How Does Light Cause Arabidopsis Cotyledons to Open?
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellDong et al. investigate cotyledon-specific light-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell (2019). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00803
By J. Dong, N. Sun, J. Yang, Z. Deng, J. Lan, G. Qin, H. He, X. W. Deng, V. F. Irish, H. Chen, and N. Wei
Background: When germinating in darkness…
The lateral root cap acts as an auxin sink that controls meristem size (Curr Biol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyDuring root growth, cellular activities need to be coordinated across tissues. Mambro et al. have identified molecular mechanisms involved in root apical meristem maintenance by auxin homeostasis regulation in lateral root cap (LRC) cells. The cytokinin response regulator ARR1 regulates expression of…
Review: Brassinosteroid signaling in plant development and adaptation to stress ($) (Development)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn this new review, Riverola et al. highlight the significance of the phytohormone brassinosteroid in plant development and responses to stress. The authors discuss BRL1, LRR-RLK receptor mediated signaling mechanism that is crucial for root development and stress response. This signaling mechanism varies…
Constitutive signaling activity of a receptor-associated protein links fertilization with embryonic patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana ($) (PNAS)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe apical and basal identity of a growing embryo is determined by an asymmetrical division of the zygote in flowering plants. The MAPKK kinase YODA (YDA) is important for zygotic elongation and embryonic polarity. During embryo development, YDA is activated by the membrane associated pseudo-kinase SHORT…
Root branching is not induced by auxins in Selaginella moellendorffii (Front Plant Sci)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAuxin is crucial for root development across angiosperms. All the auxin signal transduction pathway components are conserved in land plants, but their role is still not completely clear in early diverged lineages. Here, Fang et al. present a comprehensive analysis of exogenous auxin addition and polar…
Multiple transcriptional factors control stomata development in rice (New Phytol) ($)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn the model plant Arabidopsis, stomatal development occurs in a scattered pattern with that avoids direct contact between them. In rice and other monocots, the stomata are distributed in a uniformly oriented manner. Such unique patterning and morphology of stomata intrigued Wu et al. to examine if the…
Synergistic pectin degradation and guard cell pressurization underlie stomatal pore formation
Plant Science Research Weekly
This is a very interesting paper published by Rui et al. on the molecular mechanisms for stomatal pore formation, which includes pore initiation followed by pore enlargement. Each pore is surrounded by a pair of guard cells, which regulate the aperture of the pore and control gas exchange and water…
NERD1, a novel regulator of ovule number in Arabidopsis (PLOS Genetics)
Plant Science Research WeeklySeed number is a critical component of crop yield; the number of ovules determines the number of seeds. Ovule initiation in the carpel margin meristem (CMM) is controlled by genetic (i.e., AINTEGUMENTA, LEUNIG, SEUSS) and hormonal factors (auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, and brassinosteroids). Most…
Cell geometry determines symmetric and asymmetric division plane selection in Arabidopsis early embryos (PLOS Comp Biol)
Plant Science Research Weekly
Cells proliferate via symmetric divisions while asymmetric divisions are associated with new cell types, layers and developmental patterns. The correct orientation of cell divisions planes is required for plant tissue architecture and organ morphogenesis. In plants, previous attempts to predict division…