Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are often presented as something of enigmas. They are damaging by-products of metabolism and stress, but also intentionally produced as a signal and defense response to pathogens. This excellent Update by Bleau and Spoel synthesizes new…

Plants possess a complex series of local and systemic signaling networks driven by multiple stimuli. They translate this information into plant-wide response to coordinate their physiology and development.  Here, Johns et al. review these communication pathways, which function across different scales…

It’s one of those plants that gets noticed, so we’re excited to see the press associated with the genome sequence of the large endoparasitic plant Sapria himalayana. Everyone has seen pictures of this plant, which lives entirely underground except when it produces its large (20 cm diameter) blood…

Bacteria can exploit the stomatal pores to gain entry into plant leaves. Previous studies have demonstrated that guard cells close in response to flagellin, an effect that is described as stomatal immunity. Like ABA-induced stomatal closure, this involves the movements of ions and water from the guard…

Legume seeds are typically physically dormant, meaning they have an impermeable seed coat that prevents water uptake. In fire-prone ecosystems, this dormancy is presumably broken when the seed coat is cracked due to being exposed to fire or the daily temperature fluctuations found in burnt sites. However,…

Review: Selective redox signaling shapes plant-pathogen interactions Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are often presented as something of enigmas. They are damaging by-products of metabolism and stress, but also intentionally produced as a signal and defense response…

Maryam Rahmati Ishka, first author of Arabidopsis Ca2+-ATPases 1, 2, and 7 in the endoplasmic reticulum contribute to growth and pollen fitness Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), Reno, Nevada, USA Non-scientific…

Yiming Kong, first author of Brassinosteroid Homeostasis Is Critical for the Functionality of Medicago truncatula Pulvinus Current Position: Ph.D. candidate, The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University,…