Xu et al. study the effects of loss-of-function mutations in over 1000 Arabidopsis accessions. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00321 By Yong-Chao Xu and Ya-Long Guo Background: The gain of genes is thought to play important roles in the adaptation and diversification of plants. Loss-of-function mutations lead to pseudogenization or gene loss, which might contribute to adaptation and diversification as […]
Yamaoka et al. report that the mRNA of a Chlamydomonas bZIP transcription factor is spliced by CrIRE1 under ER stress, and the resulting protein protects cells via modulating lipid remodeling. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00723 By Yasuyo Yamaoka and Youngsook Lee Background: The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a compartment in a cell where secretory and membrane proteins […]
Jacobowitz et al. identify two enzymes essential for anther development. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00051 By Joseph Jacobowitz, MIT/Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Jing-Ke Weng, MIT/Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research Background: Just like all organisms, plants must reproduce for the continued survival of their species. Moreover, humans are directly dependent on plant reproduction for food, oil, […]
Šola et al. examine how galactose alters rhamnogalacturonan-I properties. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.000954 By Krešimir Šola and George W. Haughn Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada Background: Pectin is a component of the plant cell wall that has many important roles, such as support, the regulation of cell growth and […]
Calzadilla et al. investigate the mechanism underlying state transitions in cyanobacteria. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00159 By Pablo I. Calzadilla and Diana Kirilovsky, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France Background: Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria harvest solar energy and convert it into chemical energy through photosynthesis. The […]
Li et al. identify a module regulating seed dormancy in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell (2019). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00449 By Xiaoying Li Background: Grain crop production is important for human survival. Pre-harvest sprouting is a worldwide natural disaster that seriously affects crop yields and quality. Proper seed dormancy could prevent pre-harvest sprouting. However, long dormancy periods can have adverse […]
In a pioneering study, Wilkop et al. characterized the type of polysaccharide cargo transported in specific plant vesicles. Plant Cell (2019) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00854. By Destiny Davis, Thomas Wilkop, Michael Hahn, and Georgia Drakakaki, University of California, Davis Background: Inside the plant cell, the endomembrane system, with its complex network of pathways, transports polysaccharides and […]
Choudry et al. show that the mRNA export protein ALY1 enables genome-wide RNA-directed DNA methylation, transposon repression and transgene silencing though the efficient export of the AGO6 mRNA. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00624 By Sarah Choudury Background: Transposons, sometimes called “jumping genes,” are mobile genetic elements that make up large portions of plant and animal genomes. When […]
Baccolini and Witte present a revised model for nucleotide catabolism in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00899 Chiara Baccolini, Leibniz Universität Hannover Prof. Dr. Claus-Peter Witte, Leibniz Universität Hannover Background: Nitrogen is a key element for plant growth and is constantly recycled in plant metabolism, for example, by the breakdown of the nitrogen-containing bases in nucleic acids. […]