Acyl lipids are a wide range of compounds that have diverse functions in membrane synthesis, energy storage, and signal transduction. Fatty acids are key building blocks of acyl lipids that are synthesized by the fatty acid synthase complex via sequential condensation of two-carbon units to reach lengths…

Liu et al. demonstrate an integration of massive genetic mapping and high-throughput targeted mutagenesis to accelerate functional gene identification in maize. The Plant Cell (2020) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00934 By Hai-Jun Liu & Jianbing Yan, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement,…

Stomata, from the Greek “mouths,” are tiny pores in the epidermis of many plant aerial tissues that are “fed” carbon dioxide for making sugar. But plants also lose water through these same pores via transpiration. Stomatal aperture regulation in response to environmental cues is therefore of…

Burko et al. carry out detailed phenotypic and molecular analyses of constitutive activator and repressor HY5 fusion proteins to identify its direct targets. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00772 Background: Plants are highly responsive to environmental factors, and differences in light,…

When air temperatures rise above the comfortable level, plants initiate a cooling mechanism to prevent heat stress. High ambient temperatures induce a specific set of growth responses, termed thermomorphogenesis, which includes enhanced hypocotyl and petiole elongation, and leaf hyponasty (reviewed by…

Wheat (Triticum spp.), one of the oldest cultivated cereals, is a major food crop grown in many regions with temperate climates. At present, wheat is grown over a wider area than any other commercial crop. Given its importance, extensive marker-assisted breeding of wheat varieties has been undertaken…

Chu et al. demonstrate that a special address code is required for efficient protein import into root plastids. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00702 By Hsou-min Li, Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan Background: Chloroplasts are the most famous…

Magdalena Julkowska Magdalena.Julkowska@kaust.edu.sa  Reacting to the environment requires not only activating signaling cascades but also modulating the activity of individual components in a context- and time-dependent manner. For example, under non-stress conditions protein phosphatases 2C…