Plant Physiology

Author: Robert Skelton [email protected] Affiliation: South African Environmental Observation Network, Private Bag X7, Claremont, 7735, South Africa Knowledge of the spatio-temporal dynamics of water storage in plant stems is fundamental to understanding plant physiological function under…

Guillaume Charrier Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France. [email protected] Leaves are specialized for the photosynthetic assimilation of atmospheric carbon, but they also are responsible for the transpiration of water into the atmosphere, as…

Plant architecture is a major determinant of rice (Oryza sativa) productivity. Rice plant architecture is mainly defined by plant height, the spatial pattern of leaves, and tiller and inflorescence branching patterns. Plant height and tiller branching determine the biomass and harvest index, while the…

Plasmodesmata are cytoplasmic channels that physically connect the cytoplasm and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of adjoining plant cells. These intercellular channels play important roles during plant development by allowing the molecular exchange of signaling molecules such as transcription factors, RNAs,…

The outer surface of the aerial parts of land plants is covered by the cuticle, a waxy layer that provides a barrier against damage caused by environmental factors as well as  protection against non-stomatal water loss. Castorina et al. (10.1104/pp.20.00322) now show that both cuticle deposition and…

Diabetes and obesity are major health challenges. Diabetes alone affects over 422 million people worldwide and is among the top ten leading causes of death. Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by the body’s inefficient use of insulin, which leads to elevated blood Glc levels with detrimental effects…

The enhanced elongation of root hairs in response to mild water deficiency permits more effective water and nutrition uptake. The growth of root hairs is regulated in part by actin dynamics. Thick actin-filament bundles (“thick bundles”) in the apical and subapical area of root hairs, for example,…

The negative interaction between gibberellic acid (GA) and the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) has been studied for many years in numerous plant species. These studies suggest that GA and ABA negatively affect each other’s biosynthesis and signaling. The nuclear DELLA proteins suppress almost all…