Recent Posts

Review. Dare to change, the dynamics behind plasmodesmata-mediated cell-to-cell communication (COPB)

A new review by Petit et al. skillfully highlights the role of plasmodesmata at the interface between cell biology and whole-plant physiology. These tiny channels that connect plant cells determine what moves from cell-to-cell symplastically, so have roles in just about everything, from developmental…

From plasmodesma geometry to effective symplasmic permeability through biophysical modelling (eLIFE)

Plasmodesmata are tiny regulated channels that connect adjacent plant cells through which nutrients, signaling molecules and viruses can move. To try to resolve discrepancies between functional and structural studies, Deinum et al. have developed a model for plasmodesmatal permeability that predicts…

A conserved signaling module controls tip growth in liverwort and Arabidopsis (Curr. Biol).

Plants have evolved with rooting cells to anchor them to the land and uptake nutrients efficiently. Growth of root hairs in seed plants or rhizoids in early diverging plants both rely on tip growth, which requires a coordination of wall loosening and deposition of wall materials with cell expansion in…

Mesostigma viride genome and transcriptome provide insights into the origin and evolution of Streptophyta (Adv. Sci)

Multicellularity has arisen independently many times across the eukaryotic tree of life (e.g., in plants, animals and fungi). Comparisons of green algae with land plants is likely to identify the genetic toolkit of multicellularity as well as the colonization of terrestrial habitats. Here, Liang et al.…

Review: Interplay between turgor pressure and plasmodesmata during development (J Exp Bot)

Plasmodesmata, small cytoplasmic channels connecting adjacent cells, allow small molecules to move and redistribute information and resources. Plasmodesmatal aperture is highly regulated, which is crucial to development and defense. Hernández-Hernández et al. review the contribution of turgor pressure…

A sensor kinase controls turgor-driven plant infection by the rice blast fungus ($) (Nature)

Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal organism of blast disease in rice and wheat, is the most devasting pathogen in rice production. During infection, it develops a germ tube that forms an infection structure called the appressorium. Through septin-mediated reorganization of the cytoskeleton, a high amount…

Optimal levels of PLETHORA2 for root regeneration capacity (Cell Reports)

Plants can regenerate organs after damage, or even regenerate a whole plant. The regeneration efficiency is different across the organism. In this study, Durgaprasad et al. studied the factors that determine regeneration competence across Arabidopsis roots. They focussed on PLETHORA2 (PLT2), a gene involved…

Chemical screening pipeline for identification of specific plant autophagy modulators ($) (Plant Physiol)

Autophagy is a recycling pathway that supports numerous processes, from nutrient remobilization to abiotic and biotic stress responses. Dauphinee, Cardoso et al. have developed a multi-step pathway that allows them to screen for inhibitors of autophagy in order to build a repertoire of new tools. For…

The QKY-SYP121 complex controls long-distance florigen movement ($) (Plant Cell)

In Arabidopsis thaliana, changes in day-length (photoperiod) activate the expression and transport of phloem-mobile florigen (FT, FLOWERING LOCUS T) to the shoot apical meristem to trigger the transition to flowering. While the role of FT as a long-distance signal is well-established, the underlying…