The corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis that causes tumorous symptoms on all aerial parts of maize has established itself as a model system to dissect host colonization strategies by biotrophic fungi. Transcriptional responses upon U. maydis colonization were previously demonstrated by several studies using an engineered solopathogenic strain of U. maydis. However, a time-resolved transcriptional […]
The heterotrimeric SNF1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) in plants is an orthologue of yeast SNF1 (sucrose non-fermenting 1) kinase and the mammalian AMPK (AMP-58 activated protein kinase). A significant array of genetic evidence during the past years has identified SnRK1 as a key regulator of cellular metabolism during starvation and nutrient acquisition. Yet, the connections […]
Preparing an impressive CV: The DO’s and DONT’s of it The Transition from Postdoc to PI: Part 1 introduction The Transition from Postdoc to PI: Part 2 Isolation busting The Transition from Postdoc to PI: Part 3 Hitting the ground running – but not too fast! The Transition from Postdoc to PI: Part 4 Building […]
Nat. Genet. Silencing of transposable elements (TEs) is mediated epigenetically by DNA methylation, relying partially on RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). RdDM-induced DNA methylation undergoes a global reprogramming in the male germline, allowing expression of imprinted genes regulating fertility and seed viability. Concomitantly, the production of epigenetically-activated small interfering RNA (easiRNA) from TEs transcripts have been […]
BioRxiv. Transcriptomic changes at the cellular level are of key importance in specialized cellular types. Therefore, transcriptome analysis at a cell-specific resolution is a powerful tool to learn about biological processes. This analysis is however limited by technological boundaries of microdissection and/or cell sorting methods, such as laser capture microdissection (LCM) or fluorescence-activated cell sorting […]
Cell. In a very interesting report, Salem et al., showed evidence of an alternative mechanism supporting how the degradation of pectin, a very hard to metabolize component of the cell wall, has directed the evolution of herbivory in insects and arthropods. Recent reports have indicated that horizontally acquired genes that code for essential metabolites or […]
Ecol. Lett. C4 photosynthesis represents a biochemical CO2-concentrating mechanism that increases Rubisco-mediated carboxylation of RuBP and reduces photorespiration. However, there is an energy cost associated with C4 photosynthesis, and so it is presumed to become advantageous over C3 photosynthesis only when levels of photorespiration are high, such as in hot and/or dry environments. This ecological […]
Cell. The tomato plant has been of keen interest to mankind for centuries, and its domestication led to delicious fruits much larger than their wild, bitter-tasting ancestors. Domestication of tomato had many intended outcomes (increased fruit size, less bitter taste), and several unintended consequences. A recent study published in Cell by Zhu et al. reported […]
eLife. Free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) has been used to surround plants with an elevated concentration of CO2 (eCO2) during growth, and has consistently conferred an increase in carbon assimilation and plant productivity. However, the effect of eCO2 on nutrient status of the plant is unclear due to the difficulties in accurately measuring low-abundance compounds […]