Abstract:

Combining with the latest genetic and molecular biological research on sex determinant，the authors in this paper reviewed the influence of environment factors，such as plant hormone（including antheridiogens，ethylene，cytokinin），nutrient condition，population density，light condition，as well as its own conditions on sex determinant following the introduction of ferns life cycle and summaried the molecular mechanism of antheridiogen determines sex in Lygodium japonicum via a spatiotemporally split gibberellin synthesis pathway；the genetic and molecular model of sex-determining pathway in Ceratopteris；MADS-box genes which is related to sex determinant. A series of problems needed to be solved are also pointed out and the research direction in the future are also put forward to provide an effective contribution to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of sex determination in ferns.

Key words: ferns, sex determinant, environmental factor, molecular regulation mechanism, gametophyte, antheridiogen