Molecular teamwork: how three protein families and DNA work together to control gene expression
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHong and Rusnak et al. explore how a 1000-bp region of DNA activates gene expression in giant cells.
By Adrienne Roeder and Byron Rusnak
Background: Specialized cell types carry out specific functions within plants. Some genes are expressed uniquely in one cell type and not expressed in other…
Strawberry inflorescence diversity: meet the thyrse
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLembinen et al. explore the molecular mechanisms underlying inflorescence diversity in strawberry.
Sergei Lembinen1, Mikolaj Cieslak2, Teng Zhang1, Kathryn Mackenzie1, Paula Elomaa1, Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz2, Timo Hytönen1.
1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre,…
The dark side of the plant: lipid metabolism regulation under starvation
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLuzarowska et al. reveal that an enzyme involved in fatty acid elongation and wax synthesis determines the differential accumulation of polyunsaturated triacylglycerols.
By Corina Mariana Fusari1 & Yariv Brotman2
1Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET-UNR), Suipacha…
Residues required for polar localization of rice Si transporter
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellKonishi et al. explore the mechanism underlying the polar localization of a silicon transporter.
By Noriyuki Konishi, Namiki Mitani-Ueno, Naoki Yamaji and Jian Feng Ma
Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki, 710-0046 Japan
Background: Silicon (Si)…
How plants fine tune wax biosynthesis
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHuang et al. find that a 3-KETOACYL-COA SYNTHASE negatively regulates wax biosynthesis, revealing a mechanism for fine-tuning lipid metabolism.
Haodong Huang, Xianpeng Yang, Shiyou Lü and Huayan Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University,…
Ligands and regulatory properties of the HD-ZIPIII START domain
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHusbands et al. identify ligands and regulatory properties of the HD-ZIPIII START domain.
By By Aman Y. Husbands (University of Pennsylvania) and Marja C.P. Timmermans (University of Tuebingen).
Background: Development has been compared to a ball rolling down a hill. Cells initially have broad…
Inhibition of SIZ1-mediated HLS1 SUMOylation promotes light-induced apical hook opening
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellXiong and Yang et al. explore how plants regulate rapid opening of the apical hook in the light.
By Jiawei Xiong and Dawei Zhang, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment, College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan…
The functional evolution of geranyl diphosphate synthases with different architectures
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellSong, Jin, Chen, He, Li, Tang, et al. establish that independent evolutionary processes in ancestral land plants led to homo- and heteromeric geranyl diphosphate synthases.
Shuyan Song and Shan Lu
School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Background: Terpenoids are a…
SWEET11b transports sugar and cytokinins in barley grains
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellRadchuk et al. explore the physiological role of SWEETs in barley grain development.
By Volodymyr Radchuk and Ljudmilla Borisjuk
Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
Background: Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporter (SWEET) is a large…