ROS accumulation and antiviral defence control by microRNA528 in rice
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Several studies have implicated microRNAs in plant defenses against pathogens. Wu et al. previously showed that virus resistance is facilitated by the interaction of viral-inducible AGO18 (which is cleavage-inactive) and rice miR528. In this work, they identified the role of miR528 in viral resistance.…
GET with it: Targeting of tail-anchored proteins via the GET system
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchStudents learn that membrane proteins are inserted into the endoplasmic-reticulum (ER) membrane co-translationally, but this mechanism does not hold for so-called tail-anchored (TA) proteins which carry a single C-terminal membrane spanning domain and insert into the ER membrane post-translationally.…
Review: Industrial biomanufacturing: the future of chemical production ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchOur way of life depends on the chemical manufacture of thousands of products. Some of these can be produced through biomanufacturing, which may involve starting with a biological starting material, or using an enzyme or organism as catalyst. Advances in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and genomics…
Review: New routes for plant iron mining
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchIron (Fe) is a frequently limiting nutrient for plant growth. Iron uptake requires that plants manipulate the extracellular environment through secretion of protons, chelators and other molecules. Curie and Mari review new studies on the importance of coumarin (phenolic compound) secretion in iron uptake,…
Gain and loss of floral scent with shifts in pollination strategies
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchTwo papers in Current Biology examine the genetics behind plant-pollinator interactions , focusing on genes controlling floral scent. Amrad et al. 10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.023 explore differences between bee, hawkmoth and hummingbird pollinated species of Petunia. They identify changes in expression in…
Review: Transport and homeostasis of K & P ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchNitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are the three macronutrients required in highest amounts for plant growth. N is abundant in the atmosphere, therefore plentiful if we overlook the energetic costs of converting N2 to usable form. By contrast, K and P are present in limited amounts in the…
Plant-permeable trehalose 6-phosphate analogues increase yield and resilience ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchTrehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) is a sugar signaling molecule that regulates how plants allocate and use sucrose, which in turn affects stress resilience and yields. Griffiths et al. designed a plant-permeable, photo-activated T6P analogue that is converted to T6P in planta. Spraying this compound onto plants…
Photosynthetic machinery protection induced by UV-B in Chlamydomonas
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchLight is good, too much light is bad. Photosynthetic organisms can dissipate excess light through a variety of means including non-photochemical quenching. Czechowski et al. show that in Chlamydomonas perception of UV-B light via the nuclear/cytosolic receptor UVR8 induces accumulation of proteins that…
Metabolic control of tobacco pollination ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogA germinated pollen grain extends a pollen tube through the stigma and style of the flower to deliver two sperm cells to an ovule. Tip-directed growth of the pollen tube requires a large energy input, but how does the pollen tube obtain energy while growing through the flower tissues? Goetz et al.…