Recent Posts

The maize heterotrimeric G protein β subunit controls shoot meristem development and immune responses ($) (PNAS)

Heterotrimeric G proteins transduce signals between receptors and downstream factors. Previous genetic studies have shown diverse roles for these proteins based on loss-of-function phenotypes; for example mutations in Arabidopsis Gα and Gβ subunits both lead to enlarged shoot apical meristems. Wu et…

Review. Same, but different: growth responses of primary and lateral roots ($) (J. Exp. Bot.)

Lateral roots arising from programmed cell division from primary roots in both monocots and dicots share some similarities and dissimilarities in developmental signaling. In this review, Waidmann et al. discuss lateral root organogenesis and elongation with respect to hormone, nutrient, and abiotic conditions.…

Death in cells overlying lateral root primordia facilitates organ growth in Arabidopsis (Curr. Biol.)

While cell division and cell expansion are known to be determinants of plant organ growth, little is known about the role of cell elimination and death in this process. Cell death indicators such as cell death- and autolysis-associated cysteine proteases have been observed in cells overlying the site…

SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1-LIKE 5 promotes secondary phloem formation during radial stem growth (Plant J)

Plant tissues continue to develop postembryonically through proliferation at the shoot and root apical meristem. In the vasculature, radial growth occurs through the proliferation of the undifferentiated cambial cells. Members of the SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1-LIKE (SMXL) proteins are known to be involved…

Autoregulation of RCO by low-affinity binding modulates cytokinin action and shapes leaf diversity (Curr. Biol)

REDUCED COMPLEXITY (RCO) is the main homeodomain transcription factor (TF) responsible for leaf complexity in cruciferous plants. RCO is lost in the model Arabidopsis with simple leaves but present in the genome of Cardamine hirsuta, a good model for leaf morphology traits. However, little is known about…

The Arabidopsis receptor kinase IRK is polarized and represses specific cell division (Devel. Cell) ($)

Orientation of cell division decides daughter cell fate and is fundamentally important for tissue patterning and morphology. For instance, asymmetric cell division leads to the generation of new cell types; in contrast, symmetric division produces cells with similar identity in a proliferative manner.…

Plant gene editing through de novo induction of meristems ($) (Nature Biotechnol)

A fast method of gene editing using Agrobacterium was developed to deliver combinations of the developmental regulators including WUSCHEL and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS along with gene-editing reagents. The expression of specific developmental regulators led to the induction of meristems and expression of the…

Plants make galls to accommodate foreigners: some are friends most are foes (New Phytol)

Gall formation by plants is a commonly-seen phenomenon that occurs in response to foreign entities (here called “gall-inducers”) such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, etc. In this review Harris and Pitzschke set out criteria for what is and is not a gall; by definition the gall is a developmental…

Review: The many roads to (and from) multicellularity (J. Exp. Bot)

Multicellularity is without doubt a fantastic fluke. We know that it arose independently in plants and animals, but how many times? And is there a common “predisposition” to multicellularity in the universal common ancestor? These are the questions addressed in this review by Niklas and Newman. Looking…