Recent Posts

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…

How Light Activates the Plant Circadian Clock

Liu et al. discover how members of the photosensory-signaling pathway orchestrate circadian clock gene expression to regulate plant responses to daily changes in the light environment. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00981  Background: Plants use an endogenous time-keeping mechanism known…

Chimeric Activators and Repressors Define HY5 Activity

Early during seedling development and throughout their lives, plants sense and adapt to their constantly changing environment. Germinated seedlings perceive light which triggers a major developmental switch ultimately leading to photoautotrophic growth. This complex process, referred to broadly as photomorphogenesis,…

Plant Pathogens Recruit PI(4,5)P2 to the Interfacial Membrane for Disease Development

Qin et al. show that PI(4,5)P2 functions as a susceptibility factor for plant disease. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00970 By Li Qin and Yangdou Wei. Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Canada Background: Biotrophic plant pathogens such as powdery mildews and rusts require…

Security Notice: This Plant Immunity is under mRNA Surveillance

Every manufacture relies on a quality control process to ensure that the released product is without defects. Similarly, each transcript leaving the eukaryotic nucleus is subjected to mRNA surveillance, which helps to ensure that only flawless mRNAs are directed to translation. For example, transcripts…