In the animal kingdom, maternal control of early development is a common feature. The onset of zygotic control over earlydevelopment, defined as the maternal to zygotic transition (MZT), follows fertilization with a delay of a variable number ofcell divisions, depending on the species. The MZT has been well defined in animals, but investigations remain in their infancyin plants. Recent evidence suggests, however, that in plants as in animals, the MZT also occurs several division cycles afterfertilization. The likely convergent evolution of the MZT in the animal and plant kingdoms is fascinating and raises majorquestions regarding its biological significance, particularly with regard to its importance in genome reprogramming and theacquisition of totipotency by the embryo.
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