Review: Perspectives on improving light distribution and light use efficiency in crop canopies Light comes largely from above, and plants have evolved strategies to efficiently capture this light even when competing with other potentially shading plants. However, at a field-level, such competition may (and does) prevent plants from collectively maximizing light use efficiency, hence yield. […]
One of the great questions in plant science has been, “How do plants recognize friend from foe?” Like most great questions, this one benefits from a historical perspective. In their new review, Delaux and Schornack look at plant evolution through the lens of plant interactions with symbiotic and pathogenic microbes. The first part of this […]
Three key factors affect a plant’s ability to fix carbon: enzymatic activity of Rubisco, stomatal conductance, and the journey from sub-stomatal cavity to Rubisco, also known as mesophyll conductance (gm). This latter is the focus of this new work by Clarke et al. They delightfully compare this journey to that of Princess Leia from Star […]
Review: Plant evolution driven by interactions with symbiotic and pathogenic microbes One of the great questions in plant science has been, “How do plants recognize friend from foe?” Like most great questions, this one benefits from a historical perspective. In their new review, Delaux and Schornack look at plant evolution through the lens of plant […]
Review: Time to wake up: Epigenetic and small-RNA-mediated regulation during seed germination Seed germination is a crucial step in plants’ life cycle and has critical implications in ecological and agronomic contexts. Therefore, there has been an increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms that prevent or trigger this process. Here, Luján-Soto and Dinkova provide a thorough […]
Everyone enjoys hearing about ancient trees that have been alive since various events in human history, but did you ever stop to wonder why some trees live for millennia and others don’t? If so, you’ll want to read this Tansley Review by Piovesan and Biondi. One of their first observations is that in principle, trees […]
Review: On tree longevity Everyone enjoys hearing about ancient trees that have been alive since various events in human history, but did you ever stop to wonder why some trees live for millennia and others don’t? If so, you’ll want to read this Tansley Review by Piovesan and Biondi. One of their first observations is […]
Editors: Kenneth D. Birnbaum, Julia Bailey-Serres, Marisa Otegui, and Sue Rhee Deadline for Submission: May 1, 2021 Publication: December 2021 To submit an article, go to http://pphys.msubmit.net Many questions central to plant biology focus on the state of specialized cells and their response to the environment. Cellular states are relevant to every aspect of plant […]
Parasitic plants form haustoria, which are specialized multicellular structures that penetrate into their host’s vasculature and act as conduits for nutrients. The molecular and genetic contributors to haustorium development and function are well described. Here, Masumoto et al. have provided new insights into haustorium formation and structure through 3D reconstruction of serial thin (1 micron) […]