Research

Disease-suppressive soils have long been known, although it hasn’t always been clear how they function. Previous studies have suggested that soil microbes are responsible for disease suppression, because the suppressive property can be transferred to other soils and is lost when soil is sterilized.…

Some species of Streptomyces bacteria produce antimicrobial compounds that have been shown to enhance plant resistance to pathogens. Kim et al. show that his protection can extend to a pollinator.  The Streptomyces defends the plant against Botrytis cinerea and protects the bees against insect pathogens…

This is a very interesting paper that provide a new, fast and easy protocol, with specific step-by-step instructions, for a trustworthy imaging with cellular resolution of fixed Arabidopsis ovules at different developmental stages. The authors combine two previously outlined techniques: clearing of fixed…

It’s known to all that plant biotechnology can enhance food security, but there are also inevitable disadvantages of these new approaches. At present, introducing DNA into a plant genome is slow and expensive. Recently, Doyle et al. developed a new method which claims to be simple, inexpensive, fast,…

Many discussions about organic food production are dominated by dogma rather than pragmatism. Nevertheless, here’s a useful report that examines the impact of organic farming methods in England and Wales on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Are the well-documented lower yields offset by differences in…

Review: Exchange of small regulatory RNAs between plants and their pests Trans-species small RNAs are the latest class in the family of signals that move between plants and their attackers. Hudzik et al. review this topic, covering small RNAs that move from plant to pest and from pest to plant. The…

Sidney L. Shaw Dept. of Biology (and Physics), Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 [email protected]   How cell expansion is controlled to achieve a specific cell morphology remains one of the frontier questions in plant biology.  The carefully guided extension of the plant…

Chloroplast development in germinating seedlings initiates upon illumination. Whereas chloroplasts in true leaves develop directly from proplastids, chloroplasts in cotyledons of dark-grown seedlings develop from an intermediate type of plastid called an etioplast. During development, etioplasts accumulate…

Author: Trevor H. Yeats, Email: [email protected] Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca NY USA (Commentary on Liu et al.) Lipid synthesis is a ubiquitous, but costly branch of primary metabolism in plants. All cells must make…

One of the key aspects of pathogenesis is the ability to sabotage host defenses and, to this end, plant pathogens produce a remarkable set of effector proteins that target host defenses at multiple levels. Plants, in turn, have defenses to counteract these effectors; one key aspect of this is the ability…

Photosystem biogenesis in the chloroplast requires a concerted effort between synthesis and assembly of components including protein subunits, pigments, and other cofactors that varies both temporally and spatially. Sun, Valente-Paterno et al. (2019) investigate the translation zone (T-zone) of unicellular…

Liana T. Burghardt, co-first author of A 'Select and Resequence' approach reveals strain-specific effects of Medicago nodule-specific PLAT-domain genes Current Position: I am a post-doc in the Plant and Microbial Biology department at the University of Minnesota. In Spring 2020, I start my lab as an…

Diana Trujillo, co-first author of A 'Select and Resequence' approach reveals strain-specific effects of Medicago nodule-specific PLAT-domain genes Current Position: Principal Scientist, MNPHARM, Minnesota - USA Education: PhD in Microbial and Plant Biology, University of Minnesota Non-scientific…

Wei Xu, first author of Genomic analysis reveals rich genetic variation and potential targets of selection during domestication of castor bean from perennial woody tree to annual semi-woody crop Current Position: Associate Professor of plant molecular biology at Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB), Chinese…

Amna Mhamdi Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, and VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052 Ghent, Belgium Address correspondence to [email protected] NONEXPRESSER OF PR GENES 1 (NPR1) controls plant immunity and is key to salicylic acid (SA)-dependent…

Boachon et al. explore metabolic processes associated with floral defense. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00320 By Benoît Boachon, University of Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, BVpam FRE 3727, Saint-Etienne, France. Danièle Werck-Reichhart, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology of…

Andre O. Hudson, co-first author of The Arabidopsis thaliana gene annotated by the locus tag At3g08860 encodes alanine aminotransferase Current Position: Professor/Head-Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences Education: BS, Biology-Virginia Union University, PhD-Plant Biology/Pathology-Rutgers…

Shu-Yi Yang, first author of uORF and Phosphate-Regulated Expression of Rice OsNLA1 Controls Phosphate Transport and Reproduction Current Position: Assistant Professor, Institute of Plant Biology, National   Taiwan University Education: PhD, University of Lausanne, Switzerland Non-scientific…

André Vidal Meireles, first author of Ascorbate deficiency does not limit non-photochemical quenching in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Current Position: Post-doctoral research associate position under Dr. Szilvia Z. Tóth at the Institute of Plant Biology of the Biological Research Centre Szeged (Hungary) Education:…

Eleonore Holzwart, first author of A mutant allele uncouples the brassinosteroid-dependent and independent functions of BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 Current Position: Post-Doc, Plant Development, Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University Education: PhD (2018) in Plant Molecular Biology…

Chengsong Zhao, co-first author of An improved recombineering toolset for plants Current Position: Research Scholar in the Alonso-Stepanova laboratory, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA Education: Ph.D. in Horticulture…

Javier Brumos, co-first author of An improved recombineering toolset for plants Current Position: Research Scholar in the Alonso-Stepanova laboratory, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA Education: Ph.D. in Biotechnology…

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small (~21 nucleotide) non-coding RNAs that function as post-transcriptional repressors of gene expression. In plants, miRNAs recognize their target mRNAs based on perfect, or near-perfect, sequence complementarity, ultimately mediating their cleavage and/or translational…

Guido Durian, first author of PP2A-B′γ controls Botrytis cinerea resistance and developmental leaf senescence Current position: Postdoctoral researcher, Molecular Plant Biology unit, University of Turku, Finland Education: Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.); Freie Universität Berlin,…

A major challenge in modern agriculture is to increase crop yield with diminishing agricultural land to feed the fast-growing global population. The erect leaf phenotype is a highly desirable trait that allows for higher planting density and maximizes light interception capacity and thus increases photosynthetic…

Legumes are important crops because they are protein-rich, as a consequence of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). In the past 20 years, through forward and reverse genetics more than 200 genes have been identified that are involved in this process, from recognition through nodule differentiation and…

Photosynthesis occurs in several ways, only one of which releases oxygen as a product. As oxygen-breathing organisms, we are totally dependent on oxygenic photosynthesis, which is restricted to cyanobacteria and green plant plastids. In this review, Sánchez‐Baracaldo and Cardona examine how recent…

ABA is synthesized in response to water stress and promotes stomatal closure, thus decreasing transpiration. Crop yields can be increased by controlling transpiration early in the growing season, ensuring that soil water resources persist through the seed-set period. Building upon earlier studies, Vaidya,…

Following interspecific hybridization, one of the two parental genomes (aka subgenomes) tends to become dominant (more highly retained and expressed). What determines which of the subgenomes will become dominant, or is it random? To explore this question, Bird et al. made several crosses between Brassica…

With a collaborative effort by multiple laboratories across the world, a database of transcriptomics data has been generated for 1124 species encompassing green plants, glaucophytes, and red algae. This extensive work referred to as onekp (one thousand plant transcriptomes) will aid in researchers to…

In Arabidopsis and other angiosperms, transition to flowering is controlled by a regulatory module that includes transcription factors from the SPL family and a miRNA miR156 targeting them. Marchantia and bryophytes do not make flowers, but there is an equivalent module that includes miR529c and a single…

Plants are vigorous and sensitive organisms that can move various organs: leaves, shoots, tendrils, flower petals and roots. Movements in plants are usually regarded as a response to an environmental stimulus, such as light, temperature, or gravity. However, plants also are capable of autonomous, endogenous…

When considering the traditional structure of mentorship in doctoral programs, it is easy to credit the doctoral advisor as the primary expert and liaison to their graduate students in a mentorship strategy known as the cognitive apprenticeship model. Contrary to this strategy is the cascading mentorship…

Due to their stability and far-reaching support at all career stages, scientific societies are uniquely well-equipped to serve as trail-blazers in promoting the advancement of under-represented minority (URM) scientists. Scientific societies that participate in diversity initiatives are ubiquitous, however…

Review: Celebrating 20 years of genetic discoveries in legume nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation Legumes are important crops because they are protein-rich, as a consequence of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). In the past 20 years, through forward and reverse genetics more than 200 genes…

Carotenoid pigments not only produce the vibrant yellows and oranges of flowers, fruits, and autumn leaves, but they also are important in both plant and human health. They act both as accessory pigments in photosynthetic light harvesting and as photoprotectants that absorb excess energy during photosynthesis. …

Maria Grazia Annunziata Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany. [email protected] ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8593-1741 Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is the central enzyme of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in the…

Huang et al. uncover how SnRK1 kinase complex promotes the autophagy activity by phosphorylating ATG6 under prolonged dark conditions. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00066 By Huang Xiao and Faqiang Li, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China Background:…

Morel et al. investigate AP1/SEP/AGL6 MADS-box transcription factor functions in Petunia. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00162 By Michiel Vandenbussche Background: The ABCE model is a simple genetic model that explains how the different floral organs in the flower (sepals, petals, stamens…

Plasmodesmata, small cytoplasmic channels connecting adjacent cells, allow small molecules to move and redistribute information and resources. Plasmodesmatal aperture is highly regulated, which is crucial to development and defense. Hernández-Hernández et al. review the contribution of turgor pressure…

Campilho et al. have written an interesting review about the molecular basis of periderm development. During secondary growth (increase in girth) of most gymnosperms and dicots, the outer epidermal layer is gradually replaced by the periderm, which facilitates gas exchange and defense. Periderm is composed…

Nothing beats being able see gene expression in real time and space. In recent years, plant biologists have made great strides in understanding plants by using the visual reporters GUS, green fluorescent protein (and other fluorescent proteins) and luciferase. Each of these requires either a substrate…

Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal organism of blast disease in rice and wheat, is the most devasting pathogen in rice production. During infection, it develops a germ tube that forms an infection structure called the appressorium. Through septin-mediated reorganization of the cytoskeleton, a high amount…

Plant vascular tissues continue to proliferate post-embryogenesis via the cambium, a lateral meristem. Until recently the transcription factors regulating meristem maintenance and promoting differentiation were still unknown. In this paper, Zhang et al. identified multiple transcription factors using…

Plants can regenerate organs after damage, or even regenerate a whole plant. The regeneration efficiency is different across the organism. In this study, Durgaprasad et al. studied the factors that determine regeneration competence across Arabidopsis roots. They focussed on PLETHORA2 (PLT2), a gene involved…

Food security is a major issue in sub-Saharan Africa, aggravated by rapid population growth and low soil fertility. Stewart et al. explore approaches to improve soil fertility, hence food production, in this region. They argue for a holistic approach that addresses not only yields, but also poverty reduction…

Besides being the carrier of male gametes in plants, pollen cells also unexpectedly contained some toxic properties that are collectively called “Pollen Defensive Compounds”. This raises the question: what is the evolutionary significance of these toxic compounds? In this Viewpoint by Rivest and…

Review: Interplay between turgor pressure and plasmodesmata during development Plasmodesmata, small cytoplasmic channels connecting adjacent cells, allow small molecules to move and redistribute information and resources. Plasmodesmatal aperture is highly regulated, which is crucial to development…

Simple plant cell morphologies, such as cylindrical shoot cells, are determined by the extensibility pattern of the primary cell wall, which is thought to be largely dominated by cellulose microfibrils, but the mechanism leading to more complex shapes, such as the brick-shaped or jigsaw-like patterns…

Benoît Boachon, first author of A Promiscuous CYP706A3 Reduces Terpene Volatile Emission from Arabidopsis Flowers, Affecting Florivores and the Floral Microbiome Current Position: Research associate, University of Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, BVpam FRE 3727, Saint-Etienne, France Education: PhD…

Carrot (Daucus carota ssp. sativus) are classified into two groups: the carotene group (variety sativus) and the anthocyanin group (variety atrorubens). Carotene group members, also known as nonpurple carrots, accumulate massive amounts of carotenoids in their roots. Anthocyanin group members, also known…

Christina B. Azodi, fist author of Transcriptome-based prediction of complex traits in maize Current Position: Ph.D. candidate in the lab of Dr. Shin-Han Shiu at Michigan State University, MI, USA. Starting post-doctoral research associate position in November under Dr. Davis McCarthy at St. Vincent’s…

The circadian clock of plants coordinates many molecular, physiological and metabolic processes to optimize the plant's health and survival in an ever-changing environment. The core circadian clock component TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 (TOC1) integrates environmental stress responses in plants through…

Lignin is a complex polymer deposited in plant cell walls that provides mechanical support and facilitates the transport of water and solutes through the vascular system, and aids in plant defense. Lignin waterproofs plant cells by providing a hydrophobic environment by chemical bonding with cellulose…

Following formation of a polyploid plant, cells need to manage issues such as gene dosage and chromosome pairing/segregation to help the formerly separate genomes get along in the same nucleus. As the genomes adjust, chromosomes may undergo recombination, rearrangements, gene loss, and other perturbations,…

Author: Skelton, Robert Paul [email protected] Institution: Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720. Burying one’s head in the sand is usually synonymous with avoiding an issue, but in this volume of Plant Physiology Colombi et al. (2019)…

Lee and Bailey-Serres uncover multiple aspects of nuclear and whole-cell epigenetic and post-transcriptional gene regulation in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00463 By T. A. Lee and J. Bailey-Serres Background: Plant cells require oxygen to generate ATP, similar to our own…

Niankui Li, co-first author of A sequence-indexed Mutator insertional library for maize functional genomics study Current Position: Ph.D. Student. Molecular & Environmental Plant Sciences, Texas A&M University, USA Education: Master of Agronomy, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China…

Lei Liang, co-first author of A sequence-indexed Mutator insertional library for maize functional genomics study Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate. State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, National Maize Improvement Center, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural…

Teagen Quilichini, co-first author of The Transcriptional Landscape of Polyploid Wheats and their Diploid Ancestors during Embryogenesis and Grain Development Current Position: Assistant Research Officer, National Research Council Canada, Saskatoon, Canada Education: PhD, Department of Botany, University…

Daoquan Xiang, co-first author of The Transcriptional Landscape of Polyploid Wheats and their Diploid Ancestors during Embryogenesis and Grain Development Current Position: Research Officer, Principal Investigator, National Research Council Canada Education: Ph.D in Plant Genetics and Breeding from…

Maja Schuster, fist author of Limited Responsiveness of Chloroplast Gene Expression during Acclimation to High Light in Tobacco Current Position: Phd student, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Germany Education: B.Sc. in Life Science with focus on Biochemistry and M.Sc. in Bioinformatics Non-scientific…

The phytohormone auxin plays critical roles in various plant developmental programs by controlling cell expansion and polarity, as well as organ patterning. Auxin action relies on polar transport through different plant tissues. Auxin transport inhibitors are important tools for understanding auxin-dependent…

Plasmodesmata are membranous pores that span the plant cell wall creating both cytoplasmic and membrane continuums between cells. By interconnecting most cells throughout the entire plant body, plasmodesmata form a symplastic network that supports and controls the movement of molecules from cell to cell,…

Yan Zhang, co-first author of Cryo-EM structure of the plant actin filaments from Zea mays pollen Current Position: Associate professor Working Experience: 2014-Current Associate professor, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science 2017-2018   Visitor Associate professor, University…

Zhanhong Ren, co-first author of Cryo-EM structure of the plant actin filaments from Zea mays pollen Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, Center for Biological Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Beijing…

Jing Fan, first author of CircRNAs are involved in the rice-Magnaporthe oryzae interaction Current Position: Associate Professor, Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, China Education: 2010, Ph.D. in Botany, Chongqing University, China; 2005, B.S. in Bioengineering, Chongqing…

Meng Xie, first author of A 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate 3-Phosphate Synthase Functions as a Transcriptional Repressor in Populus Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Education:…

An excellent way to explore the function of a gene is to knockout its expression and see what happens. The development of the targeted gene editing system CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) has triggered scores of gene knockout studies. CRISPR is based on a defense system…

Gene regulation occurs at multiple levels including transcription. During transcription, transcriptional factors bind to specific target sequence which allows the recruitment of other proteins including RNA polymerase that enables transcription. Understanding such an intricate mechanism allows researchers…

Auxin plays a major role in plant development and can alter the developmental program following the stress response. In this paper, Yamauchi et al., have identified the auxin signaling cascade involved in the development of aerenchyma and regulators of this auxin signaling might also be involved in lateral…

Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites synthesized by plants as a defense compound against pathogen and herbivore. In this paper Salehin et al., have demonstrated regulation of aliphatic glucosinolate levels by auxin signaling that promotes drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. The Aux/IAA proteins are…

Auxin is involved in multiple plant development and stress response which necessitates complexity in auxin signaling. Auxin at a particular threshold in the cells brings together the TIR1/AFB1-5 (TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE1/ AUXIN SIGNALING F-BOX 1-5) members and members of the 29 Aux/IAA members bound…

Auxin plays multiple developmental roles from embryogenesis to seed development. To understand the mechanism of auxin response in plants, researchers utilize the early-diverging land plant models, Physcomitrella patens and Marchantia polymorpha. In this paper, Thelander et al., have identified a…

Auxin signaling components are evolutionarily conserved across the land plants and the duplication events in these regulators enabled complexity in development. Auxin regulated developmental programming occurs through the ARF (AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORS) transcriptional factors. Marchantia polymorpha serves…

Guest Editor : Suresh Damodaran I am a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. Lucia Strader’s lab at WUSTL. My primary area of interest is understanding the role of plant hormones in development. I completed my graduate degree in Dr. Sen Subramanian’s lab at SDSTATE.  Twitter: @SureshDamod   Design…

Decaestecker and Buono et al. develop a system for tissue-specific gene knockout to enable phenotypic analysis of context-specific gene function. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00454 By Ward Decaestecker, Rafael Andrade Buono, Moritz Nowack and Thomas Jacobs Background: As plant molecular…

Plant hormones are frequently modified by glycosylation, hydroxylation, methylation and other conjugations, and these modifications can alter the hormone’s activity and stability (Wang et al., 2019). The phytohormone salicylic acid orchestrates effective defense and mediates local and systemic-acquired…

Carotenoids are tetraterpenoid (C40) lipophilic compounds that are widely distributed in nature and play key roles in pigmentation, photosynthesis, and development (Nisar et al., 2015). Detailed biochemical and genetic analyses have uncovered the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway, which generates a diverse…

The land invasion by plants more than 500 million years ago was facilitated by the formation of mutualistic symbioses with fungi, through which the earliest plants gained access to mineral nutrients in exchange for photosynthetically fixed carbon (C). It was long hypothesized that this ancient mycorrhiza-like…

Wildfire smoke contains certain potent bioactive compounds (butenolides) that play a major role in regulating the germination of many plant species, predominantly grasses and shrub species from fire-prone ecosystems but also many non-fire-dependent plants such as rice (Oryza sativa), wild oats (Avena…

Gravity is a key determinant in orienting plant stems for proper growth and development. An intact and dynamic actin cytoskeleton is thought to be important for plants to respond to gravity; however, pharmaceutical treatment and mutant analyses have yielded conflicting results. In Arabidopsis (Arabdopsis…

High temperatures caused by climate change are predicted to decrease cereal productivity in many parts of the world. Yield losses due to rising temperatures have already been reported for major cereal crops including maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum sp.), and rice (Oryza sativa). These cereals together…

In acidic soils, phytotoxic levels of active aluminum (Al) are released from Al-containing minerals when the pH drops to 5 or lower. These active Al forms, primarily Al3+, often threaten root vitality and inhibit primary root elongation, thus limiting the acquisition of nutrient elements and water necessary…

Demurtas et al. developed a high-throughput approach to identifying vacuolar transporters and used it to explore transport of crocins in saffron. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00193 By Olivia C. Demurtas and Giovanni Giuliano Background: The saffron spice is made of dried stigmas from…

Providing around 20% of global calories, rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important staple crops (Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), 2013). With consumption particularly increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, it is vital to increase rice yields to supply the…

Saffron spice is prized for its aroma, flavor, and color. The latter derives from highly concentrated apocarotenoid glycosides called crocins.  Accumulation of specialized metabolites like crocins often requires their sequestration in the vacuole to prevent cellular toxicity, feedback inhibition of…

When plants are under attack, they activate defense programs including the biosynthesis of chemical defense compounds. The biosynthesis of these phytochemicals has to occur rapidly and represents a major sink of nutrients and amino acids. How plants optimize the mass production of chemical weapons remains…

Tautvydas Shuipys, first author of A Synthetic Peptide Encoded by a Random DNA Sequence Inhibits Discrete Red Light Responses Current Position: PhD Candidate in the Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program at the University of Florida Education: PhD in Genetics and Genomics at the University of Florida…

Jacob O. Brunkard, first author of Plant cell-cell transport via plasmodesmata is regulated by light and the circadian clock Current Position: Principal Investigator, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley and Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service Education:…

Maite Olaetxea Indaburu, first author of Root ABA and H+-ATPase are key players in the root- and shoot growth promoting action of humic acids Current Position: Post-doc position in research at University of Navarra, Spain (Environmental Biology Group); part time University Instructor at the Public University…

Damián Balfagón Sanmartín, first author of Jasmonic acid is required for plant acclimation to a combination of high light and heat stress Current Position: PhD student at University Jaume I of Castellón, Spain Education: BSc in Agriculture Engineering and MSc Agriculture Biotechnology at University…

Tianhu Sun, fist author of ORANGE Represses Chloroplast Biogenesis in Etiolated Arabidopsis Cotyledons via Interaction with TCP14 Current Position: Post-Doctoral Associate, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University Education: PhD in Biology and BS in Plant Biology from Nanjing University (Nanjing,…

Cope et al. show how lipochitooligosaccharides produced by the mycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor enhance colonization of Populus roots  Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00676 By Kevin R. Cope, University of Wisconsin–Madison (currently at S. Dakota State Univ.) and Jean-Michel Ané,…

You et al. show that LEUNIG_HOMOLOG Facilitates Jaresponses via interactions with the histone acetyltransferase HAC1 and the Mediator complex coactivator MED25.   Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00115 By Yanrong You and Chuanyou Li, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese…

This week’s Plant Science Research Weekly is guest edited by Arif Ashraf. He is a postdoc at Facette lab in the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his research focus is deciphering the asymmetric cell division during stomatal development. He is working as an ASPB ambassador, Plantae Fellow, Co-founder…

Phytochromes are a family of red/far-red light photoreceptors, which positively regulate photomorphogenesis upon red-light perception. Photomorphogenesis is driven by light-induced global transcriptional reprogramming, of which phytochromes are one of the most important regulators. In addition to transcriptional…

During the course of time, we have realized the importance of biodiversity for the maintenance of the ecosystem. However, the world has already been fragmented in small parts which resulted in a huge loss of habitat and threatening to biodiversity. Habitat connectivity, which means the degree to which…

CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) is one of the best characterized E3 ubiquitin ligases with broad roles as a central repressor of light signaling in plants to cancer biology in mammals. In plants, COP1 interacts with SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA-105 1 family members (SPA1-SPA4) and forms a stable COP1/SPA…

Stomatal development has been studied thoroughly in the dicot model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, but stomatal development fundamentally differs between dicot and monocot for the subsidiary cells, a pair of dumbbell-shaped cells adjacent to the guard cell, formation. In this study, Wang et al., identified…

Plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in response to insect herbivory. The potential for VOCs to serve as diffusible signals has long been recognized. For example, VOCs can signal neighbors to prime for defense, signal distant parts of the emitting plant, and even attract predatory insects…

Plants produce pigments as a protective strategy against biotic and abiotic stress. In angiosperms, anthocyanins are the main flavonoids that play a role in this function. As the early-diverging land plant, Marchantia polymorpha also produces red pigments in response to environmental conditions, it was…

You probably know well the sweet and yellow “smooth cayenne” pineapple (Ananas comosus). This fruit was domesticated a few millennia ago in South America. Pineapple domestication targeted fiber production, color, and sugar accumulation. How it happened remained mysterious. To resolve this mystery,…

The ability to introduce base-specific changes through CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has given scientists fantastic tools with which to understand and modify the genes that control plant development and physiology. New tools and refinements to this toolkit are being developed rapidly. In this new work, Decaestecker…

When a few species from several distantly related groups produce a similar but unusual trait, we usually assume that this trait is an example of convergent evolution; starting from different places but ending up at the same place. The ability to eat plants that produce cardiac glycosides, which are toxic…

Transcription factors (TFs) act through TF binding sites (TFBSs) to control the transcription of associated genes. TFBSs are short and degenerate sequences that are often depicted using a Position Weight Matrix, which contain invariant nucleotides that are crucial for TF binding and variable nucleotides…

Pyrimidine nucleotides (e.g., dCTP, dTTP, UTP, and CTP) are essential building blocks for DNA and RNA synthesis in all organisms. In plants, sucrose and cell wall polymer synthesis depend on pyrimidine nucleotide-derived substrates, such as UDP-glucose, and important classes of membrane lipids are made…

Flowering plants integrate endogenous and external cues to accurately time the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth (Cho et al., 2017). Many plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana, sense changes in day length (photoperiod) to transition to flowering as the season changes. Decades of careful…

Karki et al. revisit the long-standing question of how and where lipid trafficking occurs during galactolipid synthesis. They report evidence for metabolically distinct pools of phosphatidylcholine, suggesting an underlying spatial organization in the ER–chloroplast metabolic interactions. Plant Cell…

Author: Masanori Izumi Affiliation: RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako 351-0198, Japan Newly synthesized proteins must be folded to form their proper 3D structures. Stresses perturb protein folding, thereby leading to the hyperaccumulation of misfolded or aggregated proteins. Such…

Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings exposed to heat stress (>42ºC) suffer high lethality rates unless exposed to milder heat (37ºC) beforehand. This pre-exposure distinguishes basal from acquired thermotolerance and has been extensively studied over the years. However, experimental conditions used to…

Researchers have identified and confirmed the gene responsible for lutein esterification in bread wheat. The activity of this gene controls the timing of esterification in grain, which is related to storage and nutritional qualities of bread wheat and other grains. Researchers Jacinta Watkins and Barry…

Dr. Raimund Nagel Iowa State University Plants produce a plethora of natural products that function as defensive compounds are frequently used by humans for medicinal purposes. A majority of these natural products, however, are either found in low concentrations, in slow growing plants, or are…

Dorota Kawa, first author of SnRK2 protein kinases and mRNA decapping machinery control root development and response to salt Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher, Plant Biology & Genome Center, University of California, Davis Education: PhD University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2017);…

Meisha Holloway-Phillips Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland [email protected] Since Terashima and Saeki (1983) demonstrated that light attenuation through the leaf was accompanied by spectral changes, there has been increasing interest in how light…

Elisa Dell'Aglio, first author of Identification of the Arabidopsis calmodulin-dependent NAD+ kinase that sustains the elicitor-induced oxidative burst Current Position: Research Assistant INSA-INRA Lyon (France) Education: PhD in Plant Biochemistry Non-scientific Interests: science journalism,…

If you’ve ever spoken publicly about GM crops, you’ve probably heard people express concern about how eating GM crops might affect their health. Smyth lays out a positive case for the human health benefits of GM crops, which will be a useful resource for science communicators. Here he focuses on…

Maize kernels have a triploid endosperm and a diploid embryo. Storage reserves move from the endosperm to the embryo as it grows. Mutants have been identified with abnormal embryos but normal endosperms, although usually a defective endosperm prevents normal embryo formation. Here Zheng and Li et al.…

In the absence of light, plants undergo skotomorphogenesis, characterized by longer hypocotyls, closed and yellowish cotyledons, and apical hooks. in the presence of light, they undergo photomorphogenesis, with inhibited hypocotyl elongation, and open and expanded green cotyledons. Light also modulates…

Multiple approaches like T-DNA insertion and small RNA- and CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene silencing/knockdown are used to alter the expression of specific genes. This allows researchers to understand gene function during plant development or under any physiological condition. The most challenging task in…

When pathogens attack, one line of defense is the production of a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which triggers additional defences. ROS is produced by the action of NADPH oxidases, which require NADPH as a substrate; NADPH is derived from NADP+, but where does this come from? Previous studies…

Lateral roots are secondary root organs arising through the dedifferentiation of inner cell layers in the primary root. Nodules arise through symbiosis with rhizobia bacteria in a certain clade of land plants and they also arise through dedifferentiation. Both lateral roots and nodules are part of the…

The problem with gene expression profiling is that it preferentially reports on the more highly-expressed genes. Capture sequencing uses targeted sequence libraries to pull out transcripts from genes of interest, including lowly expressed genes, so that their signals aren’t overwhelmed. To explore…

Previously, the needle1 (ndl1) maize mutant was identified as showing a variable phenotype mainly affecting the tassel. Here, Liu et al. showed that this variability arises due to its temperature sensitivity, with strongest effects at warmer temperatures. In some cases, the plants arrest before reaching…

Letter. The human health benefits from GM crops If you’ve ever spoken publicly about GM crops, you’ve probably heard people express concern about how eating GM crops might affect their health. Smyth lays out a positive case for the human health benefits of GM crops, which will be a useful resource…

Lignin makes up to 27% of the dry weight of wood and is important structurally as well as serving as an effective carbon sink. Lignin is produced from monolignol precursors that are released into the apoplast and then polymerized. Previous studies have suggested that the monolignols are produced not…

Qingwen Shen, first author of Dual Activities of Plant cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase and its Roles in Gibberellin Signaling and Salt Stress Current Position: Research assistant in National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, China Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry…

Peter Crisp, first author of Variation and inheritance of small RNAs in maize inbreds and F1 hybrids Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Springer Lab, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota Education: PhD Plant Science, Pogson Lab, Centre for Plant Energy Biology,…

Nischal Karki, first author of Metabolically distinct pools of phosphatidylcholine are involved in trafficking of fatty acids out of and into the chloroplast for membrane production Current Position: Graduate Student, Chemistry, Southern Methodist University Education: B.S. in Biochemistry, University…

Lang Pan, first author of Aldo-keto reductase metabolizes glyphosate and confers glyphosate resistance in Echinochloa colona Current Position: Associate Professor, College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, China Education: 2013-2018, Ph.D. student, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing…

Rafael Andrade Buono, co-first author of CRISPR-TSKO: A Technique for Efficient Mutagenesis in Specific Cell Types, Tissues, or Organs in Arabidopsis Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow in the group of Dr. Moritz Nowack, VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology Education: PhD in Botany from University…

Ward Decaestecker, co-first author of CRISPR-TSKO: A Technique for Efficient Mutagenesis in Specific Cell Types, Tissues, or Organs in Arabidopsis Current Position: PhD student in the group of Dr. Thomas Jacobs, VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology Education: BSc and MSc in Biochemistry and…

Batthula Vijaya Lakshmi Vadde, first author of The TCP4 transcription factor directly activates TRICHOMELESS1 and 2 and suppresses trichome initiation Current Position:Postdoctoral Associate, Adrienne Roeder’s Lab, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA Education: PhD in Plant Developmental…

Jacinta Watkins, first author of A GDSL esterase/lipase catalyzes the esterification of lutein in bread wheat Current Position: PhD candidate, Pogson lab, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University Education:…

Karen Kloth, first author of PECTIN ACETYLESTERASE9 Affects the Transcriptome and Metabolome and Delays Aphid Feeding Current Position: Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University Education: BSc and MSc in Biology, Phd in genetical genomics of plant-aphid interactions Non-scientific…

Watkins et al. have identified XAT as the enzyme responsible for esterification and subsequent  stabilization of lutein in wheat grains. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.09.00272 By Jacinta Watkinsa, Barry Pogsona and Diane Matherb. aARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Energy Biology, Research…

Maria Grazia Annunziata Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany. Lignin is a class of complex aromatic polymers particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark. Lignin contributes to plant structure, support and defence…

Lynn GL Richardson Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 Positive strand (+) RNA viruses act as their own messengers, encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that can replicate their sense RNA genome. This allows (+)RNA viruses to replicate outside the…

Commentary by Maria Papanatsiou We live an era where omic approaches are essential to decode scientific hypotheses. Indeed, technological advances have accelerated science, resulting in a plethora of insights.  During the past decade, the plant science community has profited from using large and…

Flooding is unpredictable and can lead to plant death due to insufficient oxygen (hypoxia). Some plant species and varieties are better able to survive periods of submergence. Here, Reynoso et al. looked at gene networks induced transcriptionally and translationally by flooding in rice, Medicago and…

Genetic and molecular studies have revealed a complex exchange of signals and metabolites accompanying the development and process of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Clearly, the photosynthesis-capable plant provides fixed carbon to the bacterial symbiont, which uses some of this energy for its core metabolism…

Promoter regions upstream of transcription start sites contain DNA regulatory elements (RE) crucial for the transcriptional control of gene expression. However, REs are short degenerated sequences with low conservation during evolution. In this paper, Lieverman-Lazarovich et al. studied REs in core hormone…

Adventitious roots typically develop from non-root tissue like shoots either naturally in some species or upon induction by stress in most species. The key roles of auxin signaling in lateral root development are well known but the role of these regulators in adventitious roots with their high phenotypic…

In the 450 million(ish) years since plants acquired the ability to live on land, they have caused dramatic changes in the concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and O2 levels. As an example, due to tremendous increases in photosynthesis, CO2 levels dropped and O2 levels rose dramatically in the late Paleozoic…

The emerging disease wheat blast is devastating and has the capacity to cause 100% yield loss. Wheat blast is caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT). This pathotype is distinct from most of the pathotypes that causes disease in other plants such as M. oryzae Oryza (MoO) in rice.…

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) produces allicin (diallylthiosulfinate), which is an antibiotic defense substance. It can oxidize thiols in celular targets such as cysteines and glutathione.  Because allicin has multiple sites and mechanisms of action, it is difficult for an organism to become resistant.…

Esca is a leaf scorch (necrosis) disease of grapevine that causes tremendous yield losses. Bortolami et al. have investigated the etiology of this condition, which is known to be a consequence of fungal pathogen infection. But how exactly does the fungal infection contribute to the observed symptoms?…

One promising use of nanomaterials is the delivery of biomolecules into cells. Demirer et al. report a detailed protocol for Carbon Nano Tube-mediated DNA delivery into intact plants, allowing transformation without transgene integration, that can be used in both model and crop species. In brief, carboxylated…

Evolutionary flexibility in flooding response circuitry in angiosperms ($) Flooding is unpredictable and can lead to plant death due to insufficient oxygen (hypoxia). Some plant species and varieties are better able to survive periods of submergence. Here, Reynoso et al. looked at gene networks…

Wang et al. identify a protein that mediates Casparian strip formation at the endodermis in rice roots. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.000296 By Jian Feng Maa and Jixing Xiab aInstitute of Plant Science and Resource, Okayama University, Japan bCollege of Life Science and Technology,…

Identifying natural genetic variation, understanding how it influences traits, and utilizing it for crop improvement is a major objective in plant science. Miller et al. (2019) have identified genetic variation in the promoter region of BnaUPL3.C03 from a panel of Brassica napus accessions that can influence…

Amna Mhamdi, Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, and VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052 Ghent, Belgium Defense reactions are the fascinating result of a complex network between signals, receptors and effectors, where any missed nodes may spell disaster.…

Mandáková et. al. explore the origin of an ancient oilseed crop. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00366 Background: Camelina (Camelina sativa; gold of pleasure or false flax) is an ancient oilseed crop grown in Europe as early as 4000 BC. Gold of pleasure was largely forgotten as a crop, being replaced…

Anutthaman Parthasarathy, co-first author of The Arabidopsis thaliana gene annotated by the locus tag At3g08860 encodes alanine aminotransferase Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate (Prof. A. O. Hudson), Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences Education: BSc - Chemistry (Madras University,…

Liang-Yu Hou, first author of NTRC plays a crucial role in starch metabolism, redox balance and tomato fruit growth Current Position: PhD candidate in Dr. Peter Geigenberger’s lab, at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Education: Bsc in Life Science at the National Central University…

Ami N. Sait, first author of  Structure-function study of a novel inhibitor of the Casein Kinase 1 family in Arabidopsis thaliana Current Position: PhD student, Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Japan Education: B. Eng. in synthetic organic chemistry, Waseda University, Japan Non-scientific…

Yingying Meng, first author of The MYB Activator WHITE PETAL1 Associates with MtTT8 and MtWD40-1 to Regulate Carotenoid-Derived Flower Pigmentation in Medicago truncatula Current Position: Associate Professor, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Education:…

Daniele Rosado, first author of Downregulation of PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 4 influences plant development and fruit production Current Position: PhD student in the group of Prof. Magdalena Rossi at the Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo Education: B.Sc. in Biology, University…

Liu et al. elucidate the regulation of FT movement by a MCTP-SNARE complex. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00960   By Lu Liu and Hao Yu, Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore  Background: The transition…

In Star Wars Episode 2, Obi Wan identifies the location of a missing planet by walking through a 3D projection of the galaxy. I’ve always hoped that if we obtain enough data and figure out how to display it properly, we’ll “see” what parts are out of place or missing. But getting from simple…

Global food security is increasingly threatened by expanding industrialization and skyrocketing human populations set in the backdrop of dramatically shifting environmental conditions due to climate change. Innovations in agricultural practices and technology are required to overcome the unprecedented…

Just like years of hoarding can end up cluttering our homes, years of self-fertilization or selfing can also accumulate harmful mutations in plant genomes. By removing such harmful alleles from the genome (i.e., purging) plants can reduce the mutational load and prevent fitness loss due to selfing. Roessler…

Autophagy is a recycling pathway that supports numerous processes, from nutrient remobilization to abiotic and biotic stress responses. Dauphinee, Cardoso et al. have developed a multi-step pathway that allows them to screen for inhibitors of autophagy in order to build a repertoire of new tools. For…

The parasitic plant Striga asiatica is both a serious agricultural pest and a fascinating plant oddity. Yoshida et al. report its genome sequence, which provides a glimpse into how a plant becomes an obligate parasite. Three key findings are the tremendous expansion of receptors for strigolactones (host-released…

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. P is predominantly absorbed by plants in its inorganic form, phosphate (Pi). Because Pi homeostasis is critical for balanced growth and development, plants like many other eukaryotic organisms have developed a complex system…

Climate projection models predict an increasingly wetter world with frequent and severe flooding events, causing loss of crops. As it is for other organisms, it is a challenge for plants to stay under water for long periods. However, how plants react to submergence is poorly understood. Environmental…

Review: Plant networks as traits and hypotheses: Moving beyond description ($) In Star Wars Episode 2, Obi Wan identifies the location of a missing planet by walking through a 3D projection of the galaxy. I’ve always hoped that if we obtain enough data and figure out how to display it properly,…

Xixi Zheng, co-first author of Intra-Kernel Reallocation of Proteins in Maize Depends on VP1-Mediated Scutellum Development and Nutrient Assimilation Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Shanghai Institutes…

Qi Li, co-first author of Intra-Kernel Reallocation of Proteins in Maize Depends on VP1-Mediated Scutellum Development and Nutrient Assimilation Current Position: Ph.D. student, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, China Academy of Sciences, 2014-present Education: Bachelor of Agronomy,…

Moonhyuk Kwon, co-first author of Catalytic plasticity of germacrene A oxidase underlies sesquiterpene lactone diversification Current Position: Research Assistant Professor, Gyeongsang National University, Korea / Visiting Professor, University of Calgary, Canada Education: Ph.D. and B.S. in Seoul…

Trinh-Don Nguyen, co-first author of Catalytic plasticity of germacrene A oxidase underlies sesquiterpene lactone diversification Current position: Mitacs Elevate postdoctoral fellow, University of British Columbia and Supra Research & Development (Kelowna, BC, Canada) Education: BSc (Viet Nam…

Nearly every aspect of growth, morphogenesis, physiology, and stress response is influenced by cell/tissue-type specific gene expression. Transcription factors (TFs) recognize cis-regulatory elements and signal transcription machinery for gene regulation, and the interaction between TFs and their target…

Author:         Magdalena M. Julkowska Affiliation:      Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University for Science & Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia   Auxin is one of the most studied plant hormones, and it comes in various forms. Whereas…

Yu et al. study the function of FY in alternative polyadenylation. The Plant Cell (2019) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00545 Zhibo Yu, Juncheng Lin, Qingshun Quinn Li Background: Polyadenylation of eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) involves the addition of a ‘tail’ of dozens to hundreds of…

Vanessa Loiacono, first author of Establishment of a Heterologous RNA Editing Event in Chloroplasts Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University – Ithaca, NY Education: B.Sc. Biological Sciences, University of Bari – Italy; M.Sc. Horticultural…

Maria Jose Molina-Contreras, first author of Photoreceptor Activity Contributes to Contrasting Responses to Shade in Cardamine and Arabidopsis Seedlings Current Position: Product Data Manager (Berlin, Germany) Education: BSc and MSc in Plant Biology at the Autonomous University (UAB) and PhD in Biotechnology…

Bing Bai, first author of Seed stored mRNAs that are specifically associated to monosome-are translationally regulated during germination Current Position: Post-doc Researcher, Wageningen Seed Lab, Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University Education: B.Sc. Henan Agricultural University,…

Travis Lee, first author of Integrative analysis from the epigenome to translatome exposes patterns of dominant nuclear regulation during transient stress Current Position: Post doctoral research associate in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Ecker at the Salk Institute Education: Ph.D, M.S., B.S. Non-scientific…

Wen-Ting Bai, first author of Earlier Degraded Tapetum1 (EDT1) encodes an ATP-citrate lyase required for tapetum programmed cell death Current Position: PhD Candidate, National Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Plant Gene Engineering Research Center, Nanjing Agricultural…

Author: Robert P. Skelton Institution: Dept. of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, 94720; CA Commentary on Hochberg et al A new technique for rapidly quantifying xylem vulnerability curves In this volume of Plant Physiology, Hochberg et al. (2019) present a…

Ye et al. uncover how the kinase activity of BIN2 helps balance plant growth and cold stress responses. Plant Cell (2019) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00058   Background: Cold stress is an environmental factor that limits the growth and geographic distribution of plants. It is important to understand…

We’re excited to announce the publication of The Plant Cell’s latest Teaching Tool, “Computational Image Processing in Microscopy,” by Adrienne Roeder, available without subscription at Plantae.org (and in the October issue of The Plant Cell). The age of big data includes sophisticated imaging…

Burgess et al characterize genome-wide patterns of transcription factor binding to provide insight into the architecture associated with C4 photosynthesis gene expression. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00078 By Steven James Burgess (University of Cambridge, UK) and Ivan A. Reyna-Llorens…

A few traits are associated with domestication across many species. Eshed and Lippman provide an overview of the changes to plant stature and flowering time that have been repeatedly selected by our ancestors. By comparing the molecular underpinnings of these traits across crops, it becomes clear that…

Pea (Pisum sativum) is an important protein-rich crop that introduces most students to the principles of Mendelian genetics, but it has lagged behind in the genomics era due to its much larger genome size than newer model legumes. Kreplak et al.  have now released an annotated chromosome-level reference…

Land plants (embryophytes) evolved from freshwater algal predecessors over 450 million years ago and have since separated into the morphologically diverse lineages observed today. A key feature in the expansion of plant life on land was the development of the plant vasculature and complex rooting systems.…

The therapeutic and recreational applications of Cannabis sativa (Cs) attract public and clinical interest thanks to its secondary metabolites (cannabinoids and terpenes) synthesized and stored in glandular trichomes, hair-like epidermal protrusion densely concentrated in the flowers. Little is known…

Branching has a significant impact on plant architecture. Maize, a domesticated species, has lower branching levels in comparison to its wild ancestor teosinte. Axillary branching is the result of lateral buds growth. Some factors such as phytohormones and transport of sugars are related to bud activation/dormancy…

Plants constantly grow post embryonically through shoot and root apical meristems. Multiple transcriptional factors and other regulators fine-tune such growth. Leaf growth from the apical meristem is well studied in the model plant Arabidopsis where two main transcription factors, namely HD-ZIP III (Class…

ARF (Auxin Response Factor) transcription factor proteins contain three domains: an N-terminal DNA-binding domain, a variable middle region, and a C-terminal PB1 domain. Powers et al. found that ARF7 and ARF19 accumulate as large-order assemblies in the cytoplasmic region of mature root cells, but the…

In Arabidopsis thaliana, changes in day-length (photoperiod) activate the expression and transport of phloem-mobile florigen (FT, FLOWERING LOCUS T) to the shoot apical meristem to trigger the transition to flowering. While the role of FT as a long-distance signal is well-established, the underlying…

Phospholipase D (PLD) enzymes cleave phosopholipds to release phosphatidic acid (PA), which is a signal that affects membrane dynamics. Previous studies have indicated a role for PLD and PA in root responses to osmotic and salt stress, but as the Arabidopsis genome has 12 genes encoding PLD questions…

Plants possess two immune strategies to prevent invasion by pathogens called pattern-triggered immunity (PTI, typically mediated by cell-surface receptors) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). During ETI, intracellular resistance (R) proteins perceive specific pathogen effectors. Tang et al. describe…

Most plants use the C3 photosynthesis pathway, however many have evolved strategies like C4 photosynthesis that accumulate CO2 around RuBisCO. Burgess et al. performed DNAseI-SEQ in three C4 plants: S. bicolor, Z. mays and S. italica, and one C3: B. dystachion, to offer an insight into the cis-element…

Review: Revolutions in agriculture chart a course for targeted breeding of old and new crops ($) A few traits are associated with domestication across many species. Eshed and Lippman provide an overview of the changes to plant stature and flowering time that have been repeatedly selected by our…

Sims et al. examine the mechanisms protecting the highly repetitive ribosomal DNA from double-strand break formation and homologous repair during meiosis. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00367 Background: Meiosis is a specialized cell division in sexually reproducing organisms, where one round of DNA…

By Lynn GL Richardson The acid-growth theory was proposed over 40 years ago based on early observations that low apoplastic pH promotes growth in a pathway involving the plant hormone auxin (Rayle and Cleland, 1992; Hager, 2003; Arsuffi and Braybrook, 2018). Since this discovery, a clearer understanding…

By Jennifer Mach, Science Editor I don’t know how polyploids get their chromosomes paired correctly in meiosis— I can’t even sort my socks. Sometimes I give up and pair random socks, but plants can’t go with random pairings, because that’s a route to death, and with genomes in the dozens…

Anahit Galstyan, first author of Auxin promotion of seedling growth via ARF5 is dependent on the brassinosteroid-regulated transcription factors BES1 and BEH4 Current Position: Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany Education:…

Nishikant Wase, first author of Remodeling of Chlamydomonas metabolism using synthetic inducers results in lipid storage during growth Current Position: Senior Research Associate, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA Education: 2011 PhD Department of Chemical and Biological…

Adrian Dauphinee, first author of Chemical screening pipeline for identification of specific plant autophagy modulators Current Position: NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at SLU, Uppsala  Education: PhD in Biology  Non-scientific interests: travel, cycling, graphic design, hockey, swimming, kayaking,…

By Gregory Bertoni Symbiotic associations with microorganisms are widespread among both woody and herbaceous plant species, including most agronomic crops (Brundrett and Tedersoo, 2018). Mycorrhizal fungi provide their hosts with mineral nutrients absorbed from the soil in exchange for fixed carbon…

Bethany Huot, Michigan State University Driving through the country on a lazy summer day with a nice gentle breeze, the lush fields of wheat, corn and soybean appear peaceful. What you cannot see is the quiet war plants are fighting against the insects and pathogens that have pulled up to a feast…

Yingying Qin, co-first author of Redox-Mediated Endocytosis of a Receptor-Like Kinase during Distal Stem Cell Differentiation Depends on its Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Domain Current Position: Ph.D. State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China…

Yin Wang, co-first author of A Trypsin Family Protein Gene Controls Tillering and Leaf Shape in Barley Current Position: Assistant researcher at Institute of Rural Development, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China Education: PhD in Biophysics, Zhejiang University Non-scientific Interests:…

Zhouli Xie et al. demonstrate that TINY manipulates plant growth by inhibiting the brassinosteroid signaling pathway. The Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00918 By Zhouli Xie Trevor Nolan and Yanhai Yin Background: Environmental challenges such as water deficit and extreme temperatures…

Mehran Dastmalchi, first author of Purine permease-type benzylisoquinoline alkaloid transporters in opium poppy Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Vincenzo De Luca’s lab at Brock University (St. Catharines Canada) Education: HBSc in Biology at the University of Toronto (Canada) and PhD…

Lin Shi, first author of ECERIFERUM11 / C-TERMINAL DOMAIN PHOSPHATASE LIKE 2 affects secretory trafficking Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital Education: PhD in Plant Molecular Genetics Non-scientific Interests: family, traveling, sports, movies Brief…

Huang Sheng, co-first author of OsCASP1 is required for Casparian strip formation at endodermal cells of rice roots for selective uptake of mineral elements Current Position：Ph.D. student at Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Japan Education: 2017-present, Ph.D. student…

Naoki Yamaji, co-first author of OsCASP1 is required for Casparian strip formation at endodermal cells of rice roots for selective uptake of mineral elements Current Position: Associate Professor, Group of Plant Stress Physiology, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Education:…

Zhigang Wang, co-first author of OsCASP1 is required for Casparian strip formation at endodermal cells of rice roots for selective uptake of mineral elements Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate in College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, China Education: 2018-present, Ph.D.…

Charilaos Yiotis, first author of A novel hypothesis for the role of photosynthetic physiology in shaping macroevolutionary patterns Current Position: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the group of Prof. Jennifer C. McEwain, Department of Botany, Trinity College Dublin Education: Ph.D. in Plant Physiology…

Signaling within and between cells is fast and dynamic. Such signals can involve the transport of charged ions that change membrane polarity or intercellular gradients, protein de/phosphorylation, protein interactions, and phytohormones, among others. The change in protein distribution in response to…

Organ boundaries are junctions that separate initiating lateral organs from the meristem or other plant parts. Cells at the boundary often exhibit slow growth rates and morphology distinct from that of the surrounding cells, and their development are controlled by complex gene networks. Lateral organ…

The lipidic phytohormone jasmonyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) is a key mediator of stress-versus-growth signaling in vascular plants. Upon it’s accumulation, JA-Ile is detected by the F box receptor protein COI1 (CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1), which in turn leads to the ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation…

Gantner et al. establish N. benthamiana as a new system for analysis of immunity mediated by TIR-type immune receptors Plant Cell. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00099 By J. Gantner and J. Stuttmann   Background: Plant pathogenic bacteria inject effector proteins inside the plant cell during…

Not all mRNAs are translated equally. Between 25–50% of eukaryotic mRNAs have an upstream open reading frame (uORF) that affects translation of the main ORF (mORF). Usually the presence of an uORF inhibits translation, but under some conditions the ribosome can overlook the uORF or reinitiate translation…

Strigolactones are small signal molecules synthesized by plants. In the past few years, many studies highlighting the importance of this emerging phytohormone have been published. Strigolactones play important roles as a hormonal signals in plants and for mycorrhizal fungi interactions, they are present…

In most eukaryotic algae, carbon fixation takes place in an organelle within an organelle, the pyrenoid inside of the chloroplast. Besides being functionally very important, pyrenoids are interesting because they are what is called a phase-separated structure, that is they are not membrane enclosed;…

Frequently, research on root growth in Arabidopsis has been carried out in transparent Petri dishes, although in the natural environment the soil-buried root actually grows in complete darkness. It is an essential question to check if experimental results reflect the natural growth of plants. It is well-known…

Nitrate is an important plant nutrient and multiple transporters have been identified in different plant species. NRT1.1 (NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1.1) belonging to the MFS (Major Facilitator Superfamily) has been shown to transport nitrate and auxin (IAA, Indole 3-acetic acid). This dual affinity transporter…

The symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is conditional. Plants that are limited for phosphate release strigolactones into the soil, promoting changes in the fungi that facilitate the symbiosis. Müller et al. found that a Medicago gene encoding a CLE peptide, MtCLE53, is induced…

The rapidly changing climate will have profound effects on Earth’s ecosystems, but as yet it is difficult to determine exactly what these effects will be. Exposito-Alonso et al. have set up a large experiment to try to identify how a population’s genetic diversity will enable it to survive a future…

Review: Metabolite control of translation by conserved peptide uORFs: The ribosome as a metabolite multi-sensor Not all mRNAs are translated equally. Between 25–50% of eukaryotic mRNAs have an upstream open reading frame (uORF) that affects translation of the main ORF (mORF). Usually the presence…

Plants rely on light for photosynthesis. As a consequence, plant growth is strongly shaped by light availability, to optimize photon absorbance in the green tissues. Seedlings that germinated underground grow quickly to escape from the darkness, while plants that are threatened to be overgrown by neighbors…

The environment plays a major role in determining whether, when, and how growth occurs, and resource allocation towards growth is an important factor in many contexts. For example, plants whose defenses against pathogens are activated often grow less, and plants that must grow taller to reach the light…

Xiao et al. investigate date palm germination. Plant Cell (2019) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00008    By Ting Ting Xiao and Ikram Blilou Background: Desert plants have evolved different strategies to survive desert climate. Developmental mechanisms underlying these adaptive strategies…

Charlotte Volpe, co-first author of Loss of ALBINO3b insertase results in a truncated light-harvesting antenna in diatoms Current Position: PhD candidate at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science - Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) – Trondheim, Norway Education: PhD…

Marianne Nymark, co-first author of Loss of ALBINO3b insertase results in a truncated light-harvesting antenna in diatoms Current Position: Research scientist at the Cell, Molecular Biology and Genomics group at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Education: PhD in Biology from…

Genome editing with the CRISPR/Cas system is now widely used in functional studies across biological sciences including plant biology. Typically, this system involves a DNA nuclease and a guide RNA that directs the nuclease to a specific location in the genome. Golden Gate (GG) is a cloning method that…

Plants are equipped with multiple mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels that respond to external and internal mechanical perturbations. When one of these, AtMSL10, is overexpressed it leads to a cell death phenotype, although there is no discernible phenotype associated with its loss of function. Recently…

EIN2 is a key regulator of the ethylene response and a protein with a complex function and regulation. Zander et al. have uncovered an interesting and complex mechanism by which its expression is regulated. Many genes are regulated through histone modifications, with the histone variant H2A.Z and the…

Precise temporal control is crucial for plant developmental processes, e.g., photosynthesis, leaf movement, and flowering. In this work, Greenwood et al. studied how rhythms are coordinated at the whole-organism level. The authors monitored the activity of GIGANTEA (GI), a core clock gene, using a LUCIFERASE…

In recent years, studies in the model bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha have provided insights on how the Jasmonic Acid (JA) pathway works in early diverging land plants, starting from its biosynthesis (Yamamoto et al., 2015; Koeduka et al., 2015), followed by perception (Monte et al, 2018) and co-repressor…

Plant peptide patterning is popping up everywhere! Now Kawamoto et al. show that a pair of peptides, interacting with receptor proteins, coordinates the placement of ovules in Arabidopsis. They started with a natural variation analysis, which highlighted that several varieties with mutations in the ERECTA…

Nutrient exchange during plant-fungal symbiosis allows assimilation of nutrients necessary for plant growth in a beneficial way. Several plants have evolved to form symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia bacteria that allow the plants to efficiently take up nitrogen and phosphorous. In its interactions…

We have a tendency to think of genes carrying mutations as having a negative impact on fitness, which raises the question of why they might persist in a population. Taylor et al. tested whether large-effect mutations that affect flowering time might not be detrimental in all conditions, by comparing…

Plant scientists know that when the air at the leaf surface is dry, the plant will tend to close its stomata, but we tend to think of this as a relatively localized effect. Yuan et al. have explored the global trends in vapor pressure deficit (VPD; difference between saturated and real water content…

A modular cloning toolkit for genome editing in plants Genome editing with the CRISPR/Cas system is now widely used in functional studies across biological sciences including plant biology. Typically, this system involves a DNA nuclease and a guide RNA that directs the nuclease to a specific location…

Plants emit scented volatile compounds to attract pollinators, or alternatively, as direct or indirect plant defense mechanisms. Direct defense involves compounds that are toxic, whereas an indirect defense uses volatiles to attract parasitoids of insect herbivores (Unsicker et al., 2009; Maag et al.,…

Turnip Mosaic Virus (TuMV) is a +RNA virus that belongs to the order Picornavirales. +RNA viruses reorganize the endomembrane system to generate quasi-organelle structures called “viral factories”. In the case of TuMV, these factories are motile vesicles of ~100 nm in diameter that contain the TuMV…

The seeds of flowering plants consist of three genetically distinct components: the diploid embryo with one genome copy from each of the parents, the triploid endosperm with two maternal copies and one paternal copy, and the seed coat having the same genotype as the diploid mother plant. Balanced parental…

High exogenous concentrations (>50 µM) of salicylic acid (SA) stimulate systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a vitally important adaptive immunity response that protects against a broad spectrum of pathogens. The transcription of PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENE 1 (PR1) is rapidly induced in leaves upon…

The biochemistry of photosynthesis and biophysical processes that constrain it are intrinsically linked within the landscape of the inner leaf. Because leaf tissue is heterogeneous in structure as well as photosynthetic capacity, it follows that chlorophyll may also be spatially heterogeneous. Yet, while…

Comparative analyses of wild and domesticated accessions have previously identified several aboveground domestication-related traits in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Genetic analyses of these traits suggested the presence of several major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with large effects.  However,…

Type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by high blood glucose (Glc) levels, afflicts ~6% of the population of the western world. A major goal in treating diabetes is reducing high levels of blood Glc, which is a particular problem in patients whose diets are rich in starch and other sugars. The main…

Will Hinckley, first author of  The HAC1 Histone Acetyltransferase Promotes Leaf Senescence and Regulates the Expression of ERF022 Current Position: Undergraduate Senior in Dr. Judy Brusslan’s Lab at California State University, Long Beach Education: Bachelors in Cellular/Molecular Biology in…

Antonella Locascio, first author of BCL2-ASSOCIATED ATHANOGENE4 Regulates the KAT1 Potassium Channel and Controls Stomatal Movement Current Position: Post-doctoral researcher at the Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas-UPV-CSIC  (Polytechnic University of Valencia-Spanish Research…

Disease resistance (R) receptors detect pathogen effector-mediated host manipulation and induce effector-triggered immunity (ETI) that is often associated with programmed cell death. R proteins are generally conserved across plants, consisting of nucleotide-binding site and leucine rich repeat (NBS-LRR)…

Young Cho, first author of Non-allelic homologous recombination events responsible for copy number variation within an RNA silencing locus Current Position:  Post-doctoral Research Associate, Ort Lab, University of Illinois Education:  PhD, Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Non-scientific…

Marta García León, first author of Stomatal aperture and turnover of ABA receptors are regulated by Arabidopsis ALIX Current Position: PhD candidate in Dr. Vicente Rubio’s lab, at the Spanish National Center of Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) Education: BSc in Biology at the Complutense University (Madrid)…

Miranda Meents, first author of Organization of Xylan Production in the Golgi During Secondary Cell Wall Biosynthesis Current Position: Teaching and Learning Fellow & Sessional Lecturer, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada Education: PhD in Botany from the…

Tropic movement in plants (movement in relation to a directional stimulus) has fascinated thinkers since ancient times (reviewed in Whippo and Hangarter, 2006). This interest has led us to a good molecular understanding of how for example, plants direct their shoots towards light and their roots towards…

Peñuelas et al. uncover the surprising functional conservation of jasmonate-related MYC transcription factors in liverwort. Plant Cell (2019) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00974   Background: Jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) is a lipid-derived plant hormone that regulates immunity, growth, and development…

Kim L Johnson La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia Flowers are mostly associated with pleasant smells; the sweet fragrance of a rose, the exotic scent of jasmine, the fresh smell of…

The Golgi apparatus is the central sorting station of the eukaryotic secretory pathway. Protein and lipid cargoes are received at its cis face from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and may undergo various modifications including glycosylation before being trafficked onwards from the trans face to their…

By Maria Grazia Annunziata Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany. The plant leaf apoplast is composed of all extracellular compartments beyond the plasmalemma and is filled with gas, water and cell wall elements (Sattelmacher, 2000). The apoplast is involved…

Shih et al. investigate red light-triggered pre-mRNA splicing in Physcomitrella patens. Plant Cell (2019) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00314   By Chueh-Ju Shih and Shih-Long Tu  Background: Light is important for plant growth and development. Plants have developed various types of photoreceptors…

Charlotte Noelle Miller, first author of Variation in expression of the HECT E3 ligase UPL3 modulates LEC2 levels, seed size and crop yield in Brassica napus Current Position: Post-Doctoral Fellow Education: BSc, MSc, PhD Non-scientific interests: My main passion outside of science is music. In…

Author: Masanori Izumi Affiliation: Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980–8578, Japan Mitochondria are active organelles that move rapidly, change shape and undergo repeated fusion and fission (Frederick and Shaw, 2007; Tilokani et al., 2018).…

García-León et al. reveal a function for a trafficking protein in stomatal aperture regulation. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00399 By Marta García-León and Vicente Rubio Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC) Darwin, 3. 28049 Madrid, Spain  Background: Plants protect…

Ivan Reyna-Llorens, co-first author of Genome-wide transcription factor binding in leaves from C3 and C4 grasses Current Position: Post Doctoral Research Associate in the group of Prof. Julian Hibberd, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge Education: PhD in Plant Sciences, University…

Steven Burgess, co-first author of Genome-wide transcription factor binding in leaves from C3 and C4 grasses Current Position: Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA Education: 2011 PhD Imperial College London, UK,…

Plants can modify their growth in response to environmental challenges. In a recent review, Vu et al. summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying high temperature responses during the Arabidopsis life cycle. At early stages, high temperature promotes abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and decreases gibberellic…

Plants lack organs that are analogous to human ears, eyes or fingertips, yet they can detect changes in their environment. In this review, Dinneny describes how sensing heterogeneities in salt and water leads to changes in root architecture, optimizing soil foraging. The root tip typically follows the…

Membranes have long been considered somewhat inert materials in a cell’s organization, but it is becoming clear that lipid composition and distribution contributes actively to cell shape and dynamics. Pan et al. examined the contribution of lipids to the shape of epidermal pavement cells in Arabidopsis…

Growth is driven by cell expansion, which is driven by both synthesis of metabolites and osmotically-driven expansion. This latter contribution is typically overlooked in metabolic flux analysis. To remedy this, Shameer et al. have developed a model, GrOE-FBA (Growth by Osmotic Expansion- Flux Balance…

Plants’ invasion of land was accompanied by the evolution of a root system which in seed plants includes a fast gravitropic response. Gravitropism occurs through three distinct steps – (1) gravity perception by dense starch-filled amyloplasts, (2) transmission of gravitropic signal by auxin through…

Grasses scatter their seeds through the process of cell abscission. Losing this trait, in a process known as loss of shattering, was an early step in the domestication of cereals. Interestingly, the abscission zone (AZ) is positionally and morphologically different in different cereals. In order to understand…

Proper development of root vascular tissue is necessary for plant growth, as these tissues are responsible for nutrient and water uptake. Multiple key players including transcriptional factors (TF) and hormones are involved in vascular development. In this paper Ohashi-Ito et al. have identified a feedback…

To balance water loss and CO2 assimilation, stomatal aperture is tightly controlled in accordance with environmental changes, mediated by ABA signaling. Here, García-León et al. found that ABA sensitivity and stomatal aperture are regulated by the trafficking and vacuolar degradation of ABA receptors…

Plants’ internal circadian clocks regulate the timing of many physiological and developmental processes. This circadian clock also controls plant sensitivity to the herbicide glyphosate, which is maximally effective at dawn. Here, Belbin et al. showed that the minimum effective dose varies with time…

Review: Developmental thermal responses in Arabidopsis Plants can modify their growth in response to environmental challenges. In a recent review, Vu et al. summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying high temperature responses during the Arabidopsis life cycle. At early stages, high temperature…

Kirtikumar R. Kondhare, co-first author of PcG proteins MSI1 and BMI1 function upstream of miR156 to regulate aerial tuber formation in potato Current position: DST - Inspire Faculty fellow, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, Maharashtra, India Non-scientific…

Amit Kumar, co-first author of PcG proteins MSI1 and BMI1 function upstream of miR156 to regulate aerial tuber formation in potato Current position: Ph.D. graduate student, Molecular Plant Biology Lab, Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)- Pune, Maharashtra, India Non-scientific…

Devrim Coskun, first author of Si permeability of a deficient Lsi1 aquaporin in tobacco can be enhanced through a conserved-residue substitution Current Position: FRQNT Postdoctoral Fellow, Bélanger Lab, Département de Phytologie, Faculté des Sciences de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation (FSAA),…

Xi Zhang, first author of Phosphorylation-mediated dynamics of nitrate transceptor NRT1.1 regulate auxin flux and nitrate signaling in lateral root growth Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher at College of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China Education:…

Plants have armed themselves with a battalion of photoreceptors to cope with changes in light quantity, quality and direction. Light perception is especially critical when the seedling first emerges from the darkness of the soil and engages the red/far-red light photoreceptors phytochromes (phys). An…

Lingzhen Ye, co-first author of A Trypsin Family Protein Gene Controls Tillering and Leaf Shape in Barley Current Position: Assistant Professor, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China) Education: PhD in crop science, Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China); Bachelor in Biotechnology,…

Kiss et al. report that a rubredoxin-like protein conserved in oxygenic phototrophs binds to the D1 protein and facilitates the formation of the D1/D2 heterodimeric reaction center complex of photosystem II. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00155 Background: Photosynthesis is the vital process…

Jaya Joshi, first author of Rethinking  PDH Bypass and GABA Shunt as Thiamin-Deficiency Workarounds Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow Education: PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology, MSc in Plant Biochemistry and BSc in Agricultural Sciences Non-scientific Interests: painting, reading and tennis Brief…

Floral nectar is a sugar-rich solution produced by plants to attract animal pollinators. The best-elucidated model of nectar secretion, based on studies of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), involves the build-up and degradation of nectary starch, the resynthesis of Suc from starch-derived hexoses,…

Many governments have recently enacted laws that allow for the legalization of cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes. Unfortunately, specific labeling regulations with regard to the composition of active ingredients, serving sizes, and recommended doses are woefully lacking. The capitate-stalked…

Of all abiotic stresses faced by plants, water deficit (WD) is the one that most profoundly affects crop productivity. When exposed to WD, plants first respond by restricting stomatal aperture and by rapid changes in root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr). Over a longer term, plants change both shoot growth…

The energy costs of root growth are particularly high in dry and compacted soil because soil penetration resistance increases under these conditions. As a result, more photosynthate is needed for root system expansion, leaving less carbon available for aboveground plant growth. Furthermore, the growth…

Diatoms are a type of phytoplankton that account for ~20% of global primary production. Like all phytoplankton, they produce and store copious amounts of polysaccharides. More specifically, diatoms produce significant amounts of b-1,3 glucans, particularly chrysolaminarin.  Mutualistic associations…

Molecules based on 1,3,5-triazine are rare in nature. Most 1,3,5-triazine compounds are anthropogenic and have only existed in the last 150 years. Because it is easy to synthesize, 1,3,5-triazine is often employed as a modular scaffold in industrial applications, including the synthesis of medicines,…

Shouyang Liu, first author of Estimation of plant and canopy architectural traits using the D3P Digital Plant Phenotyping Platform Current Position: Post-doc, French National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA) Education: Ph.D. in plant phenomics at INRA-CAPTE Non-scientific Interests:…

Yu Song, first author of The rice actin-binding protein RMD regulates light-dependent shoot gravitropism Current Position: PhD candidate, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Education: 2013/09-to now, PhD candidate, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; 2010/09-2013/06,…

Kevin Cope, first author of The Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Laccaria bicolor Produces Lipochitooligosaccharides and Uses the Common Symbiosis Pathway to Colonize Populus Roots Current Position: Post-Doctoral Research Associate Education: Ph.D. in Cellular & Molecular Biology Non-scientific Interests:…

Shubhpriya Gupta, first author of Role of smoke stimulatory and inhibitory biomolecules in phytochrome-regulated seed germination of Lactuca sativa Current Position: Post-Doctoral Researcher in the group of Prof. Johannes Van Staden, Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life…

In recent months, a flurry of papers have come out that reveal new insights into the structural interactions of cell-surface receptors with each other and with their ligands. This timely review by Moussu and Santiago captures the highlights, in case you haven’t been following along. The review features…

Cyanobacteria are important contributors to global carbon fixation. They can be free-living in many different environments, but also form close symbiotic associations with various eukaryotic organisms. Nakayama et al. have idea identified a new type of cyanobacteria that lives as an ectosymbiont in a…

Plant fibres from crops such as flax and hemp have diverse uses from rope to clothing, and are increasingly being incorporated into eco-friendly biocomposite materials.  These long, flexible, useful fibres, called “bast” fibres, are not derived from the xylem, but instead are derived from specialized…

Manganese (Mn) is an essential plant nutrient necessary for multiple plant process such as photosynthesis. Mn deficiency has a significant impact on crop production particularly in cereals including barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Chen et al. identified how Mn deficiency alters suberin deposition in the …

Symmetric cell division leads to proliferation, and asymmetric cell division establishes differential growth. Formation of lateral roots (LRs) depends on asymmetric division of initially symmetric founder cells. Barro et al. studied the mechanism of asymmetric radial expansion by analyzing cytoskeleton…

In vascular plants, new organs (e.g., leaves) are produced continuously from the shoot meristem, a process coined indeterminacy. The sister lineage of vascular plants, bryophytes, develop differently, ending with the formation of a determinate spore-bearing shoot (sporangium). The genetic underpinning…

Review: Structural biology of cell surface receptor–ligand interactions In recent months, a flurry of papers have come out that reveal new insights into the structural interactions of cell-surface receptors with each other and with their ligands. This timely review by Moussu and Santiago captures…

Anle Chen, first author of The intensity of manganese deficiency strongly affects root endodermal suberization and ion homeostasis Current Position: no position Education: PhD in plant nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (2019) Non-scientific interests: travelling, Swimming, playing football…

Jingyuan Chen, first author of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Circumvents Flavonoid Defenses by Catabolizing Flavonol Glycosides and Aglycones Current Position: PhD candidate at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Jena, Germany) Education: PhD in Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology;…

Zhenyan Miao, first author of Evolution of the RNA N6-methyladenosine methylome mediated by genomic duplication Current Position: Associate Professor, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, China Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Agricultural University;…

Xuan Xu, co-first author of Cell wall composition and transcriptomics in stem tissues of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): spotlight on a neglected fibre crop Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher at the Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology,…

Liu et al. examine how plants allocate resources between growth and defense in unfavorable conditions. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00991 By Yang Liua and Haiyang Wangb aBiotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China bSchool…

Juan He, first author of Genome-wide transcript and small RNA profiling reveals transcriptomic responses to heat stress Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. Xuemei Chen, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen…

Salt stress affects plant growth and development at all stages, reducing germination, and compromising seedling establishment, transpiration, and root growth (Munns and Tester, 2008). At later developmental stages, the overaccumulation of salt ions in the shoot disrupts photosynthesis and other vital…

The cell cycle is a tightly coordinated dance with the ultimate goal of dividing one cell into two. Eukaryotic cells tend to divide in the same general pattern, broadly reduced to four phases; cells increase organelle content in the G1 phase, DNA replication occurs in S phase, cells grow in size and…

Kim et al. reveal how the SAGL1-CER3 module regulates cuticular wax biosynthesis in response to ambient humidity. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00152 By Hyojin Kim and Mi Chung Suh, Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Republic of Korea Background: The hydrophobic cuticle…

Bjorn Andersson, first author of The Fluctuating Cell-Specific Light Environment and its Impacts on the Physiology of Synechocystis Current Position: Ph.D. candidate at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Education: Bachelors of Science in Marine Sciences from University of Gothenburg,…

Vanhaelewyn et al. examine phototropism in adult plants. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00929 By Lucas Vanhaelewyn1, András Viczián2, Filip Vandenbussche1 Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, KL Ledeganckstraat 35,…

Insights into transcription factors (TFs) in non-flowering plants are increading thanks to the establishment of new bryophyte model organisms. In new work, Ishikawa et al. present STEMIN1, a Physcomitrella patens TF belonging to an uncharacterized subgroup of the AP2/ERF family. Physcomitrella undergo…

The endosperm, a tissue that transfers nutrients from maternal tissue to the embryo, is normally triploid, with two copies of the maternal genome and one of the paternal genome. Excess paternal genomes usually leads to endosperm abnormalities and seed abortion. Previous studies have shown that the RNA…

Waddington’s epigenetic landscape, a famous metaphor in developmental biology, depicts how a stem cell progresses from an undifferentiated state to a differentiated one. To some degree this metaphor can also be applied to root cell differentiation. It’s well-known that the CLE-45 peptide and its…

Lateral roots help plants to explore the soil and environmental conditions. Waidmann et al. took advantage of natural variants to understand lateral growth angle by analyzing gravitropic set point angle (GSA). Using Col-0 as a reference, lines that over- or under-respond (steeper or shallower root angle)…

Soil salinity is one of the most important global problems that negatively affect crop productivity. Jiang et al designed a forward genetic screen in A. thaliana to identify the specific ionic response triggered by salt stress. They mutagenized plants expressing the genetically encoded Ca2+ sensor aequorin,…

The corn we eat is a seed, which is a product of fertilization. It is widely known that corn yields are highly susceptible to abiotic stress conditions that occur during the repdroductive stage of development. Begcy et al. used a metabolomic / transcriptomic approach to understand why transient heat…

Identification of protein- protein interactions helps understand the signaling cascade in multiple biological process including development, biotic and abiotic stress. Previously, a proximity-based labelling approach referred to as BioID had been used to identify proteins in close proximity to a protein…

Physcomitrella STEMIN transcription factor induces stem cell formation with epigenetic reprogramming Insights into transcription factors (TFs) in non-flowering plants are increading thanks to the establishment of new bryophyte model organisms. In new work, Ishikawa et al. present STEMIN1, a Physcomitrella…

Bara Altartouri , first author of Pectin chemistry and cellulose crystallinity govern pavement cell morphogenesis in a multi-step mechanism Current Position: PhD candidate at the University of Montreal, Canada Education: Master’s degree in horticultural genetics and biotechnology, MAICh institute,…

Kevin Begcy, first author of Male Sterility in Maize after Transient Heat Stress during the Tetrad Stage of Pollen Development Current position: Assistant Professor, University of Florida Education: Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Non-scientific interest: Sports,…

Schreier et al. uncover the surprising role played by the glucan phosphatase family member, LIKE SEX4 1, as a protein scaffold on the starch granule surface that binds β-amylases. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00089. By Tina B. Schreier1,2 and Samuel C. Zeeman1 1 Institute of Molecular…

Current and future food production demands a lot of nitrogen (N) fertilizers. Inefficient N fertilization leads to N losses to the environment and generates greenhouse gases that cause environmental problems. In a recent article, Swarbreck and colleagues discuss a strategy to develop crop varieties with…

Plant growth and morphogenesis are linked to cell wall properties, so a deep understanding of cell wall biochemistry and mechanics is essential for studying plant development. In a recent review, Bidhendi and Geitmann describe current and emerging techniques for the analysis of cell wall mechanics. Classic…

Maintaining nutrient homeostasis is ridiculously challenging, in large part due to the tremendous effects individual nutrients have on other nutrients’ uptake and action, as well as the interactions between nutrient homeostasis and environmental conditions. In order to maintain the “right” amount…

Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) is the precursor of the hormone auxin and it controls the formation of lateral roots. Evidence suggests that IBA is converted to IAA, endogenous active auxin. The major study material to distinguish between IBA and IAA was highlighted by the IBA-specific efflux carrier ABCG36/PDR8/PEN3,…

In the flowering plant order Caryophyllales (which includes beets), betalains substitute for anthocyanins, which are the most common form of pigmentation across the land plant phylogeny. Also found in the Basidiomycota fungal lineage, betalains are tyrosine-derived pigments that comprise of two groups…

Review: Methods to quantify primary plant cell wall mechanics Plant growth and morphogenesis are linked to cell wall properties, so a deep understanding of cell wall biochemistry and mechanics is essential for studying plant development. In a recent review, Bidhendi and Geitmann describe current and…

Light serves as the source of energy as well as an information signal for photosynthetic plants. During evolution, plants have acquired the ability to monitor environmental light radiation and adjust their developmental patterns to optimally utilize light energy for photosynthesis. However how the early-diverging…

Xylem is involved in the movement of water and mineral nutrients through the plants from the roots to leaves; its cells are not totipotent and undergo programmed cell death. VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN (VND) transcription factors are master switches of xylem cell differentiation in Arabidopsis and much…

Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) is a plant that parasitizes other plants by forming penetrating haustoria through which they tap into the host’s vascular tissues and extract nutrients. Most tomatoes are susceptible, but a few varieties are resistant. Jhu and Farhi et al. examined these resistant varieties…

Due to climate change, drought stress is threatening sunflower yield, and phenotypic diversity could be the solution. Here Hussain et al. studied the introgression of silver canopy traits related to lower excised leaf water loss (high cuticular waxes, intense hairiness, and smaller leaf area) from the…

Ana Karla Moreira Lobo, first author of Overexpression of ca1pase decreases Rubisco abundance and grain yield in wheat Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, Proc. 154471/2018-6) in the Laboratory of Plant Metabolism (Labplant),…

Grace Hoysted, first author of Mucoromycotina fine root endophyte fungi form nutritional mutualisms with vascular plants Current Position: NERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Leeds, UK Education: PhD Plant Science, University of Leeds, UK Non-scientific Interests: Movies, reading,…

Shubhada Kulkarni, first author of Enhanced TF binding site maps improve regulatory networks learned from accessible chromatin data Current position: For the current month, I am not affiliated to any university. But formerly, I was a Doctoral researcher at Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB-University…

Bengjie Li, first author of Transcriptional Profiling Reveals a Time-of-day Specific Role of REVEILLE 4/8 in Regulating the First Wave of Heat Shock-induced Gene Expression in Arabidopsis Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei…

Guangxia Wu, first author of Characterization of Maize Phytochrome-Interacting Factors in Light Signaling and Photomorphogenesis Current Position: Postdoc Fellow in the group of Prof. Haiyang Wang, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Education: PhD in Biomolecular…

Feng Zhang, first author of Defective Vacuolar Proton Pump Enhances Aluminum Resistance in Arabidopsis Current Position:  Assistant Professor at Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Education: PhD, State Key Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing…

This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Plant Cell journal! There are 15 posters with cover images hanging at the convention center. To participate in our scavenger hunt, visit each of the posters. There are two options to complete the scavenger hunt. You may enter both. After you visit each of…

Eva Reimer-Michalski, co-first author of Isolation of Open Chromatin Identifies Regulators of Systemic Acquired Resistance Current Position: Project manager and scientific staff at the Projektträger Jülich (Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany) Education: PhD in Plant Epigenetics, Biochemistry…

Stephani Baum, co-first author of Isolation of Open Chromatin Identifies Regulators of Systemic Acquired Resistance Current Position: Project manager at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany Education: PhD in Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the group of Prof. Dr. Uwe Conrath at RWTH Aachen;…

Xiaojing Yan, first author of METHIONINE SYNTHASE 1 Is Involved in Chromatin Silencing by Maintaining DNA and Histone Methylation Current Position: Research assistant Education: 2010.9-2016.6 China Agricultural University | Ph.D. of Science, Major: Phytology; 2005.9-2009.7 Shanxi University | Bachelor…

Jing Che, first author of A vacuolar phytosiderophore transporter alters accumulation of iron and zinc in polished rice grain Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Japan Education: Ph.D. in Plant Nutrition, Institute of Soil…

Plants may appear to be sitting ducks to whatever pest, pathogen or bad weather assaults them, but they are far from defenseless. In fact, plants are artful masters of war, armed with elaborate physical and chemical defense systems. But, in many cases, optimizing growth and defense is like running a…

In Arabidopsis thaliana and related species within the Mustard family (Brassicaceae), the tryptophan (trp)-derived antimicrobial metabolite camalexin (3-thiazol-2-yl-indole) plays a central role in defense against bacterial, fungal, and oomycete pathogens. Upon pathogen attack, cytochrome P450 monooxygenases…

Parsons et al. successfully separate early to late Golgi cisternae to reveal the sequential localization of resident proteins and the sequence features that guide transmembrane proteins within the Golgi stack. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00081 By Harriet T. Parsons (University of Cambridge)…

Kevin Goslin, first author of Differential N-end rule degradation of RIN4/NOI fragments generated by the AvrRpt2 effector protease Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher, Plant Developmental Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland Education: PhD in Maynooth University, MSc in Trinity College,…

It’s hard to believe that when I was a student we were taught that “plants don’t have peptide hormones”. Since then we’ve discovered many diverse families of plant peptide hormones (see the Teaching Tool on peptide hormones for an excellent overview). Here, Kaufmann and Sauter review one family,…

Here’s an interesting question: Without human intervention, why would one find a dense stand of plants, growing in rather nutrient-rich soil? Perhaps you recognized that these conditions suggest seed dispersal by endozoochory, which involves passage through an animal's digestive tract. Spengler and…

Plant development is characterized by a high degree of plasticity in response to light. Light‐activated plant photoreceptors bind and inhibit the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1, thus protecting downstream transcription factors from degradation. However, the detailed mechanisms of how COP1 can function between…

Plasmodesmata are channels through the cell wall that allow molecules and substances to move back and forth as needed; they also play a central role in growth, development and defence of all higher plants. In this study, Grison et al. describe the rapid relocation to the plasmodesmata pores of two plasma…

Arabidopsis genetics has identified numerous genes required for pathogen perception and defense response activation. Some of these genes are functionally conserved across plants and others are not. Toll-Interleukin1-Receptor (TIR)-domain NLRs (TNLs) are immune receptors that function upstream of EDS1…

Plant phosphorus homeostasis is important to understand as humans seek to increase food production while also reducing the amount of agricultural inputs and environmental pollution. In their recent paper, Osorio and colleagues expand our current understanding of phosphorus homeostasis in Arabidopsis…

Plants have robust NLR (nucleotide-binding, leucine-rich repeat proteins) immune signaling networks consisting of sensor NLRs and helper NLRs that counteract diverse plant pathogens by inducing cell death at sites of pathogen infection. A recent preprint by Adachi et al. has defined an N terminal motif…

Calcium ions mediate calcium-based defense responses in pattern triggered immunity (PTI) upon detection of pathogen patterns by plant surface receptors. A new study by Tian et al. has elucidated the molecular events that activate the calcium response. The authors show that adequeate calcium nutrient…

Understanding plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions is challening. Both kinds of interactions have significant impacts on plant health and nutritional uptake. Finkel et al. address how microbe-microbe interactions shape plant phenotypes by using the synthetic microbial community (SynCom) consisting…

In Southeast Asian countries, rice accounts for two-thirds of the caloric intake for many people. This narrow dietary base is often correlated with vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindness, anemia and weakened immunity. In an effort to enhance vitamin A consumption, rice has been engineered to…

Review: Sulfated plant peptide hormones It’s hard to believe that when I was a student we were taught that “plants don’t have peptide hormones”. Since then we’ve discovered many diverse families of plant peptide hormones (see the Teaching Tool on peptide hormones for an excellent overview).…

Kaisa Kajala, first author of Real‐time whole‐plant dynamics of heavy metal transport in Arabidopsis halleri and Arabidopsis thaliana by gamma‐ray imaging Current Position: Assistant Professor, Plant Ecophysiology, Utrecht University Education: University of Cambridge (BA, MA, PhD), postdoctoral…

Brassinosteroids (BRs) have come a long way since their first identification in 1979 as pollen-derived, growth-promoting hormones. Multiple studies have demonstrated roles for BRs in the control of cell elongation, pollen fertility, root architecture, seed germination, stomatal patterning, vascular development,…

Xu et al. identify metabolites targeted by selection during maize domestication. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00111 By Guanghui Xu State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, National Maize Improvement Center, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of…

Senescence results from two ineluctable laws of nature: every living entity will eventually die and when it does, nothing will be lost, as everything will be recycled. At the organism level, senescence is an integral part of the plant life cycle, under strict age-dependent genetic control.  This dismantlement…

Vesicle trafficking is indispensable, playing critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses, and trafficking to the plasma membrane is an important contributor to cell expansion and cell wall remodeling (reviewed in Lipka et al., 2007; Grefen and Blatt, 2008). Vesicle budding, trafficking…

Zhao et al. identify RESURRECTION 1 as a suppressor of free1 that negatively regulates endomembrane trafficking. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00003 By Qiong Zhao The Chinese University of Hong Kong Background: Plants have an evolutionarily conserved endomembrane system, which…

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been likened to the manufacturing and packaging department of a factory, an action packed production area that distributes things to the rest of the cell. The ER does this by forming complex networks of tubules and cisternae that connect to other membranous organelles.…

Climate change is causing more extreme weather patterns and increasing challenges for agriculture. The unusually dry European summer of 2018 caused an 8% drop in cereal production (source: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farming-fisheries/farming/documents/short-term-outlook-autumn-2018_en.pdf).…

Modern-day chloroplasts are the descendants of a photosynthetic cyanobacterium that took up residence inside the cytoplasm of a eukaryotic cell. Since this initial cohabitation agreement, the cyanobacterial endosymbiont has dumped most of its genome into the host eukaryotic genome. This creates an engineering…

Anderson et al. identify a second site modifier that rescues a maize developmental mutant and report that it encodes a homolog of Arabidopsis ENHANCED DISEASE RESISTANCE4, providing insight into the integration of developmental control and immune responses. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00840 By…

This page is a collection of news, information, and events about the Plant Cell's 30th anniversary, or #ThePlantCELLebration30!...

Happy 30th Birthday to The Plant Cell! Here are a few of the many images that have graced our cover over the past years...

Yanrong You, first author of LEUNIG_HOMOLOG Mediates MYC2-Dependent Transcriptional Activation in Cooperation with the Coactivators HAC1 and MED25 Current Position: Ph.D. Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Education: Ph.D. in Developmental…

In recent years, a number of tools have been developed to describe and model plant morphogenesis, and these approaches have greatly informed our understanding of the molecular processes that underpin the control of growth. This excellent review by Pałubicki et al. is “an attempt to bring together…

Criticism of transgenic plants and GMOs motivates research into effective GMO-free RNA delivery methods. In this review, Dalakouras et al. discuss different strategies for exogenous application of RNA molecules (dsRNAs, siRNAs) into plants to trigger RNA interference (RNAi) against various targets, such…

SCHENGEN 3 [SGN3, also known as GASSHO1 (GSO1)] is a leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase (LRR-RK) previously shown to interact with CIF peptides (CASPARIAN STRIP INTEGRITY FACTORS) to regulate the development of the Casparian strip boundary in roots. Here, Okuda et al. characterize the CIF/LRR-RK interaction.…

RALFs (Rapid Alkalinization Factors, based on historical observations that they induce alkalization of the extracellular space) are signaling peptides with diverse roles. RALF4 is required for pollen tube growth and guidance through its interactions with CrRLK1Ls and leucine-rich extension (LRX) proteins.…

RALFs (Rapid Alkalinization Factors, based on historical observations that they induce alkalization of the extracellular space) are signaling peptides with diverse roles. RALFs have previously been shown to bind to the extracellular domain of (among others) FERONIA (FER), a member of the Catharanthus…

The angle at which roots grow into the soil is modulated by the interaction between genetics and environment, and involves the gravity perception and response pathways including auxin transporters. Ogura et al. did a GWAS analysis of the gravitropic response of different Arabidopsis accessions in…

Osmotic stress in plants elicits many responses, one of which is increased accumulation of Ca2+ in the cytosol. Genes involved in this response have been identified, yet the mechanism behind the Ca2+ transport remains unknown. Maity et al. investigated the structure and function of the osmolality-sensitive…

Marchantia polymorpha is an emerging model for plant molecular biology and has contributed to studies on development and plant-microbe interactions. Here, using RNA-seq and proteomics, Carella et al. present a detailed time-course analysis of Marchantia molecular responses to pathogen infection triggered…

Plants are sessile organisms that have evolved sophisticated immune systems in defense of pathogens, thus maximizing the chance of survival. Most of our understanding of plant defenses comes from studies in angiosperms. Evolutionary molecular plant-microbe interactions (EvoMPMI) can reveal the origins…

The remarkable adaptations of Venus flytrap traps enable them to sense and respond to insects, snapping shut to capture and then digest the unfortunate meal. Previous studies showed that the sensors, trigger hairs on the inner surface of the leaves, need at least two touches to initiate trap closure.…

Review: Formal description of plant morphogenesis ($) In recent years, a number of tools have been developed to describe and model plant morphogenesis, and these approaches have greatly informed our understanding of the molecular processes that underpin the control of growth. This excellent review…

Minxia Zou, first author of The auxin transport inhibitor targets villin-mediated actin dynamics to inhibit auxin transport Current Position: PhD candidate in College of Life Science, Beijing Normal University Education: Sept 2019 – now, Ph.D. candidate in Beijing Normal University; Sept 2011 –…

Jeh Haur Wong, first author of Mutation of a conserved motif of PP2C.D phosphatases confers SAUR immunity and constitutive activity Current Position: Postdoctoral associate, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Education: PhD, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan Non-scientific…

Tina Schreier, first author of LIKE SEX4 1 acts as a β-amylase-binding scaffold on starch granules during starch degradation Current Position: SNF Early Postdoc Mobility Fellow in the group of Prof. Julian Hibberd, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge Education: PhD in Plant Biochemistry…

Xinhua Sun, co-first author of A coevolved EDS1-SAG101-NRG1 module mediates cell death signaling by TIR-domain immune receptors Current Position: PhD student at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (Cologne, Germany) Education: PhD in Botany, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research;…

Viera Kovacova, co-first author of A coevolved EDS1-SAG101-NRG1 module mediates cell death signaling by TIR-domain immune receptors Current Position: Bioinformatician of CRC-1310 at the University of Cologne (Cologne, Germany) Education: MSc from the Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic),…

Dmitry Lapin, co-first author of A coevolved EDS1-SAG101-NRG1 module mediates cell death signaling by TIR-domain immune receptors Current Postition: Postdoctoral researcher at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (Cologne, Germany) Education: MSc from Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy…

What does your lab work on? My lab studies the mechanisms of lateral root morphogenesis  in Arabidopsis. We combine molecular genetics, cell biology and microscopy to understand how these new roots are robustly formed. Tell us about the key findings from your recent article in Plant Direct. This…

What does your lab work on? My group studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which plants sense and response to mechanical stimuli. In particular, we focus on a class of molecular mechanoreceptors called mechanosensitive ion channels. Tell us about the key findings from your recent article…

What does your lab work on? We combine functional genomics with synthetic biology approaches to study the metabolism of redox-active plant natural products that can harnessed for applications relevant to agriculture and human health.  We are particularly interested in specialized quinones like…

Magali Grison, first author of Plasma Membrane Receptor Like Kinases relocalise to plasmodesmata in response to osmotic stress Current position: CNRS Engineer Education: PhD in Plant Biology, University Of Bordeaux, France Non-scientific interest: Climbing, sailing, painting, and the history of…

Melanie Morales Fernández, first author of Malondialdehyde: Facts and Artifacts Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher of the Spanish Government Fellowship ‘Juan de la Cierva’ in the Research Group of Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Department of Biology, University of Balearic…

Li-Qing Zhang, co-first author of Mutual regulation of receptor-like kinase SIT1 and B'κ-PP2A shapes the early response of rice to salt stress Current position: Ph.D. Candidate, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Key Laboratory…

Ji-Long Zhao, co-first author of Mutual regulation of receptor-like kinase SIT1 and B'κ-PP2A shapes the early response of rice to salt stress Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Key Laboratory…

Rosquete et al., identified a TRAPPIII tethering complex in plants and uncovered the role of the AtTRAPPC11 subunit in post Golgi trafficking and stress response. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00110 By Michel R. Rosquete and Georgia Drakakaki Background: Intracellular trafficking is…

Carlos Rubilar-Hernández, first author of PI4KIIIβs activity regulate lateral root formation driven by endocytic trafficking to the vacuole Current Position: Researcher at Laboratorios Diagnofruit Ltda., Chile Education: Master in Biological Sciences, and PhD in Sciences, mention in Molecular and…

Lucas Vanhaelewyn, first author of Differential UVR8 signal across the stem controls UV-B-induced inflorescence phototropism Current Position: PhD candidate in the Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology at Ghent University Education: PhD studies (2015-present); Master of Biochemistry and Biotechnology,…

Review: Synthetic biology in photosynthetic microbes: present and future Photosynthetic microbes are emerging models for synthetic biology applications since they possess relatively simple physiology and cellular organization, fast growth in liquid culture, and facile genetic manipulation. In this…

Don’t miss this opinion article by Taiz et al, which tries to close the door on the eternal question of how to describe and label the ability of plants to perceive and respond to their environment. Are plants intelligent? Can they learn? Do they have consciousness? The article draws on recent studies…

Scientists are often asked to engage in public discourse as a way to counteract science denialism, but it’s not always clear if their efforts can change minds. A new study by Schmid and Betsch suggests that efforts to rebut are worthwhile. They showed subjects videos with climate denial messages about…

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a globally important high-protein crop, whose breeding is an ongoing, important objective for plant biologists. Since soybean is a short-day plant, controlling flowering time is a key step to influence its adaptation to diverse latitudes and farming system. Recently,…

In the grass family (Poaceae), the subfamily Pooideae, which includes economically important species like wheat, barley and forage grasses like ryegrass, dominates cold temperate habitats, although the ancestors of this group probably were adapted to tropical climates. Schubert et al. investigated the…

Microbial pathogens secrete virulence effector proteins into host cells to suppress basal plant defenses. Plant resistance (R) receptors induce robust immune signaling after directly or indirectly detect such effector-mediated host manipulation. In Arabidopsis, immunity transduced through many TNL (TIR-NBS-LRR)…

Land plants evolved from freshwater streptophytic algae over 450 million years ago and have since separated into morphologically diverse lineages. A key feature in the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life was the development of 3D body plans with lateral organs. In a new preprint, Naramoto and…

Male sterility in seed production could be used to increase crop yields, eliminate pollen allergies or avoid gene flow between genetically modified plants and other species. Here, Roque et al. developed a system to produce engineered nuclear male sterile plants using the pea Pisum sativum ENDOTHECIUM…

Photosynthetic microbes are emerging models for synthetic biology applications since they possess relatively simple physiology and cellular organization, fast growth in liquid culture, and facile genetic manipulation. In this paper, Vavitsas et al. review current synthetic biology tools and applications…

Harriet Parsons, co-first author and corresponding author of Separating Golgi Proteins from Cis to Trans Reveals Underlying Properties of Cisternal Localization Current position: Maternity leave until 2020 Education: PhD in Plant Biochemistry, University of Edinburgh Non-specific interests: Hiking,…

Techniques to isolate the RNA molecules bound to a specific protein, via co-immunoprecipitation, for instance, have been available for years. The converse—methods to identify the proteins bound to a specific RNA—have been harder to come by, in part because of difficulty in elucidating the determinants…

Jason Sims, first author of Meiotic DNA repair in the nucleolus employs a non-homologous end joining mechanism Current Position: Post-doctoral researcher at the University of Vienna / MFPL Education: PhD in molecular biology, special doctoral program in Chromosome Dynamics, from the University of…

Amorim-Silva et al. identify scaffolding proteins that optimize BR signaling. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00150  By Vitor Amorim-Silva and Miguel Botella  Background: The plant hormone Brassinosteroid (BR) is essential for proper growth. This hormone is extracellularly perceived…

Carotenoids are diverse structures that contribute to photosynthetic light harvesting and serve as pigments, photoprotectants, and precursors for vitamin A and signalling molecules. Phytoene synthase is the first committed enzyme for carotenoid synthesis, and in tomato it is encoded by two genes, PSY1…

Root branching determines the spatial organization of the root and its interaction with the soil. The emergence of lateral roots (LR) is controlled by a complex regulatory network, involving genetic, hormonal and mechanical factors. In this study, Trinh et al. got new insights about PUCHI, a transcription…

Regulation of gene expression at transcriptional, translational and post-translation levels is crucial for proper plant growth. Post-transcriptional gene regulation by small RNAs like microRNA (miRNA), siRNA and phasi-RNAs is necessary for meristem maintenance in plants. Unlike in the mammalian system,…

The balance between environmental stress tolerance and plant growth is an important research topic. Plant responses vary among species and varieties, but also with the growth environment. Soil, water, and environmental factors interact to affect plant growth responses to soil salinity. To engineer…

To fight off invading pathogens, plants such as Arabidopsis are intrinsically programmed with a subset of defense responses often known as pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). AvrRpt2, an effector secreted by the pathogen Pseudomonas syringe, is a protease that can…

Phytoalexins are important antimicrobial compounds that plants synthesize to fend off invading pathogens. In the Brassica family, the tryptophan (trp)-derived phytoalexin ‘camalexin’ provides broad-spectrum resistance against bacterial, fungal, and oomycete pathogens. The regulation of camalexin…

Understanding mechanisms for assembly of plant communities involves estimating different interactions among coexisting species, and how environmental change might affect those interactions. Peréz-Ramos et al. address how functional traits and their plasticity relate to the mechanisms that allow species…

Critical residues for carotenoid biosynthesis by phytoene synthase Carotenoids are diverse structures that contribute to photosynthetic light harvesting and serve as pigments, photoprotectants, and precursors for vitamin A and signalling molecules. Phytoene synthase is the first committed enzyme…

One goal of synthetic biology is to build artificial pathways for bioengineering of high value compounds. To this end, pathways are not only split into individual reactions, but the expression of one enzyme is also split into individual parts (e.g., promotors, ribosomal binding sites, coding sequences,…

The discovery of Mediator began with the observation that two transcriptional activators could interfere with each other’s function in vitro, even though they did not bind to the same promoter (Kelleher, Flanagan and Kornberg, 1990). The hypothesis, since then well-validated, was that each transcription…

Jiang et al. use time-lapse 3D imaging, computer vision, and mathematical modeling to quantify root system architecture. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00015  By Ni Jiang and Christopher Topp, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center   Background: Root systems are the literal foundations…

Konstantinos Vavitsas, first author of The synthetic biology toolkit for photosynthetic microorganisms Current Position: Senior Research Associate, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Education: PhD in Biotechnology, University of Copenhagen (2017), MSc in Applied Biotechnology, Uppsala…

Anna Schulten, first author of Do Arabidopsis Squamosa promoter binding Protein-Like genes act together in plant acclimation to copper or zinc deficiency? Current position: PhD student in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Physiology of Plants (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany) Education: BSc…

Marina Borges Osorio, first author of SPX4 Acts on PHR1-Dependent and -Independent Regulation of Shoot Phosphorus Status in Arabidopsis Education: PhD in Botany, La Trobe University, Australia (2018); MSc in Genetics and Molecular Biology, UFRGS, Brazil (2010); BSc in Biological Sciences, UFPEL, Brazil…

By Michael R. Blatt and Mary Williams Note: This call for applications is now closed. Check back in autumn 2020 for a new call for AFEs. At the beginning of 2018 Plant Physiology welcomed 23 new Assistant Features Editors to the editorial board. Over the past eighteen months these young scientists…

Clamydomonas reinhardtii is the most thoroughly characterized unicellular alga. Like yeast, it is a single-celled eukaryotic organism that is easy to culture, and it lives predominantly in its haploid form but is readily mated for genetic studies. Additionally, it is light-responsive,  photosynthetic,…

Plants require at least 14 mineral nutrients to complete their life cycle. These mineral nutrients are unevenly distributed within the soil, and plants have evolved physiological adaptations (changes in root growth, exudation, symbiotic relationships with soil organisms, etc.). to address these nutrient…

The world demands food, plant scientists and breeders have the challenge of feeding a growing population. In a recent review Hickey et al. summarize the state-of-the-art technologies used for crop improvement. In use since 2003, ‘speed breeding’ is a set of improved methods for fast-tracking plant…

One of the things I like most about synthetic biology is the “why not” attitude. This article by Bernhardsgrütter et al. is intriguing because rather than taking the standard “let’s fix Rubisco approach,” the authors started with a non-CO2 fixing enzyme and engineered it towards having carboxylase…

Opium poppies produce opiates including morphine and thebaine. Derivatives of these compounds can also have diverse beneficial properties. One of these, naloxone, is a competitive opioid receptor antagonist that can be administered to counteract the effects of opioid overdose. Because of the rise in…

Root hairs vastly increase the surface area of the root in contact with the soil substrate, and are crucial for efficient water and nutrient uptake. They are also an excellent system for studies of polar growth or tip growth in cells, a process that involves the cytoskeleton, defined membrane domains,…

Tea quality depends on the product's taste and aroma, which are provided by phenolic and volatile compounds respectively.  Here, Shi et al. analyzed changes of volatile and amino acid (AA) profiles in fresh tea leaves (Camellia sinensis L.) and during the processing of three tea products (green, oolong…

Climate change is expected to cause numerous negative impacts on plant populations. An under considered area that will be affected are the communities of soil organisms that rely on a delicate balance of environmental conditions, particularly in grasslands that receive moderate precipitation (mesic grasslands).…

Auxin activity is maintained through regulated biosynthesis, metabolism and transport. In this paper Jenness et al. characterized the physiological significance of a known IAA transporter, ABCB21 (ATP BINDING CASSETTE TRANSPORTER subfamily B member 21) in Arabidopsis. ABCB21 transports shoot derived…

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a robust long-distance immune response mediated by a diverse contingent of candidate phloem-mobile signals that prime distal uninfected tissues for enhanced resistance to future infections. The lysine-derived catabolite pipecolic acid (Pip) has emerged as a key mediator…

Review: A series of fortunate events: Introducing Chlamydomonas as a reference organism Clamydomonas reinhardtii is the most thoroughly characterized unicellular alga. Like yeast, it is a single-celled eukaryotic organism that is easy to culture, and it lives predominantly in its haploid form but…

Julio Sáez-Vásquez, first author of Ribosome biogenesis in plants: from functional 45S rDNA organization to ribosome assembly factors Current Position: CNRS Researcher (DR2), LGDP UMR5096 CNRS-UPVD Education: PhD Université de Perpignan (UPVD), France Non-scientific Interests: Music, biking…

Dhirodatta Senapati, first author of COP1 Regulates the Stability of CAM7 to Promote Photomorphogenic Growth Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow in Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic, United States of America Education: Ph.D. in Biotechnology from National Institute of Technology…

Adaptive developmental plasticity, in which changing environmental conditions modulate morphogenesis, can help organisms survive harsh conditions. Common examples include the protection of shoot apical meristems by transient arrest and sequestration into bud-like structures in wintering evergreens (e.g.…

The transcription of many genes is regulated through alternative splicing, with over 60 percent of genes in Arabidopsis thaliana producing more than one mRNA [1]. The most common forms of alternative splicing are intron retention and the use of alternative polyadenylation sites that result in transcripts…

The Poaceae is one of the largest plant families in angiosperms, containing more than 12,000 grass species, which are classified into two major clades: PACMAD (Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Chloridoideae, Micrairoideae, Aristidoideae and Danthonioideae) and BOP (Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae and Pooideae) (Fig.…

Hui Liu, first author of WRINKLED1 regulates BIOTIN ATTACHMENT DOMAIN-CONTAINING proteins that inhibit fatty acid synthesis Current position: Research Associate, Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Education: MS in Cell Biology, Sun Yat-sen University Non-scientific Interests:…

Jingjing Cao, co-first author of Evolutionary metabolomics identifies significant metabolic divergence between maize and its wild ancestor, teosinte Current Position: Assistant researcher at Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China Education: PhD in Botany,…

Guanghui Xu, c0-first author of Evolutionary metabolomics identifies significant metabolic divergence between maize and its wild ancestor, teosinte Current Position: Ph.D. student at China Agricultural University Education: Ph.D. candidate in Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University Master’s…

Sun et al. investigate how carboxysomes are constructed and regulated in cyanobacteria. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00787 By Luning Liu Background: All cells are composed of well-defined compartments to encase enzymes and reactions to increase the efficiency of biological processes.…

Alyssa Anderson, first author of The second site modifier, Sympathy for the ligule, encodes a homolog of Arabidopsis ENHANCED DISEASE RESISTANCE4 and rescues the liguleless narrow maize mutant Current Position: Graduate Student, University of California, Berkeley Education: PhD, University of California,…

Nitrogen is a critical macronutrient for plant growth and reproduction, and it’s largely present as ammonium in flooded and acidic soils. However, structurally porous tissue in rice roots, called aerenchyma, transfer oxygen to the root system in flooded paddies, increasing nitrate abundance. Huang…

Wheat breeding programs are releasing new cultivars almost every year for improved yield potential. But is this intensive breeding not compromising the plant performance under adverse environmental conditions? Voss-Fels et al. studied the elite cultivars of winter wheat released during the last 50 years,…

To determine the role of any gene of interest it is necessary to understand the spatiotemporal expression pattern. This is accomplished by tagging the regulatory sequence(s) alone (transcriptional fusion) or regulatory sequence(s) with the coding region (translational fusion) of the gene of interest.…

Regulated transport of molecules from source to sink is essential for providing necessary molecules including photoassimilates to the required tissue. This mechanism is crucial for development and plant growth in response to stimuli and it occurs through plasmodesmata. In a previous report, CALLOSE SYNTHASE…

Plants have evolved to adapt to varied environmental niches. The ability to produce specialized metabolites is one of the evolved characteristics which help plants to thrive through varied biotic and abiotic conditions. Plant-associated microbes are always known to have a drastic impact on plant growth…

Calcium and chloroplasts are both at the heart of the signal transduction during environmental stress. Teardo et al. studied whether the chloroplast-localized mitochondrial calcium uniporter has a role in stress signaling. The group identified 6 homologs of mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) in Arabidopsis,…

The main problem to elucidate the genetic basis in regards to a plant local adaptation is the geographic and climatic biased scope of the tests. Here, Lowry et al. overcame this by evaluating the contributions of individual genetic loci to the adaptation of outcrossing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)…

The grapevine has it that some living varieties of Vitis vinifera were grown by the Romans, and maintained for over two millennia. Ramos-Madrigal et al. used target-enriched genome-wide sequencing for 28 grape seeds recovered from archeological sites dating to the Iron Age, Roman period and Middle Ages.…

The wide variety of shape and flavor in modern cultivated tomatoes is a result of introgressions from its wild relatives. While many genetic studies were successful in the identification of wild alleles that affect tomato aroma, no tools were available to study structural variants affecting the taste,…

Jing et al. reveal how danger-associated peptides inhibit root growth in plants in response to pathogen attack. Plant Cell (2018) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00145.   Background: Plants defend themselves against pathogens and pests through an innate immune system that is activated by pathogen-associated…

Andrew Scafaro, first author of A conserved sequence from heat-adapted species improves Rubisco activase thermostability in wheat Current Position: Research Fellow (Postdoc) at The Australian National University Education: Bachelor of Science (Class I Honours) and PhD from Macquarie University,…

Vítor Amorim-Silva, first author of TTL proteins scaffold brassinosteroid signaling components at the plasma membrane to optimize signal transduction in Arabidopsis Current Position: Postdoctoral researcher, IHSM-UMA-CSIC, University of Málaga, Spain Education: PhD in Plant Biology, University…

Zhi-Sheng Xu, first author of Changing Carrot Color: Insertions in DcMYB7 Alter the Regulation of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis and Modification Current Position: Associate Professor in College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, China Education: PhD, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural…

Guifeng Wang, first author of Dek40 Encodes a PBAC4 Protein Required for 20S Proteasome Biogenesis and Seed Development Current Position: Professor for Plant Molecular Genetics, Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crops Science, College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University Education: B.S in…

Thiago Batista Moreira, first author of A genome-scale metabolic model of soybean (Glycine max) highlights metabolic fluxes in seedlings Current Position: PhD student at Plant Biochemistry and Physiology Lab, University of Brasília, Brazil Education: M.Sc. in Botany, University of Brasília, Brazil;…

For a number of crops agricultural yields have been boosted by the phenomenon of heterosis or hybrid vigour, where a hybrid outperforms either parent. Understanding the various mechanisms by which heterosis arises may facilitate the breeding of hybrids with increased vigour for further crop varieties…

Plants have evolved highly sophisticated signalling systems that enable them to coordinate growth and development and respond rapidly to environmental fluctuations. These long-range signals can take the form of mobile small molecules such as phytohormones and RNAs, but can also be electrical signals…

Sam Barnett, co-first author of Dynamic thylakoid stacking is regulated by LHCII phosphorylation but not its interaction with photosystem I Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore Education: PhD in Biophysics, University of Sheffield; MSc Mechanobiology…

Will Wood, co-first author of Dynamic thylakoid stacking is regulated by LHCII phosphorylation but not its interaction with photosystem I Current Position: Research Associate at the University of Sheffield Education: PhD in plant photosynthesis at the University of Sheffield (2017); MSc Mechanistic…

Ramon et al. show how plants have modified the ancient, highly conserved eukaryotic energy sensor to better fit their unique lifestyle and cope with changing environmental conditions. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00500 By Nathalie Crepin and Filip Rolland, KU Leuven, Belgium Background:…

The polar subcellular localization of the auxin efflux machinery determines the directionality of auxin flow in plants. In particular, the dynamics of polar localization of PIN proteins regulates the rate and direction of cellular auxin export and this ultimately determines auxin gradients in the tissue.…

The tapetum is the innermost layer of the anther and encloses the locule wherein pollen develops. In addition to supplying nutrients for pollen growth, the tapetum synthesizes and transfers pollen outer wall precursors for the formation of the pollen outer wall. To synthesize, secrete, and transfer materials…

In rice (Oryza sativa), both the male and female floral organs are produced in the same flower: thus, only rarely do rice grains result from cross-pollination. Since cross-pollination is difficult in rice so, too, is the production of hybrid seed. Plants with defective stigmas may have commercial value…

Membrane proteins are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum and are trafficked through the Golgi, from which they are sorted to the plasma membrane, tonoplast, or other target membranes. In all eukaryotes, secretory traffic to the plasma membrane is mediated by SNARE proteins. In Arabidopsis, three…

Many plant species actively reorient their organs in response to dynamic environmental conditions. Petiole hyponasty is an upward movement of petioles driven by a higher rate of cell expansion on the lower (abaxial) compared with the upper (adaxial) side. Hyponasty is common among rosette species facing…

Review: N-degron pathway-mediated proteostasis in stress physiology The rate of most biological processes is ultimately determined by protein activity levels, which of course are determined by rate of degradation or inactivation as well as production. Dissmeyer reviews the Cys/Arg branch of…

The rate of most biological processes is ultimately determined by protein activity levels, which of course are determined by rate of degradation or inactivation as well as production. Dissmeyer reviews the Cys/Arg branch of the N-degron pathway (previously called the N-end rule pathway) that contributes…

Interactions between plants and microorganisms occur in many different ways and on many different levels. Scientists have been attracted to this field of research because of the need to identify the agents causing infectious diseases in economically important crops. Models have been developed to describe…

Despite the widespread success of genetically modified (GM) crops resistant to herbicides and insect herbivory, GM food crops with nutritional enhancement traits remain on the fringes of commercial agriculture. In this review, Napier et al. examine the current state of GM food crops and the obstacles…

Land plants (Tracheophytes), utilize the well-developed vascular tissue for conducting water and other nutrients necessary for plant growth. In Arabidopsis and other land plants, the key player of vascular cell division is well characterized and this includes the TMO5-LHW (TARGET OF MONOPTEROS 5 –…

Auxin transport regulated by directional transporters such as PIN (PIN-FORMED) proteins ensures maintenance of proper auxin levels for growth and development. Plants modulate auxin flow by regulating the localization of PIN through exocytosis and endocytosis allowing recycling of PIN protein within a…

Revolutions in omics technologies have rapidly increased the number of plant genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes available. However, protein sequences need to be assigned a biological function to provide useful insights for comparative genomics and transcriptomics. Here, Schwacke et al present MapMan4,…

Transport protein particles (TRAPPs) are multisubunit complexes that regulate intracellular trafficking, but haven’t yet been well characterized in plant cells. The authors previously identified AtTRAPPC11 as an abundant protein in the SYP61 vesicle proteome, with homology to mammalian TRAPPC11. Here,…

Most synthetic pesticides do not stick well on plants especially during raining season and can be washed off during irrigation shorty after application. Therefore, the farmer may need to apply several times or hope for dry days to spray. Swinges et al. developed a synthetic peptide with two separate…

Illouz-Eliaz et al. report that GA receptor genes that appear redundant under controlled climate conditions have unique roles under field conditions. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00235 By Natanella Illouz-Eliaz, Uria Ramon, Hagai Shohat, Shula Blum, Sivan Livne, Dvir Mendelson and David…

Plants blindly probe the soil for ever-changing pockets of water and nutrients and continuously adjust their root system architecture (RSA) accordingly. Whether they invest more energy in growing existing roots or sending out new lateral roots depends on both genetic programs and environmental factors.…

Meena et al. identify a Ca2+ channel involved in herbivory recognition. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00057 By Mukesh Kumar Meena, Ramgopal Prajapati, Deepthi Krishna and Jyothilakshmi Vadassery are from National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, India Background:…

Gang Chen, co-first author of Transcriptional repression of the APC/C activators CCS52A1/A2 by the Mediator complex subunit MED16 controls endoreduplication and cell growth in Arabidopsis Current Position: Lecturer, College of Life Sciences and Resource Environment, Yichun University, China Education:…

Ni Jiang, first author of Three-dimensional Time-lapse Analysis Reveals Multiscale Relationships in Maize Root Systems with Contrasting Architectures Current Position: Senior Computational Scientist, Topp Laboratory, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Education: Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering,…

Keji Yu, first author of VvLAR1 and VvLAR2 are bi-functional enzymes for proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in grapevine Current Position: Ph.D. candidate, Center for Viticulture and Enology, China Agricultural University Education: B.E. in Food Bioengineering, China Agricultural University Non-scientific…

Satyaki and Mary Gehring uncover the mechanism underlying interploidy seed abortion, challenging previous models of dosage sensitivity in endosperm. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00047 By PRV Satyaki (Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research) and Mary Gehring (Whitehead Institute for…

Review: Source–sink regulation in crops under water deficit ($) Plants have a remarkable ability to coordinate cellular activities across huge distances, yet we have only a basic understanding of how these remote activities are coordinated. A review by Rodrigues et al. summarizes what we know about…

Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins bind RNA, using a code in which specific amino acid motifs recognize specific bases, similar to TAL effector proteins. In plants, PPR proteins localize almost exclusively to mitochondria and chloroplasts, with functions including RNA, stabilization, splicing and…

Plants have a remarkable ability to coordinate cellular activities across huge distances, yet we have only a basic understanding of how these remote activities are coordinated. A review by Rodrigues et al. summarizes what we know about the relationship between source (e.g., photosynthetic tissues) and…

Recent changes in the legal status of cannabis and cannabis-products have allowed renewed scientific interest in the genetic and metabolic basis of cannabis’ effects as well as the regulatory issues related to quality control of the products. Many varieties of Cannabis spp. have poorly documented pedigrees,…

Plant morphogenesis is a dynamic process that can be modulated in response to environmental cues. In this work, Xiao et al. characterized germination and seedling development in date palm. After germination, the cotyledonary petiole grows, but the embryo development is paused. At early stages of development…

Plants have evolved the ability to perceive and respond to gravity, one of the most persistent external cues. This response process, termed gravitropism, has been extensively studied for its importance in plant development and its potential to improve agronomic traits of crops. The gravitropic response…

Trichomes (plant hairs), arise from epidermal cells of plants. The molecular mechanism involved in the development of trichomes of plants has been well studied in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this paper, Chopra et al.  have identified key regulators of leaf trichome development in Arabis alpina, a species…

Plants need several mineral nutrients for their optimal growth and development. This is contingent on a proper nutrient balance particularly between the two most required essential elements, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus. Even though considerable success has been achieved in understanding the molecular…

As in animals, plants produce microRNAs that are also key developmental regulators. Unlike some animals, plants are more exposed to environmental factors that alter cellular processes. Ré et al. show here that phenotypic defects produced by loss-of-function mutations in key proteins of Arabidopsis miRNA…

Plants and associated microbes co-exist and co-evolve over time. The rate of evolution is higher in pathogens as compared to plants. Although the phenotypic consequences of rapid evolution in pathogens are well studied, changes at genomic level are not as well known, and are the subject of a recent review…

The bearing habit refers to the location of flower buds in woody plants. For walnut cultivars, lateral bearing is preferred for its yield superiority. Deciphering its genetic architecture would improve seedling and sapling selection. Here, Aradhya et al. performed a SNP-based linkage map to estimate…

Genome sequencing has become (relatively) cheap and easy, but assigning functions to the genes identified remains challenging—even in exhaustively studied species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, where functions of ~30% of genes remain unknown. Many of these genes likely have functions that are essential,…

The allotetraploid species white clover (Trifolium repens) resulted from hybridization of two diploid European species whose extant relatives are found only in limited regions–– T. occidentale is a creeping clover found only in saline areas near the shores of Western Europe and T. pallescens is found…

Li et al. reveal a complex regulatory network defining mitochondrial, chloroplast and endoplasmic reticulum function. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00885 By Lu Li1, Anastasiya Lavell2, Xiangxiang Meng1, Oliver Berkowitz1, Jennifer Selinski1, Allison van de Meene3, Chris Carrie4, Christoph…

Bhuvan Pathak, co-first author of Heat-shock inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system generates heritable mutations in rice Current Position: Senior Graduate Assistant Education: PhD candidate, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA; MS Agronomy (2010) University of Florida, Gainesville; MS in Biotechnology…

Sun et al. elucidate the series of events leading to floral stem cell termination. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00450 By B. Sun and T. Ito College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, China; Biological Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology and Temasek…

Soumen Nandy, co-first author of Heat-shock inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system generates heritable mutations in rice Current Position: Program Associate Education: PhD, Department Of Botany, University Of Delhi, India Non-scientific Interests: Reading, Music, Gardening and avid listener of NPR radio Brief…

Kerri Hunter, first author of CRK2 enhances salt tolerance by regulating callose deposition in connection with PLDα1 Current Position: Doctoral student, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland Education: MSc Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry,…

Ting Ting Xiao, first author of Emergent protective organogenesis in date palms: A morpho-devo-dynamic adaptive strategy during early development Current position: Postdoc researcher at Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,…

Zhouli Xi, first author of The AP2/ERF Transcription Factor TINY Modulates Brassinosteroid-Regulated Plant Growth and Drought Response in Arabidopsis Current Position:  Postdoc in Peking University at School of Life Sciences college. Education: PH.D. Iowa State University; M.S China Agricultural…

Jieming Shi, first author of GRF: a generic and high-sensitivity tool for genome-wide de novo repeat detection Current Position: Software Engineer, TrustiPhi LLC, Ohio, US Education: PhD, Miami University, Ohio, US Non-scientific Interests: Software Development Brief bio: Jieming Shi is a software…

Sumio Iwai, first author of Guard cell photosynthesis is crucial in abscisic acid-induced stomatal closure Current Position: Professor Emeritus, Kagoshima University, Japan Education: Ph.D. in Plant Nutrition, Agricultural Chemistry, Kyusyu University, Japan Non-scientific Interests: Baseball,…

Lu Li, first author of DGD1 SUPPRESSOR 1 is a subunit of mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system in Arabidopsis thaliana and affects mitochondrial biogenesis Current Position: Postdoctor in School of life science, Shandong University, China Education: PhD in Botany, School of life…

Jordan Zager, first author of Gene Networks Underlying Cannabinoid and Terpenoid Accumulation in Cannabis Current Position: President, Co-Founder Dewey Scientific Education: B.Sc. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; B.Sc. Biology; PhD Molecular Plant Sciences Non-scientific Interests: Skiing,…

“Cysteine (HO2CCH(NH2)CH2SH) synthesis is the converging point of the three major pathways of primary metabolism: carbon, nitrate, and sulfate assimilation.” It’s hard enough to coordinate two pathways, let alone three; but these metabolic connections are revealed in that a deficiency in one nutrient…

The daily cycle of light and dark controls many facets of plant growth and development, but these cycles depend on and are most efficient when integrated with the rhythms of the circadian clock. Nohales et al. have identified a key mechanism that directly links the regulation of light-responsive genes…

As climate change proceeds, the availability of fresh water is decreasing. Luckily, the variation in water use efficiency within and between species provides tools necessary to breed plants for future climate. However, water use is often studied at the vegetative level. Ferguson et al. observed that…

Root system architecture (RSA) profoundly affects plant nutritent uptake and response to drought, and is also famously extremely developmental plastic, which makes it difficult to identify genes that control root growth traits. Here, Jiang et al. analyzed 3D growth patterns over time of three maize lines…

Uptake of water by plants depends on root conductivity, which in turn is determined by hydraulic properties of individual cells and cell anatomy. Quantification of radial root anatomy is a time-consuming process, limiting our understanding of root anatomical features contributing to water uptake. Heymans…

The leaf shape is one of the features defining the diversity in the plant kingdom. However, it is still not understood how action of individual genes is linked to this morphological diversity. Kierzkowski et al. developed an imaging protocol to study the leaf primodium development to understand the cellular…

Domestication has been accompanied by a decrease in genetic diversity, so efforts to improve stress tolerance can be aided by exploring the crop’s wild relatives. Here, Pailles et al. examined salt tolerance in Galapagos tomatoes (Solanum cheesmaniae and Solanum galapagense), which grow “constantly…

In this preprint Kim et al., have provided an optimized method for determining protein-protein interaction in plants using TurboID-mediated labelling.  TurboID is an engineered promiscuous biotin ligase that marks proteins it comes in contact with. Identification of interacting partners of a protein…

Barley leaf rust (Puccinia hordei) is a biotrophic fungus, in which mutations cause newly virulent races (pathothypes) with severe effects on cultivars. Marker-assisted Selection for Rph (Resistance to P. hordei) genes has been studied to provide sustainable control of this disease. Fazlikhani et al.…

Arsenic contamination is a growing human health threat. The fern Pteris vittata demonstrates a remarkable capacity to accumulate and sequester high levels of the toxic heavy metal arsenic from contaminated environments. Cai et al. used an ‘omics’-guided approach to identify and characterize the molecular…

Review: Integration of sulfate assimilation with C and N metabolism in transition from C3 to C4 photosynthesis “Cysteine (HO2CCH(NH2)CH2SH) synthesis is the converging point of the three major pathways of primary metabolism: carbon, nitrate, and sulfate assimilation.” These metabolic connections…

Author: Masanori Izumi Affiliation: Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980–8578, Japan Plants are photoautotrophs that grow via photosynthetic energy production. Under irradiation, chloroplasts in the plant’s green tissues convert light energy…

Kumar et al. uncover the molecular basis for the diversification of the agriculturally important methionine-derived glucosinolates in plants. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00046 Background: The chemical diversity of specialized metabolites in plants helps them to better adapt and survive…

The development of the seed is a complex dance of cell division and differentiation, including transcriptional and genomic repatterning. Measuring gene expression by high-throughput RNA-Seq is routine in laboratories, and numerous seed transcriptomes and microarrays have long been published for maize…

When I’m using my laptop without it being plugged in, at some point it enters battery saving mode as it senses that the battery charge is getting low. Organisms also sense their low energy reserves and activate alternate metabolic processes to ensure survival. The core energy sensor is a hetero-trimeric…

Drop-Seq is an exciting high-throughput technology for single cell transcriptomics. Using microfluidics, single cells are encapsulated in drops with beads carrying “bar-coded” primers. The RNA from each individual cell is labeled with a unique primer code, then sequenced. Now, Shulse et al. have…

Phalaenopsis orchids produce beautiful, long-lived flowers and are widely popular houseplants. In 1996, a new variety was identified with intensely dark, nearly black pigmentation. Hsu et al. have identified the molecular basis for this phenotype; a Gypsy-like retrotransposon inserted in the promoter…

Little is known about the stimuli that regulate time intervals for new leaves production (plastochrone) at the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Oxygen is a diffusible molecule with potential to regulate this process. The use of a micro-scale Clark-type oxygen electrode allowed Weits et al. to measure oxygen…

Root growth and branching have essential roles in nutrient and water uptake, and are common targets in crop improvement. Dickinson et al. looked for novel apocarotenoids involved in root development and found that dihydroactinidiolide (DHAD) and β-cyclocitral increase lateral root (LR) branching in…

In response to biotic stresses, plants produce chemical defenses to reduce damage. Adaptations to insect infestation involve synthesis of Trp-derived metabolites, leading to metabolome alterations. Here, Dangol et al. analyzed the transcriptomic and metabolomic effects after herbivore feeding in Setaria…

Public engagement has been a long-term challenge for scientists. The rise of social media has generated a novel avenue for connecting with a wider audience; however, many scientists walk a fine line between being personal and professional, often posting images of their work but not themselves. A recent…

Mango trees have been cultivated for approximately 4000 years which places their domestication in the same timeline as that of walnut, peach, sweet orange, lychee, citron, sweet orange, lemon, and jujube. Throughout the process of domestication, most crops undergo severe bottlenecks which decrease genetic…

Default activation and nuclear translocation of the plant cellular energy sensor SnRK1 ($) When I’m using my laptop without it being plugged in, at some point it enters battery saving mode as it senses that the battery charge is getting low. Organisms also sense their low energy reserves and activate…

Diaz et al. characterize NSE4A subunit of SMC5/6 complex and demonstrate that it is important for maintaining genome stability and normal seed development. The Plant Cell (2019).  https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00043 By M. Díaz, P. Pecinkova, A. Nowicka, C. Baroux, T. Sakamoto, P.Y. Gandha, H. Jeřábková,…

In flowering plants, seed viability is dependent upon the endosperm, a triploid tissue produced by fertilization of a diploid central cell by a haploid sperm. Most endosperm genes are expressed in a 2:1 maternal to paternal ratio reflecting the genomic DNA content. Consequently, balance between maternal…

When pollen is deposited on a flower’s stigma, pollen tubes penetrate the stigma and elongate towards ovules where two non-motile sperm will double fertilize an egg and a central cell, which requires cooperation between many cell types. Johnson et al. review our current understanding of these processes.…

“The 1980s were an exciting and revolutionary time for biology, and plant molecular biology in particular,” begins an editorial by Bob Goldberg, Brian Larkins, and Ralph Quatrano, the three Founding Editors of The Plant Cell. They describe why the American Society of Plant Physiologists (ASPP; later,…

Wheat is of course a hugely important food for humans, and has been selectively bred across the globe for millennia. Modern bread wheats are hexaploid and contain three distinct subgenomes (AABBDD). As with other crops, there is a need to understand wheat’s ancestry and explore the greater genetic…