Jiao Shi, co-first author of "VPS18-regulated vesicle trafficking controls the secretion of pectin and its modifying enzyme during pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis" Current Position: Project Manager Education: Ph.D. in Peking University, P. R. China Non-scientific Interests: Reading, hiking Brief…

Saiying Hou, co-first author of "VPS18-regulated vesicle trafficking controls the secretion of pectin and its modifying enzyme during pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis" Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China Education: B.S. in College of Biological…

Qingkai Feng, first author of "Jasmonate Regulates the FAMA/Mediator complex subunit 8-THIOGLUCOSIDE GLUCOHYDROLASE 1 Cascade and Myrosinase Activity" Current Position: PhD candidate in Dr. Xiaohui Li’s lab at College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ningbo University Education: B.S. in Ningbotech…

He et al. demonstrate that Mediator complex subunits have functions beyond their known roles in transcription. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab079 By Huaming He, Patrick Willems, Frank Van Breusegem, and Amna Mhamdi Background: Plants often face challenging environments to which they…

Humans have derived inspiration from innumerable corners of the natural world. Plants of diverse forms have inspired many “biomimetics,” or technical products derived from biological models. Speck and Speck review how plant-based biomimetics have developed over time and elaborate on their current…

In many plants, epidermal pavement cells lock together through interdigitating lobes, much like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.  These cells start out as regular squarish cells with straight walls, which then bow out and curve. Here, Belteton et al. investigate how lobes form in cotyledon pavement cells.…

Plants demonstrate a gorgeous diversity in cell types to adapt to their unique environments. Certain cell types, such as the epidermal, cortex, and vascular cells within plant roots, or the classically-defined root developmental zones (meristematic, elongation, and maturation), are homologous in angiosperms.…

Precise cell cycle control is essential for the differentiation of specialized cell types. Stomata, essential pores for gas exchange located in the epidermis, are generated via proliferative asymmetric cell division (ACD) of a transient stem cell called a meristemoid, which will give rise to a guard…