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 […]