Sexual reproduction, with all that recombination and independent assortment, is an excellent way to generate genetic diversity and increase the likelihood that some progeny will survive. However, the seed industry strives to produce genetically uniform seeds. Although there are various ways to circumvent sexual reproduction through the production of a double haploid, none are easy. […]
Autophagy is the process by which macromolecules and organelles are recycled. Previously it was shown that during leaf senescence or energy starvation, chloroplasts are degraded piecemeal by autophagy. In this work, Izumi et al. examined the role of autophagy in UVB damaged chloroplasts, using wild-type and autophagy-deficient mutants (atg2, atg5 and atg7). In wild-type plants, […]
Plastids are derived from an ancient endosymbiosis of a cyanobacterium, but which cyanobacteria are plastid’s nearest living relatives? Ponce-Toledo et al. generated an extensive phylogeny comprising numerous cyanobacteria and plastid-bearing eukaryotes (glaucophytes, red algae and green algae). Their data show that this nearest relative is the recently described freshwater cyanobacterium Gloeomargarita lithophora, which has a […]
Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was developed 20 years ago as a way to isolate single cells or clusters of cells for subsequent –omic analysis. In LCM, thin sections are generated, the cells of interest cut out using a focused laser, and the isolated cells collected for subsequent studies. Several methods have been developed to use […]
Plant Cell Environ. has a set of reviews on light responses. Ballaré and Pierik (10.1111/pce.12914) review The shade avoidance syndrome: Multiple signals and ecological consequences, Sheerin and Hiltbrunner (10.1111/pce.12915) review the Molecular mechanisms and ecological function of far-red light signalling, and Inoue et al. (10.1111/pce.12908) review the Evolutionary origin of phytochrome responses and signaling in […]
Phosphorus (P) is a non-renewable soil nutrient essential for plant growth. The vacuole serves as a crucial dynamic store of P that helps maintain cytosolic homeostasis. Yang et al. review vacuolar P stores, comparing P storage species and membrane proteins in yeast, algae and plants. In yeast, polyphosphate (PolyP) is a major storage form, whereas […]
The cosmetic industry uses a lot of different chemicals to produce the seven or so skin care products used by the average American every day. Efforts are underway to develop renewable sources for some of these. Derikvand et al. review the chemistry and potential applications behind compounds used by cyanobacteria both as UV-absorbing sunscreens and […]
Guest post by Rosanne Quinelle, an Associate Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Science at the University of Sydney, Australia. Proficiency in any discipline requires exposure to both breadth and depth, where “breadth” is akin to acquiring the vocabulary and “depth” is akin to an understanding of the prevailing patterns, the rules of […]
IN BRIEF by Jennifer Lockhart [email protected] The interior of a plant cell is supported by the actin cytoskeleton, a complex network of yarn-like fibers whose form changes as the cell develops, grows, and divides. Actin fibers readily come apart (sever) and join back together, depending on the needs of the cell. This process is carefully […]