
A single phosphorylation event alters root behavior
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellSiao et al. demonstrate that single phosphorylation on a protein alters root behavior in Arabidopsis.
https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad141
By Wei Siao and Eugenia Russinova, VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology
Background: Plant roots react to their environment by using hormone signaling…

The importance of being in the right place to respond to light cues
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLopez Vazquez et al explore the importance of protein sub-cellular localization by determining how a protein modulating light responses gets to the right place within the cell.
Christian Fankhauser, Centre for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Génopode Building, University of…

Interdependence of subunits of the m6A methyltransferase complex
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLisha Shen uncovers unique functional interdependence at the post-translational level among individual components of the Arabidopsis m6A methyltransferase complex.
By Lisha Shen, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Background:…

How plants fine tune wax biosynthesis
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHuang et al. find that a 3-KETOACYL-COA SYNTHASE negatively regulates wax biosynthesis, revealing a mechanism for fine-tuning lipid metabolism.
Haodong Huang, Xianpeng Yang, Shiyou Lü and Huayan Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University,…

A parasitic plant pushes the boundaries of microRNA biogenesis
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHudzik et al. reveal that not all microRNAs are transcribed the same way.
By Collin Hudzik1,2 and Michael J. Axtell1,2
1Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
2Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University…

Out of the haze of DNA–protein crosslink repair
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellDvořák Tomaštíková et al. study the role of SMC5/6 complex in repair of toxic DNA protein crosslinks in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell (2023).
By Pecinka Ales and Eva Dvořák Tomaštíková
Background: Cellular DNA is constantly damaged by various internal and external factors that eventually…

Runaway transcription makes plants sensitive to heat stress
The Plant Cell: In a Nutshell
Kim et al. investigate the role of a heat shock protein in thermotolerance.
https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac351
By Minsoo Kim and Elizabeth Vierling at UMass Amherst
Background: Plants can survive heat stress by producing heat shock proteins (HSPs) that protect and rescue other proteins.…

Plastid Nucleoside Kinase 1 (PNK1) phosphorylates inosine to inosine monophosphate, involving in the feedback control of purine de novo synthesis in Arabidopsis
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellChen et al. identify a nucleoside kinase that is highly conserved in plants and green algae.
By Xiaoguang Chen and Claus-Peter Witte. Department of Molecular Nutrition and Biochemistry of Plants, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany.
Background: Nucleotides…

Flowering Under Stress
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellPark H.J., Gamez-Arjona F., et al. show how plants reset the time of flowering under salinity stress. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac289
Background: For plants, extremes in the cardinal conditions of light, temperature, nutrients and water availability are major drivers of natural selection.…