Comment: Protecting the origins of coffee
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research0 Comments
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Coffee is a hugely popular beverage and contributes immeasurably to human productivity, but demand has risen by 50% in the past 20 years while coffee production is vulnerable to disease and climate change. Mehrabi and Lashermes observe that the popular arabica coffee comes from the plant Coffea arabica,…
Genome sequence and genetic diversity of European ash trees
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchAsh dieback (a fungal disease) and the beetle Agrilus planipennis (a herbivore) are crushing ash tree populations in the Northern Hemisphere. To shed light on the genetic basis of the trees' susceptibility and to understand the genetic diversity of these trees, Sollars et al. have sequenced one individual…
Homeodomain protein underpins leaf shape variation in cotton ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchHomeodomain transcription factors are well-known as regulators of developmental patterning, including in leaves. Andres et al. examine the molecular basis behind leaf shape in cotton, particularly the Okra locus that was identified by breeders as a regulator of leaf shape. They show that the Okra locus…
Domestication impacts on plant–herbivore interactions: a meta-analysis
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchIt is widely stated that domestication has contributed to a decrease in plant resistance to herbivory, but to what extent is this true? In a contribution to a special issue on “Human influences on evolution”, Whitehead et al. describe results of their meta-analysis. Although their data show a consistent…
Plant-permeable trehalose 6-phosphate analogues increase yield and resilience ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchTrehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) is a sugar signaling molecule that regulates how plants allocate and use sucrose, which in turn affects stress resilience and yields. Griffiths et al. designed a plant-permeable, photo-activated T6P analogue that is converted to T6P in planta. Spraying this compound onto plants…
Opinion Paper: Bandwagons I, too, have known (reflections of a plant breeder) ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchIn this entertaining Opinion article written for the 150th anniversary of Mendel’s seminal work, Bernardo reviews “bandwagons” that have come and gone in plant breeding. Early bandwagons such as induced polyploidy are discussed, as well as more recent trends such as trangenics, molecular markers…
Gene editing to produce doubly-determinate, early-yielding tomatoes ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchTomatoes have an indeterminate growth pattern that arises from the balance of flower-promoting (florigen) and flower repressing activities. Suppressing this flower-repressing activity leads to greater determinacy and facilitates cultivation. Soyk et al. compared flowering times in short- and long-days…
Best of 2016: Top Topics in The Plant Cell journal
Blog, Research, Research Blog, The Plant CellWe’ve highlighted some of the Plant Cell papers that were widely shared, liked, blogged, retweeted and otherwise garnered high-levels of attention this year. Perhaps you can use some holiday-season quiet time to catch up on those you missed.
Reviews and Perspectives
Creating order from chaos: epigenome…
The Power of Plasticity in Polyploid Persimmon
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefIN BRIEF by Jennifer Lockhart [email protected]
Most plants are hermaphrodites, producing perfect flowers with both male and female functions. In roughly 6% of plants, however, male (usually XY) plants produce only male flowers and female (XX) plants produce only female flowers. These dioecious plants…