Review: Plant digital twins, the future of crop production
Plant Science Research WeeklyImagine how cool it would be if, just like we check weather apps before going out, we could “grow” a plant in our computer before planting it into our backyard, in order to predict its future success. Pauli et al. discuss this possibility through the use of Digital Twins (DTs), virtual plants that…
Benzaldehyde reductases complete the salicylic acid biosynthesis puzzle
Plant Science Research WeeklyBenzyl alcohol is a volatile compound and the scent molecule of several seed plants. It also can be converted to benzyl benzoate, which is one of the routes to salicylic acid (SA) production in plants. The flowers of Petunia hybrida are wonderful factories of benzyl alcohol, prompting Lee et al. to use…
Oxygen: A hidden developmental cue in leaf morphogenesis
Plant Science Research WeeklyOxygen is always considered something living forms need to survive. But wait, its role is beyond just respiration. Would you believe if I told you oxygen guides the development of young leaves? A recent study by Panicucci et al. reveals that oxygen acts as a signalling molecule, affecting cell proliferation…
How chromatin changes shift CHH methylation pathways in soybean
Plant Science Research WeeklyDECREASED IN DNA METHYLATION 1 (DDM1) is a chromatin remodeler that regulates nucleosome organization and facilitates access of DNA methyltransferases to heterochromatic regions enriched in transposable elements (TEs), contributing to DNA methylation, TE silencing, and genome stability. In plants, CHH…
Could the transcription factor HHO5 hold the key to breaking fertilizer dependency?
Plant Science Research WeeklyEfficient nitrogen uptake is essential for plant growth. Hinckley et al. have characterized HRS1 HOMOLOG 5 (HHO5), a transcription factor in Arabidopsis that had been previously overlooked compared to the NIGT1 family. Through a single T-DNA insertion mutation, the authors show HHO5 acts as a non-redundant…
Cellulose synthase complexes and remorins anchor the membrane to the cell wall under water stress
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant cells are under constant turgor pressure that pushes the plasma membrane tightly against the cell wall. Under severe water loss, cells shrink and membrane retracts without fully detaching from the wall. Narrow bands known as Hechtian strands remain tethered to the cell wall at membrane/wall contact…
ULTRAPETALA1: A molecular regulator that fine-tunes the transition to flowering
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants need to carefully control which genes are active as they grow and switch from one developmental stage to another. A new study by Geshkovski et al. reveals that ULTRAPETALA1 (ULT1), previously thought to mainly counteract gene silencing, can also promote gene silencing by working directly with…
Rhodanobacter enhances drought tolerance through a KAI2-interacting isoflavone
Plant Science Research WeeklyA new paper by Sun et al. demonstrates a pathway through which drought tolerance in Arabidopsis is influenced by soil microbiota. Using transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, Sun et al. identified a strain of Rhodanobacter that is recruited to the rhizosphere of drought-stressed plants and can help…
Increases in cereal seed size were likely a plastic response before eventual genetic selection
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant domestication was a significant event in human history that occurred at multiple locations and time points. Barley, emmer wheat, and einkorn wheat are cereals that were domesticated about 10,000 years ago in southwest Asia, in a region called the Fertile Crescent. The hallmarks of cereal domestication…