Review: Guidelines for studying and naming plant plasma-membrane domains Numerous studies have highlighted the critical importance of plasma membrane heterogeneities in regulating cell functions, leading to a proliferation of overlapping and contradictory terminologies. Here, Jaillais and others in the field propose a new system of nomenclature. It really is a must-read for anyone interested in […]
Contrary to common belief, roses do not have thorns: instead, they have prickles. Thorns (as in hawthorns) are modified stems, spines (as in cactus spines) are modified leaves, and prickles (as in roses) are modified epidermal tissues. Prickles occur in a wide range of plants. Satterlee et al. set out to investigate the genetic basis […]
Review. Chilling out: How plants remodel membranes to survive the cold Low temperatures disrupt cellular processes and require metabolic adaptation. Cold-induced lipid remodeling helps maintain membrane permeability and prevents phase separations that can lead to cellular damage. In this review, Shomo, Li and colleagues provide an overview of the mechanisms by which plants remodel their […]
Photosynthesis is fundamental to life on Earth and a topic that all plant biologists should have a good understanding of, but it is also an incredibly complex set of processes, reactions and structures spanning great temporal and spatial distances. In this new Commentary by Eckardt et al., several experts summarize some of the fundamental unknowns […]
Review. Lighting the way: Compelling open questions in photosynthesis research Photosynthesis is fundamental to life on Earth and a topic that all plant biologists should have a good understanding of, but it is also an incredibly complex set of processes, reactions and structures spanning great temporal and spatial distances. In this new Commentary by Eckardt […]
There is increasing evidence that silicon (Si) application to soils or leaves can promote plant growth through various means, including enhancing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, but the mechanisms of this growth promotion are not always clear. Here, Bardhan et al. review how Si can promote drought tolerance, focusing on the soil-root interface. Starting […]
Recently, we have gained tremendous insights through live-cell imaging using fluorescent tags that bind specifically to various cellular components. Here, Besten et al. present a new set of cell wall-specific tags that bind specifically to cell walls and reveal selected wall properties. The authors developed a non-toxic, boron-based synthetic molecule, CarboTag, that binds to cell […]
Pyrenoids are structures that concentrate carbon dioxide around Rubisco, most commonly studied in green algae such as Chlamydomonas. However, hornworts, one of the three types of bryophytes (along with liverworts and mosses) also have a pyrenoid-based CO2-concentrating mechanism (pCCM), unique among land plants. Here, Robison et al. characterize the pCCM in the model hornwort Anthoceros […]
Plant resistance genes encode proteins that trigger immune responses when they recognize pathogen effectors. Their activation must be carefully regulated, as overexpression of activation of R genes usually causes a decrease in growth rate. Here, Sun et al. investigated the role of alternative splicing of a potato R gene called RB. They showed that in […]