Entries by Mary Williams

Review: Plant receptor-like kinases sense extrinsic and host-derived signals and shape the microbiome

/in /by

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 […]

Discovery and engineering of synthetic RLKs

/in /by

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 […]

Identification of a plastid-localized amino acid transporter

/in /by

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 […]

Plant Science Research Weekly, September 12, 2025

/in /by

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 […]

Plant Science Research Weekly: August 29, 2025

/in /by

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 […]

Unusual cell death pathway in maize endosperm

/in /by

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 […]

Plant Science Research Weekly: July 18, 2025

/in /by

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 […]

Special Science Issue: Plants and Heat

/in /by

The June 12 issue of Science has a focus on plants and heat that includes several excellent review and research articles. In a very interesting review, Singh Yadav et al. discuss the complex and fascinating question of how plants sense temperature, emphasizing both the biophysical nature of temperature perception and the dispersed nature of it […]