Review: How to evaluate the climate-mitigation potential of plant agricultural interventions Agriculture contributes substantially to climate change. Many agricultural interventions have been suggested as opportunities to lower this impact, through CO2 sequestration or through reducing emissions of CO2 and CH4. This review by Vickers and Zerbe lays out how to use Fermi calculations to identify […]
Plant genomes contain hundreds of genes encoding receptor-like kinases (RLKs), which are membrane-spanning proteins with an extracellular perception domain and an intracellular signaling domain. Many RLKs have roles in identifying surface proteins of pathogens, some recognize specific signals from mutualists such as rhizobia, and others recognize small molecules of various endogenous and exogenous origins. In […]
Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are abundant genes that have diversified and expanded throughout plant evolution, with most plants having hundreds or more RLKs. In this exciting new paper, Ngou et al. decided to deconstruct the recognition sites of these proteins in order to be able to make predictions about their ligands. Focusing on the LRR-RLK-XII family […]
Plastids are more than photosynthetic compartments, they also are responsible for the biosynthesis of nine proteinogenic amino acids (which explains why animals, lacking plastids, must obtain these amino acids through their diet). In a new paper, Kuhnert et al. have identified a critical amino-acid transporter on the plastid inner envelope membrane that is necessary for […]
Review: Plant receptor-like kinases sense extrinsic and host-derived signals and shape the microbiome Plant genomes contain hundreds of genes encoding receptor-like kinases (RLKs), which are membrane-spanning proteins with an extracellular perception domain and an intracellular signaling domain. Many RLKs have roles in identifying surface proteins of pathogens, some recognize specific signals from mutualists such as […]
Running on empty: How does the absence of mtDNA shape mitochondrial movement and connectivity? Mitochondria move within cells to support bioenergetic function and enable sharing of content, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Since not all plant mitochondria carry a full set of, or any mtDNA, sharing may allow genetic material to spread across the population. This […]
The number of large molecular plant datasets seems to be growing exponentially. With this growth comes an urgent need for researchers to understand how these datasets should be analyzed and integrated to get accurate understandings of what they represent. This fine article by Leong et al. is a good place to start. Trying to build […]
An interesting new study by Doll et al. addresses one of the most complex and important plant developmental processes, that of seed formation, with a focus on maize. Like other seeds, the maize seed (kernel) includes the next generation embryo, surrounded by various maternal tissues as well as the triploid endosperm that provide nutrients to […]
Review: Harnessing the power of gene regulatory networks for crop improvement The number of large molecular plant datasets seems to be growing exponentially. With this growth comes an urgent need for researchers to understand how these datasets should be analyzed and integrated to get accurate understandings of what they represent. This fine article by Leong […]