Recent Posts

Broad spectrum resistance to fungal pathogens in sorghum is conferred by an immune receptor gene

Lee, Fu et al. discover an unusual immune receptor locus that confers broad-spectrum, strong resistance to fungal pathogens in sorghum. Background: Sorghum, the fifth most widely grown cereal crop globally, provides food security for millions of people. The fungal disease sorghum anthracnose is the…

Nonessential genes are nevertheless good for something: Cold acclimation and photosynthesis

By Yang Gao and Reimo Zoschke, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany Gao and colleagues dissect how transcription and translation of tobacco chloroplast genes respond to cold exposure and reveal a critical role for the nonessential gene petL. Background: Plants…

An N-terminally truncated NLR is functional

Wu et al. uncover the unexpected role of the truncated NLR NRG1C in negatively regulating plant immunity by antagonizing its full-length NRG1 neighbors. Background: Plants utilize sophisticated innate immune systems to fight against pathogens. Their genomes encode abundant immune receptors to detect…

Perturbed Glycolysis Triggers Plant Immunity

Yang et al. find complex interactions between primary metabolism and plant immunity. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab283 By Jian Hua, Leiyun Yang, Zhixue Wang, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA Background: Plant NLR…

WHITE-CORE RATE 1 regulates grain chalkiness in rice

Wu et al. uncover a mechanism underlying chalkiness, an important grain quality trait in rice. Background: With improved living standards, the demand for better grain quality has become a challenge in rice production areas. Rice chalkiness, i.e., endosperm containing opaque regions, seriously reduces…

A role for MdMPK4s in apple peel coloration

Wang et al. investigate the role of MdMPK4 in fruit peel degreening during light/dark transitions By Shuai Wang, Zhenhai Han and Ting Wu Background: One of the most important visual indicators of fruit ripening in apple is the color change caused by anthocyanin accumulation and chlorophyll degradation.…

ABA triggers maize grain filling by inducing phosphorylation of the hub coordinators

Yang et al. explore the mechanism of grain filling in maize. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac044 Tao Yang and Yongrui Wu, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy…

Maize stomata during movement and development

Sun et al. explore the molecular basis of the stomatal response and stomatal development in maize.  https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac047  Guiling Sun, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University…

Putting limits to water loss: A K+ channel subunit is involved in the control of stomatal aperture by pavement cells

Author et al. explore the non-autonomous mechanism controlling stomatal aperture https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac038 Manuel Nieves-Cordones, Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, UMR BPMP, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, Montpellier SupAgro, Montpellier 34060, France. Present address:…