Entries by Daniel Czerny

UV-B perceived by the UVR8 photoreceptor inhibits plant thermomorphogenesis

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Ambient temperature can influence plant architecture, an effect termed thermomorphogenesis.  In A. thaliana, thermomorphogenesis phenotypes include stem elongation and changes in leaf elevation angles.  Increased auxin biosynthesis involving the transcription factor PIF4 is required for thermomorphogenesis, but the roles of other signals besides auxin remain unknown.  Hayes et al. studied how ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light perceived […]

Review: History of Solanaceae family in genetic research

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Plants from the Solanaceae family had, and continue to have, fundamental roles in plant genetic research.  Gebhardt summarizes the historical contributions of the Solanaceous plants tomato, tobacco, petunia, potato, pepper, and eggplant.  The tomato has been a model plant for studying fruit traits such as sugar content.  Fruit traits, including size, shape, and capsaicinoid content, […]

Bacteria lower surface tension in pitcher plant traps, trapping prey more efficiently ($)

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Pitcher plants are carnivorous, similar to Venus fly traps.  However, pitcher plants have fluid-filled modified leaves instead of the movable lobes found on Venus fly traps.  The pitcher plant’s modified leaf contains bacteria-laden water that traps small insects, but how are the insects trapped in the fluid?  Armitage found the bacteria lower the surface tension […]