OsLESV cooperates with FLO6 to modulate starch biosynthesis and endosperm development Yan, Zhang, Wang et al. identify OsLESV–FLO6 as a non-enzymatic molecular module responsible for starch biosynthesis and endosperm development. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae006 By Haigang Yan, Wenwei…

Background: Photosystem I (PSI) is a large pigment-protein complex that participates in photosynthetic electron transfer. While its structure is well resolved, its assembly pathway is less clear.  A set of proteins mediating the step-wise assembly of PSI subunits, known as PSI assembly factors, has…

He et al. investigate the molecular mechanisms of compound leaf formation in Medicago truncatula By Liangliang He and Jianghua Chen https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae033 Background: In the plant kingdom, leaves have different shapes, with the most noticeable difference being between simple…

Li et al. examine heat-induced SUMOylation of bacteria effectors in Arabidopsis. (Plant Cell. 2024) By Wenliang Li and Jianbin Lai (South China Normal University) https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae049 Background: Bacterial pathogens deliver effectors into plant cells to interfere with host…

Behind the Plant Physiology manuscripts are researchers, professors, professionals and students dedicated to advancing the field of plant science. You’ve seen our First Authors on Twitter and Facebook— now, read more about why they chose to pursue plant sciences and click on the links below the pictures…

Roots do not grow in isolation but occupy a space inhabited by a variety of organisms. With certain fungi and bacteria, they form partnerships or symbiotic relationships that increase the plant’s nutrient uptake and assimilation. While the knowledge on the genetic programs required to establish these…

An efficient method of gene downregulation, where gene expression is reduced but not completely knocked out, is useful for crop improvement. Here, Shen et al. have developed a system to achieve this, by using CRISPR/Cas9 to insert an element containing a Kozak sequence and an ATG start codon just before…

I think one of the most important lessons a scientist learns is to cross-check their findings with a different approach in order to determine if the findings are reasonable. This interesting article by Oliveira-Filho and Campos-Silva et al. lays out several examples of using back-of-the envelope or Fermi…