Category: Research

Machine learning is a booming research field, also in Plant Science. Here, Wu et al. use chromatin modifications and transcription factors to predict transcription levels in Arabidopsis and rice. This is not only important for prediction but also to understand the mechanisms underlying epigenetic regulation.…

Review: Functional status of xylem through time ($) If you haven’t been paying attention, you may have missed the great advances that have been taking place in xylem research recently. This excellent review by Brodersen et al. is your chance to catch up. Like all aspects of plant science, new…

Variegation in different organ types has been of great interest to biologists. The study of pigment variegation in maize kernels led to the discovery of transposable elements (McClintock, 1950), whereas the study of eye pigment variegation in Drosophila has led to interesting insights into chromatin…

Polar localization of plasma membrane proteins is an important way cells regulate signaling pathways, transport across membranes, and growth. Polarization has obvious cellular effects, but localization of membrane components also contributes significantly to processes such as tip growth in root hairs…

Mariana Diaz, first author of SMC5/6 Complex Subunit NSE4A is Involved in DNA Damage Repair and Seed Development in Arabidopsis Current position: Postdoctoral researcher, Matsunaga laboratory, Tokyo University of Science Education: Ph.D., University of Cologne/Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding…

Jiang et al. isolated a plastid-localized RNA-chaperone-like protein and investigated its function. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00946.  By Jingjing Jiang, Xin Chai, Nikolay Manavski, and Wei Chi  Background: RNA folding, which underlies the formation of RNA structure, is important…

Guo et al. uncover a unique electron donor protein for syringyl lignin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Cell (2019). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00778  By Chang-Jun Liu  Background: Plants use sugar from photosynthesis as a carbon and energy source for their growth and development.…

The auspicious timing of seasonal germination is crucial to plant fitness and survival. Consequently, seed dormancy is tightly regulated by both developmental and environmental cues, which are integrated via crosstalk between several phytohormone signaling pathways including gibberellins, abscisic acid…