Gibberellins including gibberellic acid (GA) are plant hormones required for growth and development. GA has been reported to regulate tropic responses by modulating plasma membrane localization of PIN auxin transporters. In this study, Salanenka et al. focused on the mechanism of GA-mediated protein trafficking to the plasma membrane. They showed that low levels of GA […]
In plant cells, vacuoles store and degrade wastes including proteins. Vacuolar targeting and fusion by endosomes are specified by SNARE complexes at the membrane. In this study, Takemoto et al. studied the function of two tethering complexes, HOPS (Homotypic fusion and Protein Sorting) and CORVET (Class C core vacuole/endosome tethering), that had previously not been […]
The two-carbon containing gaseous hydrocarbon, ethylene, is one of the most important phytohormones. It is perceived by a set of receptors (ETR1, ETR2, ERS, ERS2, EIN4). Bakshi et al. found that ETR1 (etr1-6) and ETR2 (etr2-3) mutants have opposite effects on seed germination in the presence of NaCl, KCl, ethanol, CuSO4, and ZnSO4. In the […]
Photosynthesis is the fundamental process for plants to produce food. Beneath the soil there is an impairment of chloroplast development. In this article, Liu et al. identified that mechanical pressure works through the ethylene-responsive transcription factor EIN3, while light signaling is mediated via PIF3. In an interdependent manner, EIN3 and PIF3 inhibit the transcription of […]
In vascular development, procambial or cambial cells differentiate into xylem and phloem. In this research article, by using VISUAL (Vascular cell Induction culture System Using Arabidopsis Leaves) system, Saito et al. identified BES1 (BRI1 EMS SUPPRESSOR 1) as one of the components required for xylem differentiation. They found that BES1 also positively regulates phloem differentiation […]
The SAM (Shoot Apical Meristem) generates the cells that make up the shoot. In this paper, Landrein et al. studied how nutrient availability shapes SAM architecture. They showed that SAM size is positively correlated with both pTCSn::GFP (a cytokinin reporter) and pWUS::GFP (a major regulator for stem cell homeostasis) at various soil conditions. Additionally, they […]
Root architecture is important to understand the response of plants during biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Root growth is mostly under soil, which deprives us of the ability to observe its development and growth pattern. In this paper, Schnepf et al. present CRootBox, a framework developed based on C++ and Python, for root architecture analysis. […]
Embryogenesis is the simple process of plant development, but until recently our knowledge has been limited to how individual cells are specified and organized. Reported markers have been mostly constitutive promoter-driven, a fact that creates background and makes them unsuitable for the study of cellular organization of the embryo. In Liao & Weijers, the authors […]
Auxin is considered a master molecule for plant growth and development; in a whimsical way, IAA (Indole – 3 – Acetic Acid) has been defined as “Induce Almost Anything”! Auxin-mediated gene expression is regulated by Auxin Responsive Factor (ARFs). The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana contains 23 ARFs. In Liu et al., microRNA-mediated silencing of AtARF2 […]