Recent Posts

CYCLOIDEA-like genes control multiple floral traits

Yang, Wang, Liu, et al. reveal that CYCLOIDEA-like genes control the genetic correlation of floral symmetry, floral orientation, and nectar guide patterns. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad115 By Xia Yang1,2 and Yin-Zheng Wang1,2,3 Institutions: 1 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary…

NAC-CYP Mediates Soybean Nodule Senescence

Yu et al. show that activation of the expression of cysteine protease genes by GmNAC039 and GmNAC018 is required for soybean nodule senescence The Plant Cell (2023). https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad129 By H Yu and Y Cao Background: Soybean (Glycine max) roots have nodules in which symbiotic…

Enhanced discovery of plant RNA-binding proteins

Zhang, Zu, et al. develop a method to identify RNA-binding proteins that bind poly(A) and non-poly(A) RNAs. Yong Zhang and Devinder Sandhu; University of California Riverside and US Salinity Laboratory (USDA-ARS), Riverside, CA, USA Background: RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are important for controlling…

Review: Red macroalgae in the genomic era

I highly recommend this excellent and accessible article by Borg et al. that provides an overview of the red macroalgae, which “may have been the first eukaryotic lineage to have evolved complex multicellularity”. It’s full of fascinating information: although 97% of red algal species are marine,…

Review: How plant roots respond to waterlogging

As the hottest year on record, 2023 has truly been a global annus horribilis during which humans, other animals, and domesticated and wild plants have faced unprecedented environmental challenges. In the past month alone, torrential rainfalls have wreaked havoc in Asia, the Middle East, and many parts…