In response to UV-B light, the plant UV-B photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) monomerizes and activates, inducing UV-B acclimation and survival. Re-dimerization by REPRESSOR OF UV-B PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS 1 (RUP1) and RUP2 inactivates UVR8. In order to further clarify UVR8 pathway regulation, Podolec et al. analyzed Arabidopsis mutants with an aberrant hypocotyl phenotype when grown […]
The green alga Chlorella ohadii was recently isolated from the harsh environment of desert biological sand crusts, where it is able to grow and thrive in extreme conditions. Previously, studies showed that it is unusually resistant to photodamage, even at twice the irradiance of maximal sunlight thanks to mechanisms that maintain high rates of photosynthesis […]
Developing drought tolerant plants is an important challenge in agriculture. Drought responses and plant growth are regulated by several signaling pathways, one of which is activated by brassinosteroids (BRs), a group of plant steroid hormones. In order to better understand the crosstalk between BR-mediated growth and drought responses, Xiang et al. developed the Robotic […]
Is it possible to simultaneously increase two incompatible features like grain yield and stress tolerance? Yin et al. suggest that optimizing cytokinin distribution in plant tissues is a promising strategy for that. ARGONAUTE2 (AGO2) and BIG GRAIN3 (BG3) genes work together promoting at the same time grain size and salt tolerance in rice. While AGO2 […]
Pseudonectaries do not secrete nectar like nectaries. So, what are their ecological functions? Are there any morphological and anatomical differences between them and true nectaries? How do they develop and evolve? Liao et al. examined pseudonectaries of Nigella damascene to answer these questions. The epidermis of N. damascene pseudonectaries is composed of polygonal cells with […]
Some “superfoods” have high nutritional value due to the presence of carotenoids, which prevent degenerative diseases like cancer. In plants, these pigments are biosynthesized and stored by plastid organelles called chromoplasts. Chromoplast number and size define total carotenoid accumulation. ORHis, a natural allele of Orange (OR) in which a conserved Arg is replaced with a […]
The red color of petunia petals is due to the presence of anthocyanin pigments, produced in part through the action of the chalcone synthase enzyme. In the “Red Star”’ variety, expression of the CHS-A gene encoding chalcone synthase is silenced in cells around the midvein through post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). Plant viruses can inhibit naturally […]