Although angiosperms are the dominant autotrophs in most parts of the world, their evolutionary origins remain somewhat mysterious. Herendeen et al. review the earliest evidence for angiosperms from the Early Cretaceous, and discuss fossil remains from earlier periods (Jurassic, Triassic) that have some angiosperm-like features. They conclude that none of these earlier fossils are unambiguously […]
In photosynthesis, light energy generates proton motive force (pmf) across the thylakoid membrane. The establishment and maintenance of pmf involves numerous membrane transporters as well as other ions. Szabò and Septea review how various ions (including K+, Na+, Fe2+, Cu+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Cl–) contribute to photosynthetic efficiency, the approximate range of concentrations of each of […]
Nature journal published a special “Plant Insights” section featuring several excellent reviews. Zipfel and Oldroyd review Plant signalling in symbiosis and immunity (10.1038/nature22009), Bevan et al. write about Genomic innovation for crop improvement (10.1038/nature22011), Scheres and van der Putten write about how The plant perceptron connects environment and development (10.1038/nature22010), and Romero et al. describe […]
Have you seen an exciting new paper you’d like to summarize for the community? Contact Mary Williams to inquire about contributing to this series! Reviews: Nature Insight: Plants ($) Nature journal published a special “Plant Insights” section featuring several excellent reviews. Zipfel and Oldroyd review Plant signalling in symbiosis and immunity (10.1038/nature22009), Bevan et al. […]
Guest post by Erin Sparks, Guillaume Lobet, Larry York and Frédéric Bouché It is midnight on a cold winter evening and you are scheduled to give a seminar at 8 am the next morning. All you are missing to complete your presentation is one last graphic to illustrate your conclusions. You wearily open Adobe Illustrator, […]
IN BRIEF by Nancy R. Hofmann [email protected] The economy of living cells includes energy production, energy utilization, and energy storage. Thus, a plant’s energy budget must connect the decision to produce lipids (for energy storage) with its overall energy status. Energy sensor kinases, such as KIN10 and KIN11 in Arabidopsis thaliana, are key transcriptional regulators […]
Over the past several decades, the amount of maize produced in the US Midwestern “Corn Belt” has been rising steadily. In order to accurately predict future grain yields, the factors that contribute to these recent yield increases must be identified. Tollenaar et al. found that more than a quarter (27%) of recent US maize yield […]
The “Law of the Minimum” put forth by Justus von Liebig states that the most limiting nutrient governs plant growth. Although there is evidence in some conditions that increasing atmospheric CO2 levels can enhance plant growth, this only holds true under conditions in which CO2 is limiting growth. Ellsworth et al. found no productivity gains […]
Moss are non-vascular plants and do not produce the phenolic polymer lignin, but they do have some enzymes associated with the lignin pathway, raising the question of the evolutionary origins of lignin. In angiosperms, the cytochrome P450 enzyme encoded by CYP98 catalyzes the first irreversible step in monolignol (a lignin subunit) formation. Renault et al. […]