Beta-1,3-glucanases and chitinases in somatic embryos of Norway spruce
Somatic embryogenesis is a developmental process by which a plant somatic cell can dedifferentiate to a totipotent embryonic stem cell that has the ability to give rise to an embryo under appropriate conditions. Desiccation is the final phase of normal embryonic development in most angiosperms and appears to be important in the transition from embryogeny to the ability to germinate and form normal seedlings. Different conditions during desiccation affect the biochemical changes that occur during this phase.