Plants blindly probe the soil for ever-changing pockets of water and nutrients and continuously adjust their root system architecture (RSA) accordingly. Whether they invest more energy in growing existing roots or sending out new lateral roots depends on both genetic programs and environmental factors. Although RSA profoundly affects plant health and crop productivity, little is […]
The compounds that give wasabi (Eutrema japonicum) its kick and bok choy (Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis) its distinctive flavor are breakdown products of glucosinolates derived from not so pungent amino acids. These zesty phytochemicals help Brassica plants adapt to their many environmental niches worldwide (reviewed in Halkier and Gershenzon, 2006). While these compounds are craved […]
All photosynthetic organisms, from cyanobacteria to flowering plants, must continuously adjust to changing light conditions to maximize photosynthetic efficiency while protecting their delicate photochemical centers. During photosynthesis, light energy is preferentially captured by photosystem I (PSI) or PSII, depending on light levels and quality. The specific illumination of either pigment–protein complex creates an energy imbalance, […]
Of all plant behaviors, ectopic embryogenesis (reviewed in Radoeva and Weijers, 2014) might be one of the coolest. Zygotic embryogenesis begins with fertilization, followed by an asymmetric cell division that generates two cells with distinct fates. The small apical cell gives rise to the pro-embryo, which develops into (most of) the plant body. The larger […]
A pollen grain lands on a stigma, swells with water, and sprouts a pollen tube, which races through the style to deliver sperm to the ovule below. When the pollen arises from the flower itself, this process often stops in its tracks. Self-incompatibility (SI) between pollen and pistil promotes outcrossing to generate the genetic variability […]
The discovery of the gene behind stem juiciness in sweet sorghum could have huge agricultural implications Perhaps you’ve never tasted sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), the fifth most popular crop in the world, but you probably will soon. This ancient grain is a common source of food in developing countries and is also used to make Baijiu, […]
Finding genes that function in plant development often requires mutant screening, but probing the wealth of natural variation can provide important insights as well. A major focus of developmental biology is uncovering the mechanism behind cell polarity, that is, how components are deposited asymmetrically in a cell at precisely the right place and time. An […]
Every plant organ, from tuber to tepal, is formed by cells that divide along precisely placed cell plates. While much is known about the molecular biology behind cell plate formation (e.g., Gu et al., 2016), why cells divide where they do is much less clear. Dividing cells have much in common with soap bubbles, which […]
The story behind m6A (methylation of the N6 position of adenosine), the most common internal mRNA modification in eukaryotes, has long been a source of intrigue. This epitranscriptomic mark is deposited at specific mRNA sequences by m6A writers and removed by m6A erasers. The m6A marks recruit and anchor m6A-binding proteins (readers) that function in […]