Recent Posts

Alternative splicing generates a MONOPTEROS isoform required for ovule development (Curr. Biol.)

Auxin shapes the plant body and drives the formation of lateral organs such as roots and ovules. In the current model, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) are transcription factors that regulate plant growth by activating signaling in an auxin dose-dependent manner, regulated by Aux/IAA proteins. Here,…

A long shot: Photosynthesis-derived systemic signal controls lateral root emergence (Plant Physiol.)

Photosynthesis, in addition to generating ‘food’ for plants, is also known to control root growth, although the mechanism has been unknown. Duan and co-workers identified CYCLOPHILIN38 (CYP38) as necessary for photosynthesis-mediated lateral root (LR) emergence. The chloroplast-localized CYP38 is…

SAURs protein antagonistically regulate a phosphatase activity during apical hook development and cotyledon opening (Plant Cell)

Upon germination in dark, plants adopt a strategy known as skotomorphogenesis, or etiolation, to protect the shoot apical meristem and cotyledon from damage while the seedling moves through the soil. The seedlings de-etiolate when they perceive light and the apical hook and cotyledon open. Wang et…

Leaf position makes a difference: the ABCB19 auxin transporter affects light perception

Author: David S. Favero1 (ORCID: 0000-0002-6879-0323) David.favero@riken.jp Affiliation: 1RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045 Japan  Main text: As autotrophs, plants must maintain photosynthesis to thrive. In order for this to happen, a plant’s…

A network of transcriptional repressors modulates auxin responses (Nature)

A network of transcriptional repressors modulates auxin responses Untangling developmental programs and their methods of regulation are key to understanding the lives of all organisms. In plants, auxin is a hormone essential for plant growth and development. The class A AUSIN RESPONSE FACTOR…

SAUR15 connects auxin perception to lateral and adventitious root formation

Charles Copeland1 1Department of Plant Microbe Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, 50829 Cologne, Germany ORCID: 0000-0001-8535-8615 copeland@mpipz.mpg.de   As plants grow, they produce new organs such as leaves, lateral roots, and flowers. Plant development…

The sweet smell of sucrose transport during rose petal abscission

Liang et al. demonstrate that auxin modulates sucrose transport to repress petal abscission in rose. The Plant Cell (2020).  https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00695 By Yue Liang, Chuyan Jiang, Yang Liu, Yuerong Gao, Jingyun Lu, Palinuer Aiwail, Zhangjun Fei, Cai-Zhong Jiang, Bo Hong, Chao Ma and Junping…

A Chloroplast-derived Signal Attenuates Growth in Red Light by Acting on the phyB-PIF Pathway

Author: David S. Favero1 (ORCID: 0000-0002-6879-0323) david.favero@riken.jp Affiliation: 1RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045 Japan  Plant growth and development are regulated by a complex network of signals, many of which converge at the nucleus and…

Local auxin biosynthesis is required for root regeneration after wounding (Nature Plants)

During root development, auxin accumulates at the stem cell niche (SCN) located at the root meristem. Both polar auxin transport and local auxin biosynthesis contribute to the auxin accumulation. During root regeneration after wounding, the source of auxin accumulation is still a question. To address…