Entries by Linda Palmer

A New Chemical (ES4) Affects Intracellular Trafficking in Plants

By Urszula Kania, Tomasz Nodzyński and Jiří Friml Background: Membrane proteins integrated into the lipid membranes of trafficking vesicles follow an elaborated road to arrive to their destination where they perform their tasks. Precise intracellular routing is especially critical and visible in case of PINs, the transporters for the plant hormone auxin that need to […]

Alternative Splicing Regulates Mineral Homeostasis

Dong et al. identify important regulators of mineral nutrition in rice. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00051 By Luqing Zheng College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, P. R. China Background: Mineral nutrients are essential for plant growth and development. The proper uptake and use of minerals are maintained by various forms of regulation. Alternative […]

Receptor Kinases Control Anther Cell Differentiation

Cui et al. found new vital players in regulating anther development.  The Plant Cell (2018). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00586 By Yanwei Cui and Xiaoping Gou Background: Anther is the male organ to produce pollen for pollination in angiosperms. The archesporial cells in early anther divide periclinally to generate the inner primary sporogenous cells and the outer primary parietal […]

mRNA Localization in Rice Endosperm Cells Requires RBP-P

Tian et al. study the developing rice endosperm. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00321  By Li Tian and Thomas W. Okita Background:  Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are transported to specific subcellular compartments for localized processing or translation, facilitating protein targeting and assembly of multiprotein complexes. RNA localization requires zip code sequences that are recognized and bound by specific RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), […]

Power Play in the TOR Growth Circuit

Mubeen et al. investigate cellular homeostasis related to the TOR kinase complex. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00159 By Umarah Mubeen and Patrick Giavalisco, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Golm, Germany. Background: Growth and cellular development are controlled by the allocation of essential resources like nutrients and energy. Coordination of cellular processes that consume or recycle […]

A Positive Regulatory Loop for Systemic Acquired Resistance

Wang et al. find a positive feedback loop consisting of MPK3/6, WRKY33, ALD1, and pipecolic acid regulates local immune amplification contributing to systemic acquired resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00547 By Yiming Wang, Jürgen Zeier, and Kenichi Tsuda Background: Plants have the ability to increase disease resistance in distant, systemic leaves after a local […]