Convergent evolution of sesterterpene biosynthetic repertoire in the Brassicaceae
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Sesterterpenes are a family of natural products; some (derived from corals and fungi) have been shown to have antitumor, antimicrobial and antiinflamatrory activities. Huang et al. used genome mining to identify sesterterpene biosynthetic genes in the Brassicaceae. The first committed step is carried…
Synthesis of the anti-HIV compound daurichromenic 1 acid in Rhododendron dauricum
Plant Science Research WeeklyDaurichromenic 1 acid (DCA) is a meroterpenoid with anti-HIV properties that is produced in young leaves of Rhododendron dauicum. In this study, Iijimi et al. identified a DCA synthase gene. Starting with their previous observations that this enzyme is a stereoselective meroterpenoid oxidocyclase, similar…
Emission of volatile organic compounds from petunia flowers is facilitated by an ABC transporter
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants can emit up to 10% of the carbon they fix as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which function in abiotic stress tolerance, pollinator attraction, signalling between plants, and defending against pathogens and herbivores. It has been an open question whether these small molecules pass directly…
Abscisic acid Antagonist 1 (AA1): A ray of hope for extending shelf life of leafy vegetables ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchAbscisic acid (ABA) is one of the phytohormones that plays a pivotal role in a plant's life from germination to senescence, and it drew additional attention of researchers owing to its involvement in abiotic stress. Leaf senescence is a natural phenomenon but if this process can be delayed by non-toxic…
Fatty acids in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are synthesized by the host plant ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchIn the symbiotic relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plants, the fungal partner greatly enhances the uptake of mineral nutrients (particularly phosphate), while in return it is supplied with organic carbon from the photosynthetic partner. Luginbuehl et al. investigated whether this…
Review: How does a plant orchestrate defense in time and space? Using glucosinolates in Arabidopsis as case study
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchPlants, like human societies, must live with the inherent conflict between investing in defense and investing in growth and infrastructure. Burrow and Halkier provide an interesting and highly readable overview of the strategies by which Arabidopsis optimizes the production and distribution of glucosinolates,…
A Possible Strategy for Increasing Methionine Titer in Seeds
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, ResearchMethionine is a nutritionally essential sulfur-containing amino acid found at low levels in plants and in their seeds. It often limits the nutritional value of crop plants as a source of dietary protein for humans and animals. In plants, methionine plays key roles in protein synthesis and mRNA translation,…
Secrets of the Forest: Volatiles First Discovered in Pine Trees Propagate Defense Signals Within and Between Plants
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefSystemic acquired resistance (SAR)—a plant-wide heightened state of defense following localized exposure to a pathogen—is characterized by increased salicylic acid (SA) and ROS levels and elevated expression of pathogenesis-related genes. SAR depends on ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 (EDS1), which…
Intricacies of Transcription Elongation
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellAntosz et al. provide insight into the complex process of transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II http://www.plantcell.org/content/29/4/854.abstract
The genetic blueprint for the production of proteins is stored in the DNA of a plant cell. In a first step, the enzyme RNA polymerase II generates…