Successful development of the maize (Zea mays) kernel requires proper nutrient transport and signaling among its genetically distinct components: the embryo that gives rise to the next generation, the endosperm that nourishes the embryo, and the maternal tissues that surround the embryo and the endosperm (reviewed in Widiez et al., 2017). During its early development, […]
Stanley et al. Identify a protein in the model plant monkeyflower (Mimulus) required for chromoplast development and carotenoid biosynthesis. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00755 By Lauren Stanley and Yao-Wu Yuan, University of Connecticut Background: Carotenoids are yellow, orange, or red pigments that give many flowers and fruits their brilliant colors. In order to make and accumulate carotenoids […]
R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures composed of a DNA-RNA hybrid and a displaced single-stranded DNA. R-loops are stable structures as they form an intermediate A/B conformation of the RNA-DNA hybrid that is more stable than the B form of dsDNA or A form of the dsRNA. Recent evidence reveals the occurrence of R-loops in […]
Kim et al. examine how plants coordinate sieve element and companion cell development. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00455 By Hyoujin Kim1 and Ji-Young Lee1,2, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea1 Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea2 Background: Phloem […]
Acyl lipids are a wide range of compounds that have diverse functions in membrane synthesis, energy storage, and signal transduction. Fatty acids are key building blocks of acyl lipids that are synthesized by the fatty acid synthase complex via sequential condensation of two-carbon units to reach lengths of up to 18 carbons (Li-Beisson et al., […]
Liu et al. demonstrate an integration of massive genetic mapping and high-throughput targeted mutagenesis to accelerate functional gene identification in maize. The Plant Cell (2020) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00934 By Hai-Jun Liu & Jianbing Yan, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People’s Republic of China Background: Cloning functional genes responsible for complex traits […]
Stomata, from the Greek “mouths,” are tiny pores in the epidermis of many plant aerial tissues that are “fed” carbon dioxide for making sugar. But plants also lose water through these same pores via transpiration. Stomatal aperture regulation in response to environmental cues is therefore of fundamental importance. Changes in the turgor pressure of guard […]
Burko et al. carry out detailed phenotypic and molecular analyses of constitutive activator and repressor HY5 fusion proteins to identify its direct targets. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00772 Background: Plants are highly responsive to environmental factors, and differences in light, temperature, nutrients, or other conditions can change how they grow. To form their final shape, plants collect […]
When air temperatures rise above the comfortable level, plants initiate a cooling mechanism to prevent heat stress. High ambient temperatures induce a specific set of growth responses, termed thermomorphogenesis, which includes enhanced hypocotyl and petiole elongation, and leaf hyponasty (reviewed by Casal and Balasubramanian, 2019). These phenotypes are mainly induced via the warm temperature-mediated inactivation […]