Zinc (Zn) is a metallic element that is essential for all living organisms. Zn serves as a catalytic or structural cofactor in a large number of enzymes including alcohol dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and regulatory proteins such as transcription factors containing Z-finger domains. Accordingly,…

Secondary cell walls play important roles in providing long-distance water transport, mechanical support, and plant defense. The main components of secondary cell walls are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The synthesis of lignin monomers involves the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is also shared…

Informational Interview by Haley Carter, ASPB Conviron Scholar I had the pleasure of interviewing Katherine Andrews, who is the Director of Cultivation, Standards and Practices at Cresco Labs. Andrews is an alumna of the Plant Biology and Conservation Graduate Program at Northwestern University and…

Baune et al. explore the roles of a metabolite transporter in two different locations in a single cell. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00959  By Marie-Christin Baune, Hannes Lansing, Antje von Schaewen University of Münster, Germany   Background: The oxidative pentose-phosphate…

The elucidation of plant temperature signaling networks is confounded by the fact that commonly measured physiological outputs of temperature change (e.g., stem elongation and flowering time) can be temporally and spatially distant from the temperature perception event, requiring intercellular, intertissue,…

As a cold-hardy species, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), is a useful model for the investigation of the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying cold acclimation in plants. Chloroplasts harbor the enzymatic machinery required for photosynthetic CO2 fixation, starch production, nitrite and…

By Conviron Scholar Modesta Abugu In this interview, I spoke with Dr. Patricio Munoz, a scientist at the Horticultural Science department, University of Florida. He uses genomic data to predict the phenotype of blueberries, develop new cultivars and improve traits like yield, flavor, shelf and disease…

Successful development of the maize (Zea mays) kernel requires proper nutrient transport and signaling among its genetically distinct components: the embryo that gives rise to the next generation, the endosperm that nourishes the embryo, and the maternal tissues that surround the embryo and the endosperm…