In a new study published in The Plant Cell, a team of researchers identified a gene that limits yield losses in rice plants exposed to salt stress and deciphered the underlying mechanism. Soil salinity poses a major threat to food security, greatly reducing the yield of agricultural crops. Rising global temperatures are expected to accelerate […]
A new study published in The Plant Cell has isolated a gene controlling shape and size of spikelets in wheat. Materials provided by the John Innes Centre. A new study has isolated a gene controlling shape and size of spikelets in wheat in a breakthrough which could help breeders deliver yield increases in one of […]
Surprisingly little is known about the pathogens of liverworts. Carella et al. explored the interaction between the broad-host range pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora palmivora and the model liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. They found that the pathogen enters the host tissues and proliferates in intercellular air chambers between photosynthetic cells, and also forms intracellular hyphal structures and expresses […]
Stem rust is a fungal disease of wheat caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt). The Ug99 race group of the fungus has evolved the ability to overcome most stem rust (Sr) resistance genes. Previously, Sr21, an Sr gene that confers partial resistance to Ug99, was found in diploid wheat. Chen et al. showed […]
A Commentary by Jaffé et al. introduces a New Phytologist Virtual Issue on the curious and fascinating plants that hyperaccumulate metals. These diverse species have shed light on metal transporter proteins and mechanisms of metal tolerance, on the ecological function of metal hyperaccumulation (possibly to deter herbivores, pathogens, or neighboring plants), and might even provide […]
Using a traditional breeding approach, introducing a single gene into a desirable cultivar requires repeated backcrossing. This lengthy process can be circumvented through genetic engineering (making transgenic plants), but consumer concerns and extensive, expensive regulatory hurdles have stifled many transgenic projects. New genome editing methods are likely to have fewer regulatory obstacles, so are a […]
Zhangjian Hu, featured first author of A Plant Phytosulfokine Peptide Initiates Auxin-Dependent Immunity through Cytosolic Ca2+ Signaling in Tomato Current Position: Graduate student in the Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, China Education: B.S. (2012) in Applied Biological Science (Horticulture), Zhejiang University, China Non-scientific Interests: Running, watching movies and cooking. Brief bio sketch: I chose horticulture […]
Huan Zhang, featured first author of A Plant Phytosulfokine Peptide Initiates Auxin-Dependent Immunity through Cytosolic Ca2+ Signaling in Tomato Current Position: Graduate student in the Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, China. Education: Bachelor’s degree (2013) from the College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, China. Non-scientific Interests: Cooking, shopping and watching movies. Brief bio sketch: […]
Suayib Üstün, featured first author of Bacteria exploit autophagy for proteasome degradation and enhanced virulence in plants Current Position: FEBS (Federation of European Biochemical Societies) long-term postdoctoral fellow at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden Education: PhD in Molecular Biology at the Friedrich-Alexander-University in Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany Non-scientific Interests: Travel, Cooking, Freeletics. Brief bio […]