Entries by Rose McNelly

Compartmentation of photosynthesis gene expression in C4 maize depends on time of day

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C4 photosynthesis involves the compartmentalization of the photosynthetic reactions across bundle sheath and mesophyll cells, which requires cell-specific gene expression; however, we do not fully understand how this occurs or how photoperiod impacts it. Here maize (Zea mays) was grown in constant light/temperature conditions, and chlorophyll fluorescence and carbon assimilation were measured over 14-hours. The […]

Evolution of cytosolic and organellar invertases empowered the colonization and thriving of land plants

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Invertases catalyse the conversion of sucrose into glucose and fructose. In plants, invertases fall into two clades – the mitochondrially/plastid localized α clade and the cytoplasmically localized β clade. However, we do not fully understand how these clades evolved. Here Wan et al. identified 665 invertases from 77 species across the plant kingdom. Phylogenetic analysis […]

CPK32 regulates cellulose biosynthesis through post-translational modification of cellulose synthase

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Cellulose in one of the most abundant polymers on the planet and is synthesized by plasma membrane-bound cellulose synthases (CESAs). Phosphorylation plays a role in CESA regulation, however the kinases which catalyse the phosphorylation are not well described. Here Xin et al. identified calcium-dependent protein kinase 32 (CPK32) as an interactor of CESA3 in a […]

Soluble and insoluble α-glucan synthesis in yeast by enzyme suites derived from maize endosperm

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Starch is a polymer of α-glucose which is assembled into insoluble, semi-crystalline granules in plants. It is not known why we see only insoluble starch granules in plants and no soluble α-glucan polymers. To investigate this, Boehlein et al. took a synthetic biology approach. Eleven starch metabolism genes from maize endosperm were expressed in differing […]