Repression of photomorphogenesis by a small cell-wall-derived dark signal ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogGenetic screens have revealed many key components of light signaling. In this new work, Sinclair et al. provide new insights into the repression of photomorphogenesis by cell-wall derived signals. They started with a mutant, de-etiolated by zinc (dez) that shows open cotyledons and a short hypocotyl…
Update: Root plasticity and internal aeration
Blog, Plant Physiology: Updates, Research, Research BlogBy Takaki Yamauchi, Timothy D Colmer, Ole Pedersen, Mikio Nakazono
Introduction
Root acquisition of water and nutrients is essential for plant growth and crop productivity (Lynch, 2015). An improved understanding of root system development and functioning, to identify root traits contributing to…
Cytokinin-induced cell cycle regulates MET1 activity during shoot regeneration ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe capacity of plants to regenerate new shoots from differentiated tissue – a process called de novo shoot regeneration – confers plasticity to plant development and has also important agricultural applications. Previous studies revealed that DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (MET1) inhibits shoot regeneration…
Review: Outer, inner and planar polarity in the Arabidopsis root
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogDespite vast differences across all living organisms, most eukaryotes display some form of cellular polarity which enables them to carry out specialized functions. The coordination of cell polarity within a single tissue layer is known as planar polarity. Nakamura and Grebe highlight the unique execution…
Review: The responses of root system architecture to nutrients
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe arrangement of a plant’s root system in the soil (root system architecture, RSA) changes in response to nutrients through different signaling pathways. It is assumed that RSA adapts to optimize the uptake of nutrients from the environment, but strong evidence is still lacking. This review by Shahzad…
PLETHORA transcription factors orchestrate de novo organ patterning during Arabidopsis lateral root outgrowth
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogLateral root development in plants is a complex process that involves co-ordination of several molecular components to initiate the formation of meristematic cells. Uncovering the details of these processes is confounded by functional redundancy and tight cyclic regulation of different components in…
Keeping Walls on Track
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellSchneider et al. explore how secondary cell walls are made. The Plant Cell 2017. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00309
Background: Plant cells are surrounded by robust cell walls that function as dynamic extracellular skeletons and protect plants against their environment. The cell walls make up…
To Grow or to Defend: That is the Question for Plant Central Metabolism
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellFusari et al. perform GWAS to explore primary plant metabolism https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00232
By Corina M. Fusari and Rik Kooke
Background: Primary metabolites such as sugars, organic acids, and amino acids are essential chemical compounds that drive plant growth and development by providing…
Space-Time Continuum of Gene Expression in Lateral Root Development
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellWalker et al. explore how the environment shapes root architecture. The Plant Cell 2017. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.16.00961
By Liam Walker
Background: To acquire nutrients and anchor themselves, plant roots spread both vertically and horizontally in soil. Plants typically have a primary root…