Replicate and die for your own good: Endoreduplication and cell death in the cereal endosperm

Development of the cereal endosperm involves different stages that include cell proliferation, endoreduplication, the biosynthesis and accumulation of storage compounds, and programmed cell death (PCD). During endoreduplication, repeated genome duplications without mitosis or cytokinesis result in large polyploidy nuclei. Endoreduplication is affected by genetic, epigenetic, hormonal and environmental factors, as well as by several cell cycle-controlling genes. Although endoreduplication is strongly correlated with an increase in cell size, the accumulation of storage reserves, and high metabolic rates, its exact role(s) in endosperm development has not been demonstrated.