Embryo–Endosperm Interaction

This chapter investigates organ-level physiological processes by examining the critical interaction between the embryo and the endosperm, highlighting its essential role in dominating cereal grain filling and quality. Although advancements in functional genomics have revealed critical genetic programs for seed development, the mechanisms of embryo–endosperm communication and its impact on grain filling are still not fully understood. This chapter first presents the classification and physicochemical basis of quality traits, followed by an overview of the morphological and developmental characteristics of cereal grains, establishing a spatiotemporal framework for analysis. It then focuses on the bidirectional signalling in embryo–endosperm interactions and employs rice grain chalkiness as a representative example to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms behind complex quality traits. Finally, it identifies four pivotal scientific and agronomic questions that warrant further investigation.