Succulence provides plants with the ability to store water and is therefore commonly associated with plants from arid environments such as the familiar Aloe and Agave. Here, Heyduk reviews the genetic control of leaf succulence. Succulence usually involves large, highly vacuolated cells, but not surprisingly, succulence takes many forms (e.g., whether or not all cells […]
Review: Molecular mechanisms involved in functional macroevolution of plant transcription factors Transcription factors (TFs) are very important actors through which evolution can operate. In every organism and system studied, starting with the seminal work of Jacob and Monod, they’ve been shown to be potent regulatory proteins. Here, Romani and Moreno review the contributions of plant […]
Textbooks tell us that eukaryotic cells acquired first mitochondria and later plastids through assimilation and retention of useful prokaryotes, but textbooks also imply that these were one-off occurrences that happened long ago. In the past several years, evidence has been accruing that genomes from organelles can move between cells in animal as well as plant […]
Every student knows that in a C4 plant like maize, photosynthetic carbohydrates are synthesized in the bundle sheath cells that surround the vein. These carbohydrates are then transported into the phloem for delivery to other tissues. Previous studies have identified SWEET (Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transported) membrane proteins as mediating sucrose efflux from bundle […]
Soil is the growth substrate for most plants and contributes to their success through factors such as microbial ecology, chemistry and presence of nutrients, and physical properties including how compact it is. With increasing soil compaction (bulk density), roots are less able to penetrate, resulting in shorter, wider roots; these shorter roots are often less […]
Horizontal genome transfer by cell-to-cell travel of whole organelles Textbooks tell us that eukaryotic cells acquired first mitochondria and later plastids through assimilation and retention of useful prokaryotes, but textbooks also imply that these were one-off occurrences that happened long ago. In the past several years, evidence has been accruing that genomes from organelles can […]
More than half of human calories come from rice, wheat, and corn, although many other cereals have been domesticated as food crops. Several of these “orphan” cereal crops and their wild relatives are being studied with the goal of diversifying our food supply, which is particularly important due to climate change. Ye and Fan review […]
Review: Orphan crops and their wild relatives in the genomic era More than half of human calories come from rice, wheat, and corn, although many other cereals have been domesticated as food crops. Several of these “orphan” cereal crops and their wild relatives are being studied with the goal of diversifying our food supply, which […]
A HUGE thank you to the Plant Physiology Assistant Features Editors who are rotating off today. We’ve very much enjoyed working with you for the past few years, best wishes for your futures! Nathaniel Butler (University of Wisconsin, United States) Anne-Sophie Fiorucci (Université Paris-Saclay) Charlotte Gommers (Wageningen University, The Netherlands) Meisha Holloway-Phillips (University of Basel, […]