SMXL proteins repress moss growth through a conserved ancestral signaling pathway
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellGuillory et al. explore the role of SMXL proteins in Physcomitrium patens growth.
https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae009
By Ambre Guillory, Sandrine Bonhomme and Catherine Rameau
Background: In flowering plants, several proteins of the SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1-LIKE (SMXL) family influence the…
Review. Revisiting plant electric signaling: Challenging an old phenomenon with new discoveries
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn the electrifying world of plant signaling, a paradigm shift is underway as researchers dig into the intricate mechanisms of action potentials (APs) and slow wave potentials (SWPs). Departing from conventional neurophysiological dogma in the animal kingdom, this review by Barbosa-Caro and Wudick illuminates…
Review: The era of panomics-driven gene discovery in plants
Plant Science Research WeeklyPanomics, an approach integrating multiple ‘omics’ datasets such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and phenomics, has seen rapid advancement in recent years due to technological improvements, particularly in genomics. This review focuses on the recent developments in panomics-driven gene…
De novo domestication: What about the weedy relatives?
Plant Science Research WeeklyBecause much of the genetic diversity of our crops plants was lost during domestication, many breeding efforts endeavor to cross in resilience genes from wild relatives. An alternative approach is to rapidly domesticate those wild relatives themselves, for example by editing genes that affect flowering…
How stems breathe: Oxygen production in woody stems under different light conditions
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn 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…
CAM evolution is associated with gene family expansion in an explosive bromeliad radiation
Plant Science Research WeeklyStudies on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) plant genomes are scarse and CAM evolution is known to be an ecological driver of diversification. The subgenus Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) is one of the fastest diversifying clades in the plant kingdom and is known for its adaptive CAM trait. It has recently…
Triacylglycerol remodeling to synthesize unusual fatty acids in plants
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant oils, composed of fatty acids, provide humans and animals with food, essential nutrients, chemicals, and biofuels. Plants accumulate over 450 “unusual” fatty acids, which could hold significant value if they achieve optimal production. Hydroxylated fatty acids (HFA) are unusual fatty acids…
A novel BZR/BES transcription factor controls the development of haploid reproductive organs in Marchantia polymorpha
Plant Science Research WeeklyGametogenesis 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.…
Transcriptional changes during barley grain development
Plant Science Research WeeklyBarley is a globally important cereal crop, so understanding barley grain development is of much interest. Here, Kovacik et al. investigated transcriptional changes in barley grains at five points across development, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 32 days after pollination. For each time point, grains were manually…