Ribosomes Meet Epigenetics
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellChen et al. link chromatin modifying machinery with ribosome biogenesis. The Plant Cell (2018). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00626
by Xiangsong Chen and Xuehua Zhong
Background: All cells need to make proteins to function properly. Ribosomes are the protein production factories consisting of…
Protection from the Sun: Sunscreen for Plants
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellMalnoë et al. demonstrate that a protein from the lipocalin family plays a role in promoting energy dissipation that prevents damage from long-term light stress. The Plant Cell (2017). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00536
By Alizée Malnoë
Background: Light is necessary for plant growth…
Recruiter of Chromatin Regulators
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHohenstatt et al. describe a new recruiter of PcG chromatin regulators affecting flowering and meristem identity in Arabidopsis. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00117
By Pawel Mikulski
1) BACKGROUND: Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are key regulatory proteins involved in maintaining the ability (and…
Symphony of the regulators: How do plants control complex responses to environmental signals?
Blog, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefThere are several models we use to conceptualize how plants respond to environmental signals through transcriptional regulation. In perhaps the best-understood model, the perception of some environmental signal flows through one or several mechanisms to a master regulator, often a transcription factor…
Hold Me Closer: Meiotic Crossover Formation and FANCD2
Blog, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefMeiosis takes a single, diploid cell and turns it into four haploid spores. The equal distribution of genetic material is critical for genome stability across generations, and relies heavily on proper pairing of chromosomes and their timely release. During the first meiotic division, crossovers (COs)…
Goldilocks Principle: MtNFH1 Ensures Optimal Nod Factor Activity
Blog, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefPartner selection is a critical step that must occur early during establishment of Root Nodule Symbiosis (RNS). RNS refers to the mutualistic interaction between legumes and some non-legumes with soil bacteria that help convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant usable ammonia. In legumes such as Medicago…
The Shifting Transcriptional Response of Corn Smut Fungus
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefAs a biotrophic fungus, Ustilago maydis (corn smut fungus) relies on living plant tissues for sustenance. Once U. maydis cells of compatible mating types fuse on a leaf surface, they produce a dikaryotic filament with a specialized infection structure—the appressorium—that penetrates epidermal cells.…
Cell Cycle Regulation by Chlamydomonas Cyclin-Dependent Protein Kinases
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefCyclins and cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs) are critical regulators of cell cycle progression. Although CDK1 is essential for mitosis in animals and fungi, CDKA, the plant and algal ortholog of CDK1, is not essential for cell division in Arabidopsis (Nowack et al., 2012). By contrast, CDKB is…
Ethylene Represses Gene Transcription via Histone Deacetylases
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefApproximately half of all ethylene-responsive genes are downregulated in the presence in ethylene (Chang et al, 2013), but this repression has received relatively little attention compared to the ethylene-mediated activation of expression. The known positive regulators of ethylene signaling include ETHYLENE…