Recent Posts

The Cold Survival Game: RHOMBOID-LIKE PROTEASE11 and Arabidopsis' FATTY ACID EXPORT PROTEIN1

John et al. reveal how degradation of the chloroplast protein FATTY ACID EXPORT PROTEIN1 by RHOMBOID-LIKE PROTEASE11 affects cold tolerance in Arabidopsis. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae011 By Annalisa John (AJ) and Ekkehard Neuhaus (HEN) (RPTU Kaiserslautern, Germany) Background: Plants…

A large effect genetic trade-off is caused by a single mutation in CBF2

Understanding the genetic basis of local adaptation of a species is an important but thorny problem. Now that whole genomes are readily characterized, it’s not hard to see lots of differences between populations, but pulling meaning and demonstrating functional consequences out of those differences…

Unraveling cold tolerance in maize

Li et al. discover a cold-tolerance allele that was not selected during maize domestication.   Background: Cold stress is an important environmental factor that limits plant growth, development, and geographical distribution. Maize originated in Mexico and is sensitive to low temperatures. Cold stress…