Conjugation of ATG8 to vacuolar membranes as a response to cell wall damage
Plant Science Research WeeklyATG8 is a well-characterized protein involved in autophagy that binds to the double-membrane enclosed phagophore. In a new preprint, Julian et al. explore their finding that ATG8 binds to the single-membrane enclosed vacuolar membrane (tonoplast). They observed that this binding is enhanced by treatments…
Photoperiod-insensitive flowering is associated with the FT gene in hemp
Plant Science Research WeeklyCannabis sativa, also known as hemp or marijuana, is a widely cultivated plant for a variety of reasons. It is perhaps best known as a producer of an intoxicating chemical, THC, produced by glandular trichomes on female flowers, but low-THC producers (hemp) are cultivated for fibers. Flowering time affects…
Significant floral diversity independent of pollinator change in 'Buzz-Bee' pollinated Melastomataceae
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe concept of pollination syndromes posits that floral diversity arises from shifts among pollinator groups, yet their predictive accuracy for pollinator identification is debated. Kopper et al. leveraged machine learning, utilizing 44 floral traits from 252 species with known pollinator interactions,…
Plant Science Research Weekly: May 3, 2024
WWR Full PostReview: The plant immune system: From discovery to deployment
A review of the past 50 years of plant immunity by Jones, Staskawicz, and Dangl? Yes please! I particularly enjoy historical perspectives of a discipline, as they frame conceptual breakthroughs with the benefit of hindsight. As the article…
Cyanobacterial PSI assembly
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellDai, Song, Xu et al. identify Ycf51 as a photosystem I assembly factor in cyanobacteria
https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad330
By Guo-Zheng Dai, Central China Normal University
Question: Background: While the mechanisms of photosystem II biogenesis and the auxiliary proteins involved are well…
Maintaining pollen tube integrity in maize
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellZhou et al. investigated pollen tube integrity maintenance mechanisms in maize. The Plant Cell (2023) https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad324
By Liang-Zi Zhou and Thomas Dresselhaus
Background: As sperm cell transporting vehicles, pollen tubes of flowering plants grow through the transmitting tissues…