Entries by Mary Williams

A mutualistic interaction between Streptomyces bacteria, strawberry plants and pollinating bees (Nature Comms)

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Some species of Streptomyces bacteria produce antimicrobial compounds that have been shown to enhance plant resistance to pathogens. Kim et al. show that his protection can extend to a pollinator.  The Streptomyces defends the plant against Botrytis cinerea and protects the bees against insect pathogens (entomopathogens). Furthermore, the beneficial microbe can enter the endosphere and […]

The greenhouse gas impacts of converting food production in England and Wales to organic methods (Nature Comms)

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Many discussions about organic food production are dominated by dogma rather than pragmatism. Nevertheless, here’s a useful report that examines the impact of organic farming methods in England and Wales on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Are the well-documented lower yields offset by differences in how the food is produced? Smith et al. suggest not: that […]

Plant Science Research Weekly: November 8

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Review: Exchange of small regulatory RNAs between plants and their pests Trans-species small RNAs are the latest class in the family of signals that move between plants and their attackers. Hudzik et al. review this topic, covering small RNAs that move from plant to pest and from pest to plant. The transmitted RNAs function by […]

Review: Celebrating 20 years of genetic discoveries in legume nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation (Plant Cell)

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Legumes are important crops because they are protein-rich, as a consequence of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). In the past 20 years, through forward and reverse genetics more than 200 genes have been identified that are involved in this process, from recognition through nodule differentiation and metabolism. Roy et al. provide a comprehensive list of these […]

Dynamic control of plant water use using designed ABA receptor agonists (Science)

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ABA is synthesized in response to water stress and promotes stomatal closure, thus decreasing transpiration. Crop yields can be increased by controlling transpiration early in the growing season, ensuring that soil water resources persist through the seed-set period. Building upon earlier studies, Vaidya, Helander et al. have identified a synthetic ABA agonist that binds tightly […]

Replaying the evolutionary tape to investigate subgenome dominance in allopolyploid Brassica napus (bioRxiv)

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Following interspecific hybridization, one of the two parental genomes (aka subgenomes) tends to become dominant (more highly retained and expressed). What determines which of the subgenomes will become dominant, or is it random? To explore this question, Bird et al. made several crosses between Brassica rapa (A genome) and Brassica oleracea (C genome), recapitulating the […]

Plant Science Research Weekly: November 1

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Review: Celebrating 20 years of genetic discoveries in legume nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation Legumes are important crops because they are protein-rich, as a consequence of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). In the past 20 years, through forward and reverse genetics more than 200 genes have been identified that are involved in this process, from recognition […]

Review: Interplay between turgor pressure and plasmodesmata during development (J Exp Bot)

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Plasmodesmata, small cytoplasmic channels connecting adjacent cells, allow small molecules to move and redistribute information and resources. Plasmodesmatal aperture is highly regulated, which is crucial to development and defense. Hernández-Hernández et al. review the contribution of turgor pressure to stomatal aperture. Turgor pressure that builds up within cells is largely due to the movement of […]

Review. The development of the periderm: the final frontier between a plant and its environment (COPB)

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Campilho et al. have written an interesting review about the molecular basis of periderm development. During secondary growth (increase in girth) of most gymnosperms and dicots, the outer epidermal layer is gradually replaced by the periderm, which facilitates gas exchange and defense. Periderm is composed of three tissues: the phellogen (cork cambium), which generates the […]