Yunqing Yu Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Kellogg Lab SAINT LOUIS, MO 63132 United States of America yyu@danforthcenter.org Flowering plants have evolved enormous diversity and complexity of inflorescence architecture. One great model for studying complex inflorescence development and evolution is the Asteraceae (the sunflower family), which is one of the largest flowering plant families and […]
Molecular breeding relies on careful assessment of phenotypic traits linked to DNA markers so that causal genes can be identified and desirable crop alleles selected. Over the past decade, DNA markers have become abundant with the rapid advancement of next-generation sequencing technology, including whole-genome sequencing and genome-wide marker profiles in diverse germplasms. However, the labor-intensive […]
Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled process triggered by developmental or environmental cues. Plant–microbe interactions often lead to PCD in plant host cells, triggered by the hypersensitive response. Plants may recognize microbes through receptor-like kinases in the plasma membrane, or detect pathogen effectors through resistance (R) proteins in the cytoplasm. Both pathways activate […]
The plant cell wall is a complex structure composed of cellulose embedded in a matrix of polysaccharides (hemicellulose and pectin), phenolic compounds and proteins. The primary cell wall is a thin layer formed in growing cells and is present ubiquitously, whereas the secondary cell wall is a rigid and thick structure formed after cell growth […]
A major challenge in modern agriculture is to increase crop yield with diminishing agricultural land to feed the fast-growing global population. The erect leaf phenotype is a highly desirable trait that allows for higher planting density and maximizes light interception capacity and thus increases photosynthetic efficiency and crop yield (Donald, 1968). In cereal crops, which […]
Organ boundaries are junctions that separate initiating lateral organs from the meristem or other plant parts. Cells at the boundary often exhibit slow growth rates and morphology distinct from that of the surrounding cells, and their development are controlled by complex gene networks. Lateral organ boundary marker genes BLADE-ON-PETIOLE1 (BOP1) and BOP2 are two closely […]
The Poaceae is one of the largest plant families in angiosperms, containing more than 12,000 grass species, which are classified into two major clades: PACMAD (Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Chloridoideae, Micrairoideae, Aristidoideae and Danthonioideae) and BOP (Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae and Pooideae) (Fig. 1) (Kellogg, 2015). The Poaceae originally evolved in warm moist habitats, and further successfully adapted to […]
The prohibitin (PHB) protein family is highly conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes (Van Aken et al., 2010). Initially identified as a tumor suppressor in rat liver, PHBs in animals are localized in various cell compartments, including mitochondria, nuclei, and plasma membranes, and function as scaffold proteins in many signaling pathways, including those underlying cell proliferation, […]
Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth, is an important structural component of the primary and secondary cell wall of plant cells. It is also found in animals (tunicates), oomycetes, and bacteria (Kumar and Turner, 2015). Besides providing support and rigidity in living organisms, cellulose has significant economic value, as it is commonly used for […]