Recent Posts

Promoting production: UPL3 promoter variation modulates seed size and crop yields

Identifying natural genetic variation, understanding how it influences traits, and utilizing it for crop improvement is a major objective in plant science. Miller et al. (2019) have identified genetic variation in the promoter region of BnaUPL3.C03 from a panel of Brassica napus accessions that can influence…

The genome history of camelina emerges from the shadows

Mandáková et. al. explore the origin of an ancient oilseed crop. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00366 Background: Camelina (Camelina sativa; gold of pleasure or false flax) is an ancient oilseed crop grown in Europe as early as 4000 BC. Gold of pleasure was largely forgotten as a crop, being replaced…

Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Yingying Meng

Yingying Meng, first author of The MYB Activator WHITE PETAL1 Associates with MtTT8 and MtWD40-1 to Regulate Carotenoid-Derived Flower Pigmentation in Medicago truncatula Current Position: Associate Professor, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Education:…

Regulation of Florigen Trafficking

Liu et al. elucidate the regulation of FT movement by a MCTP-SNARE complex. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00960   By Lu Liu and Hao Yu, Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore  Background: The transition…

Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Xixi Zheng

Xixi Zheng, co-first author of Intra-Kernel Reallocation of Proteins in Maize Depends on VP1-Mediated Scutellum Development and Nutrient Assimilation Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Shanghai Institutes…

Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Qi Li

Qi Li, co-first author of Intra-Kernel Reallocation of Proteins in Maize Depends on VP1-Mediated Scutellum Development and Nutrient Assimilation Current Position: Ph.D. student, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, China Academy of Sciences, 2014-present Education: Bachelor of Agronomy,…

Comparative Cell-Specific DNaseI-Seq Reveals Transcription Factor Binding Landscape in C3 and C4 Grasses

Nearly every aspect of growth, morphogenesis, physiology, and stress response is influenced by cell/tissue-type specific gene expression. Transcription factors (TFs) recognize cis-regulatory elements and signal transcription machinery for gene regulation, and the interaction between TFs and their target…

The Pattern of Alternative Polyadenylation

Yu et al. study the function of FY in alternative polyadenylation. The Plant Cell (2019) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00545 Zhibo Yu, Juncheng Lin, Qingshun Quinn Li Background: Polyadenylation of eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) involves the addition of a ‘tail’ of dozens to hundreds of…

Recognizing Plant Cell first authors: Maria Jose Molina-Contreras

Maria Jose Molina-Contreras, first author of Photoreceptor Activity Contributes to Contrasting Responses to Shade in Cardamine and Arabidopsis Seedlings Current Position: Product Data Manager (Berlin, Germany) Education: BSc and MSc in Plant Biology at the Autonomous University (UAB) and PhD in Biotechnology…