Insect pests pose a significant threat to global crop production, with lepidopteran species like corn earworm and armyworms causing substantial losses. The widespread use of insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in crops has been a key strategy to combat these pests. However, the emergence of field-evolved resistance in various pest species raises concerns about […]
Tropisms enable plants to shift their growth direction in response to environmental changes. The roots of Arabidopsis plants respond to gravity by growing in the direction of gravity, a phenomenon known as gravitropism, while in response to unilateral blue light they bend away, demonstrating phototropism. Additionally, roots respond to moisture gradients by moving toward areas […]
The pervasive issue with misogyny in the scientific community has drawn more attention as people and organizations work to promote equality and inclusivity. The importance of confronting and eliminating gender-based discrimination within scientific disciplines is discussed in this article by Alison Bentley and Rachael Garrett. Women facing challenges in science such as systematic biases, gender stereotypes, and […]
This study by Turner et al. looks at the patterns of leaf and sporangia arrangement in early leafy plant species, questioning the widely held idea that these structures follow the Fibonacci sequence. The researchers investigated fossilized remains from the Early Devonian period. To evaluate the spatial arrangement of leaves and sporangia in fossilized specimens, they […]
The water-to-land transition increased plant complexity, requiring endogenous developmental programs to be linked to light signal transduction pathways to adapt to ambient light. Arabidopsis COP1 (CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1) and SPA (SUPRESSOR OF PHYA-105) proteins represses photomorphogenesis under darkness. SPA genes are green lineage-specific, while COP1 is ancient and found in mammals. Mammalian COP1 functions without […]
Heat stress is a common consequence of global warming for terrestrial plants, and it can have devastating effects on growth and yield. In terms of fruit ripening, high temperature is one of the most significant abiotic stresses inhibiting quality formation. During fruit ripening, chlorophyll breaks down in a normal process called “degreening,” which determines fruit […]
Unanticipated flooding conditions challenge the survival and overall growth and development of a plant, for example stomatal development is suppressed under submerged conditions. Stomata are microscopic pores on the surface of leaves of a plant that play an important role in the exchange of gases between the plant and the atmosphere. Ikematsu et al. outline […]
Striga, commonly known as witchweed, compromises the yield of maize (Zea mays) especially in Africa. The seeds of Striga species remain dormant in the soil and are stimulated to germinate by a class of hormones called strigolactones (SL) exuded by the maize roots. Strigolactones are plant hormones with developmental roles and that serve as host […]