Recent Posts

An Improved Recombineering Toolset for Plants

Brumos and Zhao et al. developed an improved set of genetic tools to make precise sequence modifications in large DNA fragments and used them to tag hundreds of plant genes, including those involved in auxin production. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00431 By Javier Brumos, Anna Stepanova,…

A Simple and sensitive SYBR Gold-based assay to quantify DNA-Protein interactions ($) (Plant Molecular Biology)

Gene regulation occurs at multiple levels including transcription. During transcription, transcriptional factors bind to specific target sequence which allows the recruitment of other proteins including RNA polymerase that enables transcription. Understanding such an intricate mechanism allows researchers…

Fine control of aerenchyma and lateral root development through Aux/IAA- and ARF-dependent auxin signaling ($) (PNAS)

Auxin plays a major role in plant development and can alter the developmental program following the stress response. In this paper, Yamauchi et al., have identified the auxin signaling cascade involved in the development of aerenchyma and regulators of this auxin signaling might also be involved in lateral…

Auxin-sensitive AUX/IAA proteins mediate drought tolerance in Arabidopsis by regulating glucosinolates levels ($) (Nature Communication)

Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites synthesized by plants as a defense compound against pathogen and herbivore. In this paper Salehin et al., have demonstrated regulation of aliphatic glucosinolate levels by auxin signaling that promotes drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. The Aux/IAA proteins are…

Flexibility of intrinsically disordered degrons in AUX/IAA proteins reinforces auxin receptor assemblies ($) (BioRxiv)

Auxin is involved in multiple plant development and stress response which necessitates complexity in auxin signaling. Auxin at a particular threshold in the cells brings together the TIR1/AFB1-5 (TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE1/ AUXIN SIGNALING F-BOX 1-5) members and members of the 29 Aux/IAA members bound…

Design principles of a minimal auxin response system ($) (BioRxiv)

Auxin signaling components are evolutionarily conserved across the land plants and the duplication events in these regulators enabled complexity in development. Auxin regulated developmental programming occurs through the ARF (AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORS) transcriptional factors. Marchantia polymorpha serves…

Plant Science Research Weekly: October 18

Guest Editor : Suresh Damodaran I am a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. Lucia Strader’s lab at WUSTL. My primary area of interest is understanding the role of plant hormones in development. I completed my graduate degree in Dr. Sen Subramanian’s lab at SDSTATE.  Twitter: @SureshDamod   Design…

Immunity-growth Trade-off in Plants

Jing et al. reveal how danger-associated peptides inhibit root growth in plants in response to pathogen attack. Plant Cell (2018) https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00145.   Background: Plants defend themselves against pathogens and pests through an innate immune system that is activated by pathogen-associated…

Fruit Length Regulation in Cucumber

Zhao et al. identify a key regulator of fruit length variation in cucumber. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00905 By Jianyu Zhao, China Agricultural University/University of Wisconsin-Madison; Li Jiang, China Agricultural University/Nanjing Agricultural University; Gen Che, China…