Anthers Crave Copper
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellYan et al. searched for proteins that regulate the delivery of the micronutrient copper to flowers to ensure successful reproduction https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00363
By Jiapei Yan, Ju-Chen Chia, and Olena Vatamaniuk
Background: Global food security and the demand for high-yielding grain crops…
Transcriptional Switching Makes New Messages
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellFukudome et al. explore the significance of Pol II C-terminal phosphorylation https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00331
By Akihito Fukudome and Hisashi Koiwa
Background: In animals and plants, gene expression begins with an enzyme called RNA polymerase II (Pol II), which produces ribonucleic acid (RNA)…
Multiple Mediator Subunits Impact Metabolism
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellDolan et al. examine how a complex that regulates gene expression alters the production of phenylpropanoids https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00282
By Whitney Dolan and Clint Chapple
Background: Plants produce a vast array of compounds known as phenylpropanoids from the amino acid phenylalanine.…
Protection Against Reactive Carbonyl Species
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellSchmitz et al. investigate the physiological significance of the glyoxylase system in Arabidopsis https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00258
By Jessica Schmitz and Veronica G. Maurino
BACKGROUND: In every living cell, side reactions of enzymes and spontaneous reactions of metabolites inevitably…
OnGuard2 Computational Platform Tracks Guard Cell Processes
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellWang et al. discover unexpected connections between humidity and ion transport using a model that bridges guard cell-to-leaf scales https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00694
By Maria Papanatsiou
Background: Plants rely on stomata on the leaf epidermis for their survival. Stomata are small pores formed…
How Signals in Plant Leaves Influence Flowering
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellBrambilla et al. describe antagonistic signals in rice leaves that control flowering https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00645
By Vittoria Brambilla
Background: A plant’s lifecycle is marked by a major switch occurring when the plant stops producing leaves and starts to make flowers. This switch is…
How Plants Clear Toxic Proteins
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellGil et al. explore ZTL-mediated protein quality control https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00612
By Kyung-Eun Gil
Background: As sessile organisms, plants have evolved various mechanisms to adapt to environmental changes. Under stressful conditions such as high temperatures, proteins are misfolded…
Broad-Spectrum Disease Resistance in Tomato
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellBroad-Spectrum Disease Resistance in Tomato
Zhu et al. examine how a plant receptor protein confers broad-spectrum resistance to various tospovirus pathogens https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00180
By Min Zhu, Savithramma P. Dinesh-Kumar, and Xiaorong Tao
Background: Highly evolved microbes cause…
How Plants Keep Troublemakers Out and Water In
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellKaundal et al. examine how a protein keeps plants safe from invading pathogens and dehydration http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/9/2233
By Amita Kaundal, Vemanna S. Ramu, Kirankumar S. Mysore
Background: To cause disease in plants, bacteria must enter plant tissue and multiply. Bacteria and…