Phytochemicals, also known as plant secondary metabolites, play primary roles in plant development, structure, and response to the environment. Their metabolism has been studied for over a century. In a new review, Dixon and Dickinson discuss past and recent advances in understanding the identity, localization, biosynthesis, and functions of phytochemicals over the past century. One […]
Trapa natans, also known as water caltrop or bat nut, is an aquatic plant with large seeds encased by a hardened endocarp. Due to this durable endocarp, these seeds may remain dormant underwater for up to 12 years. Huss et al. studied the anatomical and biochemical factors responsible for the hardened endocarp, focusing on the […]
Light and temperature are important external signals required by plants for flower initiation. These external signals along with some internal cues (plant age, gibberellins, etc.) are established factors for floral initiation, but the factors required for end-of-flowering time are not yet established. González-Suárez et al. discovered that an increase in day length and higher temperature […]
Climate change is having negative effects on yield of economically important crops such as rice. Therefore, there is a pressing need for climate-change adapted crops. Previous research has highlighted that a decrease in stomatal density can enhance drought tolerance. EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR-LIKE9 (EPFL9), also known as STOMAGEN, expressed in the mesophyll is a positive regulator […]
As with people, plants blush in difficult circumstances. Situations such as nutrient stress make plants uncomfortable, resulting in the accumulation of anthocyanins in different plant tissues and color changes in the tissues. Jezek et al. reviewed how and why anthocyanins accumulate in foliar tissues in nutrient-deficient plants. Anthocyanins accumulate in anthocyanoplasts or anthocyanic vacuoles in […]
Generally, light inhibits hypocotyl elongation. Like red and blue light, green light was previously reported to inhibit hypocotyl elongation in several plants. Here, Hao et al. discovered that the inhibition of hypocotyl growth by green light is due to wavelength impurities in the green lights used. Commercial green LED lights of 525 nm and 550 […]
The CLAVATA1 receptor-like kinase and its ligand CLAVATA3 (CLV3) are associated with the CLAVATA-WUSCHEL pathway, which partly controls locule number (the seed-bearing structure of fruits). An increase in locule number is believed to increase the number of seeds and subsequently increase fruit size. Chow et al. investigated the effect of mutation of CLV1 on locule […]
A protein kinase, target of rapamycin (TOR), controls cell growth and metabolism in all eukaryotes. The role of TOR in regulating synthesis and breakdown of organic compounds in response to nutrients, hormones and cellular energy to promote growth and development is universal in autotrophs and heterotrophs. TORC1 is one of TOR complexes conserved for several […]