
Auxin and ROP GTPase signaling of polar nuclear migration in root epidermal hair cells (Plant Physiology)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe nucleus is a dynamic organelle whose positioning and movement is highly coordinated throughout plant development and differs between cell types. Upon the initiation and subsequent elongation of root hairs, the nucleus moves from a central position to the tip of the growing root hair. Nakamura et…

Cytokinin regulation in the endoplasmic reticulum (Plant Physiology)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchCytokinin is a phytohormone involved in many plant processes such as cell proliferation, apical dominance, leaf senescence, tissue patterning, organ initiation, environmental responses… To allow for effective control of all these processes, cytokinin concentrations need to be continuously adjusted.…

Update: Monitoring Polysaccharide Dynamics in the Plant Cell Wall
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: UpdatesBy Catalin Voiniciuc, Markus Pauly, and Björn Usadel
All plant cells are surrounded by complex walls that play a role in growth and differentiation of tissues. Walls provide mechanical integrity and structure to each cell, and represent an interface with neighboring cells and the environment (Somerville…

HOW TO BUILD A SEAWEED
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellGodfroy et al investigate basal cell fate determination in the brown alga Ectocarpus https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00440
BACKGROUND: Brown algae are multicellular photosynthetic marine organisms living on rocky shores across the globe and representing one of the most developmentally complex groups…

Stretching Plants with Cellular Resolution
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a Nutshell
Robinson et al. develop a method to measure mechanical properties of plant tissue with cellular resolution https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00753
Background: Plant growth is controlled by the extensibility of the cell wall and the turgor pressure inside. The spatial regulation of these properties…

Focus Issue: Cellular Dynamics
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: Editorials, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlant Physiology has released a focus issue on the topic of Cellular Dynamics, which includes Updates on topics ranging from Actin Dynamics to Wall Growth. The Editorial by Szymanski, Bassham, Munnik, and Sakamoto provides an excellent overview of the current state our understanding of plant cell dynamics.…

Disruption of actin filaments in Zea mays by bisphenol A depends on their crosstalk with microtubules
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogBisphenol A (BPA) is known for its negative impact on mammalian cell lines and, recently, as an emerging environmental pollutant. BPA, readily taken up and metabolized by plants, results in many growth and developmental defects, from disrupted mitotic microtubule (MT) arrays to altered calcium fluctuations…

Arabidopsis thaliana plants lacking the ARP2/3 complex show defects in cell wall assembly and auxin distribution
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe plant cytoskeleton determines cell shape and integrity by delivering cellulose microfibrils and other cell wall components to the plasma membrane and cell wall. Auxin is involved in establishing the polarity of cell expansion and auxin distribution is partly regulated by actin. Sahi et al. examine…

Oh, the places they’ll go! A survey of phytopathogen effectors and their host targets ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogAll phytopathogens encode for a toolbox of secreted proteins called ‘effectors’ that promote disease formation in the best possible way. Effectors are either acting in the apoplastic space or are translocated to the host cell to target diverse processes and modulate the host using enzymatic activities.…