A computational framework for cortical microtubule dynamics in realistically shaped plant cells (PLOS Comp Biol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant growth and development consist of highly organized cellular patterns and depend on the directional growth and orientation of cells. Understanding microtubule dynamics is key to deciphering the formation of cellular shape and growth direction. In this research, Chakrabortty et al. employed analytical…
Regulation of postembryonic root organogenesis from Arabidopsis leaf tissue (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyOrganogenesis is an essential process in embryonic development. Additionally, plants can generate new organs, such as roots, from postembryonic tissues utilizing postembryonic pathways. Bustillo-Avendaño and colleagues investigated de novo root formation from Arabidopsis thaliana leaf tissue. They…
BES1 and BZR1 redundantly promote phloem and xylem differentiation ($) (Plant Cell Physiol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn vascular development, procambial or cambial cells differentiate into xylem and phloem. In this research article, by using VISUAL (Vascular cell Induction culture System Using Arabidopsis Leaves) system, Saito et al. identified BES1 (BRI1 EMS SUPPRESSOR 1) as one of the components required for xylem…
Nitrate modulates stem cell dynamics in Arabidopsis meristems through cytokinins ($) (PNAS)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe SAM (Shoot Apical Meristem) generates the cells that make up the shoot. In this paper, Landrein et al. studied how nutrient availability shapes SAM architecture. They showed that SAM size is positively correlated with both pTCSn::GFP (a cytokinin reporter) and pWUS::GFP (a major regulator for stem…
A toolkit for studying cellular reorganization during early Arabidopsis thaliana embryogenesis (Plant J.) ($)
Plant Science Research WeeklyEmbryogenesis is the simple process of plant development, but until recently our knowledge has been limited to how individual cells are specified and organized. Reported markers have been mostly constitutive promoter-driven, a fact that creates background and makes them unsuitable for the study of cellular…
Transcriptomic analysis of wound xylem formation in Pinus canariensis (BMC Plant Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyWoody plants, given their usually long life span, typically must face during their life several injuries that could take as long as several years to heal. In their work, Chano et al. use microarray analysis and RT-PCR to analyze the transcriptome changes that occurs during wood formation after a…
Conservation of Genomic Imprinting during Wheat Polyploidization
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellYang et al. discover conservation of genomic imprinting between closely related Triticum and Aegilops species. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00837
By Guanghui Yang and Mingming Xin
Background: Genomic imprinting causes genes to be differentially expressed depending on their parent-of-origin, which…
Combining Forces for Hypocotyl Elongation: Histone Modifications, GA, and the Circadian Clock
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellZheng et al. discover proteins that mediate interactions between gibberellins and the circadian clock https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00830
By Han Zheng and Yong Ding
Background: Hypocotyl elongation helps the shoot emerge from the soil surface. The gibberellin (GA) signaling protein RGA inhibits…
Wax Protects Rice from Drought Stress
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellWang et al. investigate how two proteins work oppositely to regulate wax contents and drought stress response in rice https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00823
By Zhenyu Wang and Qingyun Bu
Background: Rice is a staple food for world populations and its production is threatened by drought stress. Cuticular…