Leaf venation patterns display remarkable diversity across both living and fossil plant lineages, yet key questions remain about when and how these architectural differences emerged and what functional roles they serve. In their recent review, Mantos et al. explored the evolutionary history of venation traits and vein sizes across vascular plants using a dataset of […]
The United Nations projects that by 2050, global food production must increase by 60% to meet growing demand, a goal that must be met under the pressures of global climate change and without further agricultural land expansion. With rising atmospheric CO₂ levels, Rubisco has emerged as the primary limitation to light-saturated leaf CO₂ assimilation rates […]
The expression of a transgene in plants can impose a significant stress, sometimes referred to as metabolic burden. Synthetic gene circuits offer a precise approach to engineering plant traits by regulating gene expression through programmable operations. This review by Lloyd et al. examines the core principles and components of these circuits, including sensors, integrators, and […]
Developmental transitions in plants are tightly regulated by transcriptional networks that require fine-tuned temporal and spatial control, with noncoding sequences in gene promoters playing a key role. The conserved transcriptional regulator UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS (UFO) is essential for floral development. In this study, Lanctot et al. identified highly conserved sequences within the UFO promoter in […]
Hypoxia, or reduced oxygen availability, is a double-edged sword: while it disrupts metabolism and can cause cell death, it also plays a vital role in regulating development in animals and plants. With extreme flooding increasing due to climate change, understanding how genetic variation enhances hypoxia tolerance provides valuable strategies for improving crop resilience. This review […]
The endodermal Casparian strip (CS) is a conserved lignin-based barrier in plant roots that seals the endodermal apoplastic space. Most angiosperms possess an additional root cell type, the exodermis, which also forms a barrier. However, its regulation remains poorly understood as this cell type is absent in Arabidopsis thaliana. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), Manzano et […]