Proper organogenesis depends on the precise control of cell proliferation and differentiation. Cytokinin and auxin have emerged as key regulators of both these processes, where cytokinin promotes proliferation and synergistically with auxin fine-tunes the proliferation and differentiation rate. Years…

This is an engrossing paper. The authors start off with a simple mutant screen for abnormal root growth in rice seedlings, through which they identified three “long root” mutant alleles of a rice mutant in a gene encoding a histidine kinase, HK1. Careful analysis showed that the mutant roots fail…

As a way to circumnavigate the plant innate immune system, phytopathogens evolved effector molecules that protect the pathogen from the plant’s defenses. SAP05, an effector from the insect-vectored phytoplasma Candidatus (a bacterial obligate parasite), is responsible for the plant phenotype observed…

Review: Perspectives on improving light distribution and light use efficiency in crop canopies Light comes largely from above, and plants have evolved strategies to efficiently capture this light even when competing with other potentially shading plants. However, at a field-level, such competition…

Simpson et al. describe and use PODIUM, a tool for global annotation of metabolites. Plant Cell (https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaa046) By Jeffrey Simpson, Brian Dilkes, Clint Chapple Background: Plants synthesize hundreds to thousands of different chemicals. These chemicals help plants adapt…

Ruizhen Li, first author of Inflorescence abscission protein SlIDL6 promotes low light intensity-induced tomato flower abscission Current Position: Master candidate, Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China Education:…

Jelena Cvetkovic, first author of Ectopic maltase alleviates dwarf phenotype and improves plant frost tolerance of maltose transporter mutants Current Position: Senior Scientist Seeking Work Education: PhD in Molecular plant physiology at the Free University Berlin, Germany; MSc in Molecular Biology…

Zhijuan Wang co-first author of AtLURE1/PRK6-Mediated Signaling Promotes Conspecific Micropylar Pollen Tube Guidance Current position: Postdoc, School of Life Sciences, Peking University Education: Ph.D. in School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China; Bachelor in College of Plant…