Recent Posts

Alternative splicing generates a MONOPTEROS isoform required for ovule development (Curr. Biol.)

Auxin shapes the plant body and drives the formation of lateral organs such as roots and ovules. In the current model, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) are transcription factors that regulate plant growth by activating signaling in an auxin dose-dependent manner, regulated by Aux/IAA proteins. Here,…

A long shot: Photosynthesis-derived systemic signal controls lateral root emergence (Plant Physiol.)

Photosynthesis, in addition to generating ‘food’ for plants, is also known to control root growth, although the mechanism has been unknown. Duan and co-workers identified CYCLOPHILIN38 (CYP38) as necessary for photosynthesis-mediated lateral root (LR) emergence. The chloroplast-localized CYP38 is…

NO GAMETOPHORES 2 is a novel regulator of the 2D to 3D growth transition in the moss Physcomitrella patens (Curr. Biol.)

Three-dimensional (3D) growth was an essential evolutionary innovation that allowed the radiation and diversification of land plants. In most land plants the transition from two-dimensional (2D) to 3D growth takes place during embryo development and its disruption results in lethality, however, the…

Gene expression signatures during leaf development

Martinez et al. use laser capture microdissection and transcriptomic sequencing to explore how gene expression patterns regulate early morphogenesis of the compound tomato leaf. https://bit.ly/3nehiZu  By Ciera Martinez, University of California, Berkeley Neelima Sinha, University of California,…

CLE40 induces localized root Ca2+ transients through CNGC9 (bioRxiv)

CLE40 induces localized root Ca2+ transients through CNGC9 Growth and differentiation of cells in the meristematic region are tightly regulated by different signaling pathways. In the root meristem, the small peptide CLE40 acts as a ligand that binds to cell surface receptors and regulates cellular…

Cell wall remodeling and vesicle trafficking mediate the root clock in Arabidopsis (Science)

Cell wall remodeling and vesicle trafficking mediate the root clock in Arabidopsis Living organisms use biological clocks that are coordinated by temporal signals (time) and positional cues (space) during growth and development. In plants, the ‘root clock’ is generated by a mechanism involving…

CLAVATA signaling ensures reproductive development in plants across thermal environments (Curr. Biol.)

Plant reproduction and development requires robust signaling pathways that integrate environmental queues such as temperature. In Arabidopsis, the formation of flower primordia from the inflorescence meristem (IM) depends on the proliferation/ differentiation balance and is regulated by auxin and the…

CAMEL in the canal: Regulation of PIN proteins during canalization (Science)

Auxin transport during development or wound regeneration is known to require auxin-induced channel or ‘canal’ formation that includes polar localization of PIN auxin transport proteins. Hajný and colleagues have characterized a receptor-like kinase (RLK) complex involved in auxin-induced pattern…

A novel family of secreted proteins linked to plant gall development (bioRxiv)

Insect-induced galls are abnormally patterned plant organs that provide insects with protection and a nutrient source, yet mechanisms underlying the development of these unique organs are mostly unknown. To identify insect factors that govern gall pattering, Korgaonkar et al. turned to the natural variation…