How do brassinosteroids promote etiolation of apical organs in Arabidopsis?
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellWang et al. explore how plants maintain apical etiolation.
By Jiajun Wang (Southwest University, China), Haodong Chen (Tsinghua University, China), Xing Wang Deng (Peking University, China), Ning Wei (Southwest University, China)
Background: Seeds germinate underneath the soil; to help the shoot…
Recruiting the ATP-generating nanomotor in chloroplasts
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellReiter et al. investigate the molecular basis for coupling factor CF1 recruitment in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Cell (2022).
By Thilo Rühle
Background: Thylakoid ATP synthases are impressive molecular engines that harness the light-driven proton gradient to generate ATP during photosynthesis.…
Balancing starch and protein in the maize endosperm
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellNing et al. identify a transcription factor responsible for modulating nitrogen and carbon metabolism in response to nitrogen availability.
Background: Starch and protein are the main components of maize (Zea mays) endosperm. Nitrogen (N) fluctuation affects starch and protein levels in the endosperm.…
At the right time and in the right place: WPRs functions in maize stomatal development
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellNan et al. examine the localization of key factors in maize stomatal development.
Qiong Nan and Michelle Facette
Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
Background: Stomata are small pores on the plant surface that open and close to allow gas exchange––allowing…
A Phytophthora effector targets nuclear transcriptional complexes in plant immunity
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellQiu et al. reveal the role of a nuclear Phytophthora effector in suppressing plant immunity via interfering the formation of nuclear transcriptional complex, Plant Cell (2022).
By Xufang Qiu, Liang Kong and Yuanchao Wang
Background: To prevent infection, plants have evolved two layers of immunity,…
The pentatricopeptide repeat PPR-E proteins mediate RNA C-to-U editing by recruiting a cytidine deaminase
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellWang et al. reveal how the PPR-E proteins function in RNA editing in maize mitochondria.
Yong Wang and Bao-Cai Tan
Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
Background:…
News about NUE: How the vacuolar nitrate exchanger CLCa stabilizes water and nitrate status
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHodin et al. explore the function of the vacuolar nitrate transporter CLCA and provide insight on potentially improving nitrogen use efficiency.
Background: Nitrogen is quantitatively the most important inorganic nutrient for plants. Roots mainly take nitrogen up in the form of nitrate (NO3-). Once…
How do cucumber leaves respond to fruiting?
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellDai et al. demonstrate the key function of a non-coding RNA delicately regulating cucumber fruit–leaf relationship
By The research group led by Prof. Minmin Miao from Yangzhou University
Background: For fruit-bearing crops, plants must allocate photosynthate from leaves to fruits. Most…
A cascade facilitates Arabidopsis resistance to pathogens
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellAi and Li et al. explore the mechanism by which an RNA-binding protein regulates plant immunity.
By Gan Ai1,3, Tianli Li 1,3, Hai Zhu1, Xiaohua Dong1, Xiaowei Fu1, Chuyan Xia1, Weiye Pan1, Maofeng Jing1, Danyu Shen1, Ai Xia1, Brett M. Tyler2, Daolong Dou1*
1College of Plant Protection, Academy…