Thank you for @maxplanck.de and @humboldt-foundation.de for supporting this work!

We also show that auxin is sufficient to drive early seed development in species that have diverged over 100 million years ago.
We therefore propose that auxin-mediated formation of the seed nourishing structures is an ancient mechanism, likely predating the gymnosperm-angiosperm split.

Using the water-lily Nymphaea caerulea, among other early-diverging angiosperms, we discovered that a specific clade of auxin biosynthesis genes are paternally expressed in the endosperm after fertilization.

Big congrats to @anaflo.bsky.social, who was the driving force behind this project, and to all our collaborators!
@mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social

Thanks Jenn!