Category: Research

Most chloroplast proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome and synthesized on cytosolic ribosomes. N-terminal transit peptides serve as targeting sequences to direct precursors of chloroplast proteins to receptors on the chloroplast surface. These receptors are part of the translocase of the outer envelope,…

To survive, organisms must sense their nutritional status (including nutrient availability and quality) and regulate their growth and metabolism accordingly. In plants, animals, and fungi, the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase regulates metabolism, nutrient sensing, and growth (reviewed in Dobrenel et…

The in vivo imaging of sugars is useful for understanding how assimilated carbon, in the form of sugars, moves in plants and how this process is differentially regulated. Voothuluru et al. (10.1104/pp.18.00614) developed a gel-based enzyme-coupled colorimetric and fluorometric assay to image glucose…

Water deficit is one of the main limiting factors in apple (Malus × domestica) cultivation. Root architecture plays an important role in the drought tolerance of plants. Due to the difficulties associated with the visualization of root systems, however, there is currently a poor understanding of the…

Under normal growth conditions, there is a constitutive or basal level of autophagy in plant cells that helps to recycle unnecessary cell contents. Autophagy provides essential building blocks (e.g. amino acids and fatty acids) and energy sources that promote cell homeostasis and survival. Autophagy…

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in plant drought responses. Previous studies have indicated that ABA inhibits plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PM H+-ATPase) activity, and the resultant decrease in PM H+-ATPase activity promotes stomatal closure under drought stress, thereby reducing…

Light-induced chloroplast movement is one of the most important responses for utilization of photosynthetic light. Chloroplasts move toward weak light-irradiated areas to efficiently absorb light (the accumulation response), whereas they move away from excess light to avoid photodamage (the avoidance…

Boron (B) is an essential plant micronutrient that plays a major role in cell wall structure and function by providing cross-linking of the rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II) pectin component of the cell wall. Under normal pH conditions, B is found principally as boric acid. Although boric acid permeates…