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How Calcium Signals Early Warning
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a Nutshell0 Comments
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Liu et al. uncover a direct link between calcium signaling and a plant immune receptor http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/4/746.abstract
Plants have evolved a sophisticated system to defend against pathogen attack that involves recognition of an invading pathogen and activation of the immune system.…
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A Surprising Function for Gene Introns
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellGallegos and Rose investigate how introns affect transcript initiation http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/4/843.abstract.
For the information stored in the DNA of genes to be converted into functional protein products, first a molecular copy of the information called messenger RNA is made, using…
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How Rice Thrives in Flooded Fields
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellYamauchi et al. study the formation of aerenchyma in rice – spongy tissue filled with air spaces that develop in roots of wetland plants http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/4/775.abstract
Plants, like animals, need oxygen for respiration (the metabolic process of breaking down sugars to get energy).…
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BASS Fishing: Genetic Screen Uncovers a New Transporter in Photorespiration
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellSouth et al. discover a new transporter involved in photorespiration http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/4/808.abstract.
Photosynthesis uses solar energy to convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into sugars that provide the energy and chemical building blocks for plant growth. A key enzyme in photosynthesis…
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Intricacies of Transcription Elongation
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellAntosz et al. provide insight into the complex process of transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/4/854.abstract
The genetic blueprint for the production of proteins is stored in the DNA of a plant cell. In a first step, the enzyme RNA polymerase II generates…
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How Plants Sense Cold and Activate Cold Tolerance
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellKidokoro et al. investigate how plants sense cold and activate cold tolerance http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/4/760.abstract.
Cold stress can be just as lethal as heat stress. When a cell freezes, the water inside it expands as it turns to ice. This can cause the cell membrane to rupture and lead…