Recent Posts

A CRISPRi library screen reveals growth-robustness tradeoffs in Synechocystis

Miao & Jahn et al. generated and screened a large CRISPRi-based library of Synechocystis in 11 different growth conditions to reveal growth-robustness tradeoffs and to discover genes with condition specific importance and additional functions. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad208 By  Rui…

Understanding secondary cell wall biosynthesis to improve fiber quality in cotton

Wang et al. investigate cotton fiber secondary cell wall biosynthesis in Gossypium hirsutum. The Plant Cell (2023). By Yao Wang and Xue-Bao Li Background: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) produces natural fibers (unicellular trichomes) on the seed, making it a valuable crop for the worldwide textile…

N6-methyladenosine mRNA modification dynamics in plant immunity

Prall et al. explore how post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA mediated by methylation at the N6 position of adenine affects plants preparedness and reactivity to pathogen stress.  Wil Prall and Brian Gregory, University of Pennsylvania Department of Biology  Background: To determine how plants…

Regulation of a calcium-dependent protein kinase in response to osmotic stress

Fan et al. explore how ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis regulates the levels of active kinase in plant responses to osmotic stress. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad173 Wei Fan and Zixing Li School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China Background:…

The NLR receptor ZAR1 has been guarding receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases since the Jurassic

Adachi et al. explore the conservation of a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptor. Hiroaki Adachi1,2,3, Toshiyuki Sakai1,2, Jiorgos Kourelis1, Hsuan Pai1, Jose L. Gonzalez Hernandez4, Yoshinori Utsumi5, Motoaki Seki5,6,7, Abbas Maqbool1 and Sophien Kamoun1*  1The Sainsbury Laboratory,…

SKIPping over JAZs to improve seed maturation and viability

Vishal Varshney and Manoj Majee, National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad199 Vishal Varshney et al. investigate the F-box protein SKIP31 in Arabidopsis, revealing a role for this protein in seed maturation,…

A New Look at Virus Movement: An Unexpected Role of dsRNA-Induced Immunity

Huang et al. investigate the mechanisms of dsRNA-induced pattern-triggered immunity against viruses. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad176 Manfred Heinlein (Institut de biologie moléculaire des plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France) Background: Plants use different…

Guard Cell Walls: Who Calls the Shots?

Zheng et al. demonstrate that polar stiffening of guard cell walls is essential for stomatal functioning. By Lin Zheng and Hongzhi Wang Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences,…

The Molecular Switch Governing the Heat Stress Response in Wheat

Wang et al. explore how SUMOylation of a key transcription factor affects heat stress responses in wheat. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad192 By Jie Liu and Haoran Wang; Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key…