Gene Expression in Arabidopsis.- Molecular and Genetic Analysis of the Constitutive Ethylene Response Mutant ctrl.- The Vetch (Vicia) and Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae Symbiosis: A System to Study the Activity of Rhizobium nod Factors.- Migratory Determinants of Parasitism.- Oligogalacturonides Induce Proteinase Inhibitor Synthesis via the Octodecanoid Pathway.- Expression of Genes Encoding Thionins and Lipid-Transfer Proteins. A Combinatorial Model for the Responses of Defense Genes to Pathogens.- Structure/Function of Lea Proteins.- Gene Regulation by Abscisic Acid and water Stress in Maize.- Analysis and Regulation of Gene Expression in the Resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum.- Gene on and Plant Responses to water Deficit.- Gene Regulation.- The Molecular Biology of Fruit Ripening.- Altered Patterns of Protein Synthesis in opague-2 Maize Endosperm.- bZIP Proteins Regulating Gene Expression in Maize Endosperm.- Regulation of the Expression of Genes coding for Proline-Rich Proteins.- The Plant Mitochondrial Transfer RNAs Have Three Different Genetic Origins.- Expression of the Plant Mitochondrial Genome.- Regulation of Plastid Gene Expression.- Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Chloroplast Gene Expression in Chlamydomonas.- Transcriptional Regulation of the Maize Pathway.- The phy Gene Family: Function and Expression.- Characterization of Protein Factors interacting with the zDNA Promoter Region.- Identification of Distinct Families of HD-Zip Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana.- Post-Transcriptional Regulation.- Determinants of mRNA Stability in Higher Plants.- Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Transgenic Plants.- Plant Genes Encoding Homologues of the SNF1 and shaggy Protein Kinases.- Specific Nuclear Localization Sequence Binding to Plant Nuclei.- Aquaporins: Water Channel Proteins in the Tonoplast of Plant Cells.- Mapping and Transformation.- Genetic Analysis with RAPD Markers.- Clusters of Resistance Genes in Lettuce.- Chromosome Microdissection and Megabase Technology in Plant Genome Analysis: Plant Chromosomes and Genes at High Resolution.- Development of an efficient Transposon Tagging System in Arabidopsis thaliana.- Molecular Genetic Improvement of Wheat.- Differential Activity of WheatHistone H4 Promoter in Transgenic Maize.- Transgenic Maize by Electroporation of Pectolyase-Treated Suspension Culture Cells.