During symbiosis, the rhizobia bacteria rely on their lipo-chitooligosachharide signals (LCOs) to associate with plants. This signal is perceived by plant receptor like kinase, LysM-containing receptors which activate the common symbiosis signaling pathway (CSSM). Fungal symbiosis with plants has also adopted a similar symbiotic pathway. But, are the LCOs signals limited to symbiotic fungi only? […]
During root development, auxin accumulates at the stem cell niche (SCN) located at the root meristem. Both polar auxin transport and local auxin biosynthesis contribute to the auxin accumulation. During root regeneration after wounding, the source of auxin accumulation is still a question. To address that, Matosevich et al. used an inhibitor of local auxin […]
Transgene introduction has been a major tool in modern plant science, but the ability of plants to distinguish ‘self’ from ‘non-self’ can lead to transgene silencing. This mechanism is mediated by the recruitment of RDR6 (an RNA-Dependent RNA polymerases) leading to the production of several siRNAs (small interfering RNAs) targeting the transgenes for silencing. The […]
Under low N condition, plants form more lateral roots to facilitate N-uptake efficiency, and legumes such as Medicago truncatula develop more nodules to fulfill plant nitrogen requirements. Since both lateral root formation and nodulation are energy-consuming processes, plants balance these developmental processes, but the regulatory mechanism involved is still a question. Zhu et al. found […]
Stem cells are a group of undifferentiated cells that can divide and differentiate to form new organs. In Arabidopsis roots, the quiescent center (QC: the mitotically inactive group of cells) helps regulate the division of surrounding initials and maintain the stem cell fate. What makes the QC different from surrounding stem cells, and how does […]
Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is a mutualistic relationship between plants and microbes in which plants supply fixed carbon to bacteria in exchange for nitrogen. During this process, the microbes use nitrogenase enzyme to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a plant-usable form, but the metabolic interaction between plants and microbes in maintaining this energy-intensive nitrogenase reaction remains an […]
The rhizosphere is a continuous space for microbial colonization that comprises the rhizospheric soil, the rhizoplane (root surface), and the root endosphere, which is the apoplastic space in the root cortex. It is inhabited by unique populations of microorganisms, influenced by plant genotype and the surrounding soil organisms, and has a great impact on plant […]
Plant strengtheners, synthetic chemical elicitors, have been shown to enhance plant resistance against various insect pests without toxic effects on the environment, but evidence is lacking for a significant increase in crop growth and yield after using these elicitors. To address this, Wang et al. studied 4-fluorophenoxyacetic acid (4-FPA), which in rice fields infested with […]
Shade avoidance is a complex phenomenon in which plants avoid shade by altering their developmental program in various ways including early flowering, hypocotyl elongation, and more. Many photoreceptors and transcription factors (TFs) are involved in regulating shade avoidance, including the bHLH (basic helix loop helix) TF family that comprises about 160 members in Arabidopsis. In […]