Quercus suber is an extremely important forest species in European Western Mediterranean regions, due to its ecological value and economic potential, allowing local sustainable use of natural resources. Although it has a long and complex reproductive cycle and recalcitrant seeds, little is known about what occurs during female gametogenesis. The plant cell wall’s main components arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) and pectins perform common functions in cell differentiation and organogenesis of reproductive structures, acting as signalling molecules, in sporophyte–gametophyte transition and in pollen–pistil interactions.
Lopes et al. assessed the distribution of these molecules during cork oak ovule development.
