Protein synthesis, modification, and degradation are not only crucial for responding to environmental change, but they also represent significant energy costs for a plant. Energy homeostasis is highly affected by the presence of light. In young seedlings, light enhances translation during the dark-to-light transition, although we do not fully understand how this process is regulated. […]
Light influences essentially all aspects of plant growth and development. Furthermore, plants are likely to adjust their stress responses based on fluctuations in energy availability during the dark-light cycle. Lin et al investigated a hormone downstream component, ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 1 (ERF1), and discovered that its posttranslational modifications are coordinated by dark or light conditions. […]
Domesticated crops provide a reliable food source but generally have little genetic diversity to cope with environmental fluctuations. By decrypting the genome of wild species such as the wild rice Oryza rufipogon, we may identify additional genetic variation useful for breeding process. However, the genomic heterozygosity of wild species is very challenging to work with. […]
Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a signal molecule to regulate plant growth, from seed germination to floral formation. Female gametophyte (FG) development is sensitive to external signals; for example, in plants in adverse environements, a decrease in fertilizable FGs enhances the survival prospects of the offspring. Wang et al. revealed that NO homeostasis in maternal […]
Plants adapt to salt stress by maintaining ion balance using ion transporters. While much is known about cation transporters, the role of anion transporters is less clear. Rajappa et al. focus on the chloride channel gene AtCLCf in Arabidopsis thaliana, controlled by the transcription factor WRKY9 under salt stress. Plants lacking AtCLCf are more sensitive […]
Global climate change affects weather patterns, and excess soil salinity harms plant growth. Previous studies have shown interaction between the circadian clock and salt responses. In normal conditions, the core circadian clock oscillator GIGANTEA (GI) sequesters the SOS2 kinase, part of the salt-overly sensitive (SOS) pathway. Salt stress triggers calcium signals that cause GI to […]
Many animals such as corals and sea slugs host photosynthetic symbionts. Several studies have investigated how the host and symbiont coordinate their activities. This new study by Sarfati et al. explores how symbiotic green algae and their animal host, the flattened-worm Convolutriloba longifissura, respond to injury. When the animal is injured, the algae’s photosynthetic efficiency […]
In woody plants, we know much less about how photosynthesis functions in stems than in leaves. This study by Natale et al. focused on how chloroplasts in Fraxinus ornus stems of different ages work. The authors looked at oxygen production rates in whole stems, bark, and wood using various methods like oxygen sensors and fluorescence […]
Gametogenesis is essential for sexual reproduction. In bryophytes, lycophytes, and ferns, gametogenesis takes place in gametangia: antheridia for sperm production and archegonia for egg production. How these specialized reproductive organs develop at the molecular level remains unclear. Furuya et al. identified a unique BZR/BES transcription factor, MpBZR3, that regulates gametangium development in Marchantia polymorpha. Overexpression […]