Recent Posts

Keeping an “i-on” chloroplast gene expression

DeTar et al. examined whether disruption of ion homeostasis affects plastid gene expression and chloroplast development. Rachael Ann DeTar and Hans-Henning Kunz both at School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University & Plant Biochemistry at LMU Munich Background: Proteins that…

Sde1A enables axillary meristem formation at the leaf axil boundary

By Hernán López and Klaus Theres, Max Planck institute for Plant Breeding Research.  López and colleagues identify the gene mutated in the tomato super determinant (sde) mutant, which affects vegetative shoot branching, but not seed set. Background: The degree of shoot branching is an important…

NF-YCs mediate plant growth during the dark-to-light transition

Zhang et al. uncover the roles of NF-YC transcription factors in repressing brassinosteroid biosynthesis and signaling to mediate photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis. Background: Seedlings, which germinate in the soil, generally undergo rapid hypocotyl elongation to seek light for growth and development.…

Probing actin-mediated root hair development

Chin et al. identify SPIRRIG and SCAR/WAVE as molecular determinants of actin-mediated root hair development in Arabidopsis.  Background: Root hairs are tip growing cells that extend the radius of a root to optimize water and nutrient absorption. Root hair development is complex and involves the…

A New Interaction Between Myosin XI and Exocyst in Plant Secretion

Zhang et al. explore the role of myosin XI in exocytosis. Plant Cell Weiwei Zhang and Christopher J. Staiger Purdue University Background: Living organisms secrete molecules from their cells to allow growth and survival in various environments. Materials destined for secretion are often…

Repeat yourself: A new way to self-express

Reinar et al. uncover the effects of allelic variation in short tandem repeats across natural populations of Arabidopsis thaliana on gene expression.  By Kjetill Jakobsen1, Melinka Butenko2, and William Reinar1 1Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), University of Oslo, Department…

Psst! Pass it on: How the message to make a new root alters gene expression

Gala et al. perform single cell RNA sequencing to reveal molecular details about lateral root initiation.  By Amy Lanctot, Hardik Gala, Jennifer Nemhauser University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 Background: Roots anchor the plant in place and allow it take up needed water and nutrients.…

We’re just not compatible…. Plant species with different parenting strategies can’t quite coordinate in rearing hybrid babies

Kinser and colleagues explore the transcriptomic, genomic and epigenomic consequences of mixing two genomes with the same number or twice as many chromosomes in monkeyflower.  By Taliesin Kinser (University of Florida) and Joshua Puzey (College of William and Mary) Background: Flowering plants…

Exploring the parental origin of potato dihaploid DNA

Amundson et al. investigate the fate of parental DNA in crosses that produce uniparental dihaploids  By Kirk Amundson and Luca Comai  Background: Plants carrying only the chromosomes of one parent, i.e. haploids, are very useful for research and breeding. Certain crosses are known to yield haploid…