Entries by Mary Williams

Gain and loss of floral scent with shifts in pollination strategies

January 10, 2017 /0 Comments/in , /by

Two papers in Current Biology examine the genetics behind plant-pollinator interactions , focusing on genes controlling floral scent. Amrad et al. 10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.023 explore differences between bee, hawkmoth and hummingbird pollinated species of Petunia. They identify changes in expression in several genes including those encoding BSMT (benzoic acid/salicylic acid carboxyl methyltransferase) and BPBT (benzoyl-CoA:benzylalcohol/2-phenylethanol benzoyltransferase) and […]

ATG9 regulates autophagosome progression from the endoplasmic reticulum

January 10, 2017 /0 Comments/in , /by

The autophagosome, a cellular compartment involved in the turnover of macromolecules, contributes to nutrient homeostasis, stress resilience and defense. Although several proteins have been identified as contributing to autophagosome formation and function, the precise origins of the autophagosome have remained unclear. Using imaging, labeling and Arabidopsis mutants, Zhuang et al. show that the autophagosomal membrane […]

Transcriptional response to microbial pattern conferred by three WRKY transcription factors ($)

January 10, 2017 /0 Comments/in , /by

Plants perceive microbial pathogens though cell-surface receptors that recognize conserved microbial patterns such as flagellin. Previous studies have identified the WRKY family of transcription factors as contributors to Microbial-Associated Molecular Pattern (MAMP)-Triggered Immunity (MTI). Birkenbihl et al. use chromatin-immunoprecipitation to identify direct targets of three WRKY transcription factors following stimulation by the MAMP peptide flg-22. […]

Review: Impacts of fungal hitchhikers on biosecurity

January 10, 2017 /0 Comments/in , /by

When a plant species is introduced to a new region, it brings with it “hitchhikers” – other associated organisms. Sometimes, these hitchhikers negatively impact the environment into which they are introduced, for example by facilitating the host’s invasiveness, or through direct detrimental effects (such as pathogenicity) on native plants. Factors that determine whether a hitchhiker […]

Review: Unlocking the potential of orphan legumes ($)

January 10, 2017 /0 Comments/in , /by

Orphan legumes, which include cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), Bambara groundnut (V. subterranea), grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) and marama bean (Tylosema esculentum), are important food sources for many farmers, but have largely been ignored by breeders and industry. Cullis and Kunert argue that some of these species can provide traits such as drought tolerance to benefit major […]

Editorial: Rigorous Science: a How-To Guide

January 10, 2017 /0 Comments/in , /by

Casadevall and Fang set out several proposals for research training to help ensure scientific “rigor”, which they define as promoting confidence in the truth or accuracy of the findings. The authors propose and elaborate on five foundations for scientific rigor: Redundancy in experimental design, recognition of error, intellectual honesty, sound statistical analysis, and avoidance of […]

Update: Modeling stomatal conductance

January 6, 2017 /0 Comments/in /by

Robust models of stomatal conductance are greatly needed to predict plant-atmosphere interactions in a changing climate, and to integrate new knowledge in physiology and ecological theory. Recent years have brought major advances in the experimental and theoretical understanding underpinning both process-based and optimality-based approaches to modeling stomatal function. I review these advances, highlight areas in […]

The PLETHORA Gene Regulatory Network Guides Growth and Cell Differentiation in Arabidopsis Roots

January 6, 2017 /0 Comments/in , , /by

Due to plant cells’ shared walls and immobility, cell division, differentiation and expansion must be tightly regulated across space and time. The six members of the PLETHORA (PLT) transcription factor family distribute in gradients through the root tip and are largely responsible for its developmental patterning. Santuari et al. studied the gene set transcriptionally regulated […]