THE SEX DETERMINATION PROCESS IN MAIZE

Maize partitions the sexes into different flowers on the plant, a cond ition called monoecy, which facilitates outcrossing. Sex determination in maize is a complex process involving an interplay between genetic determinants, the environment, and hormones. Unisexuality of flowers i s achieved by the process of selective arrest and abortion of the inap propriate organ primordia within a bisexual floral meristem. Floral or gan abortion is associated with the degeneration of cells within an im mature primordia. Masculinizing genes are required for gynoecial abort ion, feminizing genes arrest stamen development, and both types also c ontrol secondary sexual traits involving morphological characteristics of floral tissues. Gibberellins, steroid-like plant hormones, appear to play a pivotal role in the stamen abortion process and the feminiza tion of floral tissues.