Bacteria can exploit the stomatal pores to gain entry into plant leaves. Previous studies have demonstrated that guard cells close in response to flagellin, an effect that is described as stomatal immunity. Like ABA-induced stomatal closure, this involves the movements of ions and water from the guard cells. Here, Cui et al. investigated the contribution […]
Review: Selective redox signaling shapes plant-pathogen interactions Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are often presented as something of enigmas. They are damaging by-products of metabolism and stress, but also intentionally produced as a signal and defense response to pathogens. This excellent Update by Bleau and Spoel synthesizes new work towards understanding […]
We’re pleased to announce the next in our series of webinars that are drawn from contributed short videos, followed by a panel discussion. This week we’ll look at the topic of specialized metabolites, featuring scientists from France, England, and Brazil, moderated by Gitanjali Yadav. Plants are amazing chemists and have evolved a fantastic array of […]
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 transcription factors in plant evolution. Genomic studies have revealed that key […]
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 […]