Fern antheridiogens

The prothalli of Pteridium aquilinum produce a phytohormone (Apt) which induces the development of antheridia (the male reproductive organs) in many, if not all, polypodiaceous ferns sensu lato (350) such hormones are called antheridogens or antheridiogens. The physiology and chemistry of such fern antheridiogens have been reviewed by Naf, Nakanishi, and Endo (351). From the prothalli of Anemia... 

Schneller, J.J., Haufler, C.ff., Ranker, T.A. (1990). Antheridiogen and natural gametophyte populations. American Fern Journal 80,143-152. 

Furber, M., L. N. Mander, J. E. Nester, N. Takahashi, and H. Yamane, Structure of an antheridiogen from the fern Anemia mexicana. Phytochemistry, 28, 63-66 (1989). 

GibbereUins are active as hormones in higher plants (E 3.1). In the fungus Fusarium moniliforme (Gibberella fujikuroi) they are built as phytotoxins (E 5.4). The antheridiogens, which possess hormone activity in ferns are structurally related to the gibberellins (E 3.1). 

Different signals, therefore, have different values for the two responses, perhaps because different receptors are involved in both processes. Furthermore, the quite unspecific compensation of antheridiogens by G As may show that we are possibly studying the evolutionary starting point of a hormone system, since a hormonal function of gibberellins for plant groups below the ferns has not been documented unequivocally. 

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