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Recognizing Plant Cell authors: Mike Muszynski

Mike Muszynski, first author of The Maize Hairy Sheath Frayed1 (Hsf1) Mutation Alters Leaf Patterning Through Increased Cytokinin Signaling Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaiʻi…

KETCHing up with gametogenesis: nucleocytoplasmic import and cell cycle control

In eukaryotes, active import of large signaling molecules and proteins over 40kD in the nucleus is mediated by aptly named “importin” proteins. As there are considerably fewer importins than there are cargos, determining how cargo-transporter specificity is mediated constitutes a challenging issue…

Recognizing Plant Cell authors: Taro Kimura

Taro Kimura, first author of Arabidopsis ROOT PHOTOTROPISM2 is a Light-Dependent Dynamic Modulator of Phototropin1 Current Position: Post-doctoral researcher at Niigata University Education: Ph.D, Master of Science and BSc at Niigata University Non-scientific Interests: reading, driving, baseball Brief…

A GDSL Lipase Facilitates Ethylene Signaling in Rice

Zhao et al. investigate the function of a GDSL lipase in ethylene signaling in rice roots The Plant Cell (2020). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00840 By He Zhao and Jinsong Zhang, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Background: The plant hormone ethylene…

Thylakoid membranes or a disulfide bond help to properly fold Plsp1, a protein that is essential for photosynthesis

McKinnon et al. investigate the effects of a membrane on the folding of a thylakoid protease. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00797 By Lucas McKinnon and Steven Theg Background: Inside a chloroplast is the light-absorbing membrane called the thylakoid, which contains many different proteins…

Cytokinin can reprogram leaf patterning

Muszynski et al. explore the mechanisms controlling tissue organization in developing leaves. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00677 By Michael G. Muszynski, University of Hawaiʻi – Mānoa  Background: Leaves are responsible for capturing sunlight and carbon dioxide that provide…

Cellulose synthase-like D (CSLD) 3 protein is a beta-1,4-glucan synthase

Yang et al. probe the biosynthetic activity of a protein involved in cell wall deposition. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00637 Jiyuan Yang, Erik Nielsen. Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA  Background:…

Double Crossed: CDKG1 Regulates Crossover Formation by Stabilizing Meiotic and Somatic Recombination Intermediates

Genetic recombination is the process by which novel genotypes are generated from the genetic material of both parents. In eukaryotes, homologous chromosomes synapse and recombine during meiotic prophase I, during which double-stranded breaks (DSBs) are formed by DNA topoisomerases such as SPO11. If large…

Recognizing Plant Cell authors: Alex Harkess

Alex Harkess, first author of Sex determination by two Y-linked genes in garden asparagus Current Position: Assistant Professor, Auburn University; Faculty Investigator, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Education: B.S. Botany, Miami University (OH); Ph.D. Plant Biology, University of Georgia Non-scientific…