Entries by Nathan Scinto-Madonich

Arabidopsis transcriptional response to fractional gravity during spaceflight under blue-light (Frontiers Plant Sci)

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A plant’s response to a microgravity environment allows for dissection of molecular pathways governing gravity sensing and other integrated pathways, such as phototropism. Renewed interest in long-term space travel also requires that plant behavior and growth under microgravity is well-understood and predictable. In this study, Herranz et al. report on the transcriptional changes underlying unilateral […]

SPX4 acts on PHR1-dependent and -independent regulation of shoot phosphorus status (Plant Physiol)

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Plant phosphorus homeostasis is important to understand as humans seek to increase food production while also reducing the amount of agricultural inputs and environmental pollution. In their recent paper, Osorio and colleagues expand our current understanding of phosphorus homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana through their focus on SPX4 regulation of the phosphorus starvation response. SPX4 is […]

Cryo-EM structure of OSCA1.2 sheds light on the mechanical basis of membrane hyperosmolality gating (PNAS) ($)

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Osmotic stress in plants elicits many responses, one of which is increased accumulation of Ca2+ in the cytosol. Genes involved in this response have been identified, yet the mechanism behind the Ca2+ transport remains unknown. Maity et al. investigated the structure and function of the osmolality-sensitive channel OSCA1.2, a candidate for hyperosmolarity-induced Ca2+ transport, using […]

Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Reflection: Dr. Sarah Wyatt

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An Interview with Dr. Sarah Wyatt by Nathan Scinto-Madonich Dr. Sarah Wyatt is a Professor and Director of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Ohio University, where her lab studies plant signaling, gravitropism, and the transition of floral dimorphisms. Dr. Wyatt’s lab has had two research projects that went to the International Space Station, most recently […]

Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Reflection: Dr. Imara Perera

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An Interview with Nathan Scinto-Madonich and Dr. Imara Perera Dr. Imara Perera is a Research Professor at North Carolina State University, where her lab specializes in inositol phosphate metabolism, signaling, and how these metabolites aid plant responses to stress. She has had two experiments on the International Space Station, investigating plant signaling in microgravity as well as plant […]

Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Reflection: Dr. John Kiss

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An Interview with Nathan Scinto-Madonich and Dr. John Kiss Dr. John Kiss is a Professor and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC Greensboro. His lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of gravitropism and phototropism, and he has had many spaceflight experiments to study these responses, most recently in 2017. […]

Review: Combinatorial nutrient stresses reveal emergent properties ($) (TIPS)

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Plants require at least 14 mineral nutrients to complete their life cycle. These mineral nutrients are unevenly distributed within the soil, and plants have evolved physiological adaptations (changes in root growth, exudation, symbiotic relationships with soil organisms, etc.). to address these nutrient limitations. In this review, Bouain and colleagues discuss the growing evidence supporting overlapping […]

A Transcription Factor, OsMADS57, Regulates Long-Distance Nitrate Transport and Root Elongation (Plant Phys.)

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Nitrogen is a critical macronutrient for plant growth and reproduction, and it’s largely present as ammonium in flooded and acidic soils. However, structurally porous tissue in rice roots, called aerenchyma, transfer oxygen to the root system in flooded paddies, increasing nitrate abundance. Huang et al. used a transcription factor, OsMADS57, to study the complex regulation […]

Auxin-mediated statolith production for root gravitropism (New Phytol)

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Plants have evolved the ability to perceive and respond to gravity, one of the most persistent external cues. This response process, termed gravitropism, has been extensively studied for its importance in plant development and its potential to improve agronomic traits of crops. The gravitropic response of plants is defined by three main steps: sedimentation of […]