Special Issue of Current Biology "The Making of a Plant"
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogBrowsing the table of contents of the “The Making of a Plant” special issue of Current Biology feels like a birthday celebration; there are so many exciting goodies it’s hard to know which to open first. The issue consists of well-written and well-illustrated short reviews (and Quick Guides and…
Review. Fine-tuning timing: Natural variation informs the switch to flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe transition from vegetative growth to a flower-producing reproductive state is highly regulated by environmental cues. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has a wide distribution throughout different habitats, so each accession has different adaptations strategies. One of the major factors that varies…
Seasonal regulation of petal number in Cardamine hirsute
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogFlower development, unlike flowering timing, is a robust process not much affected by seasonal variation, such that the number of floral organs in each flower can be predicted quite precisely for different plant families. Most Brasiccaceae family species have flowers with fours petals, however, Cardamine…
Auxin minimum triggers developmental switch in the Arabidopsis root ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe root apex is an excellent tissue in which to study the mechanisms that control cell division and differentiation, as the cells produced by the root apical meristem form files of increasing age as they are moved away from the tip. In Arabidopsis, many mutant and reporter lines have contributed to…
DELLA genes restrict inflorescence meristem function independently of plant height
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogGibberellins (GA) have a role in cell proliferation in the shoot apical meristem (SAM). GA binds to the receptor GID1, leading to DELLA protein degradation, thus promoting stem growth. In absence of GA, DELLAs inhibit growth. In this paper, Serrano-Mislata et al. explore how DELLAs, mainly GAI and RGA,…
Brassinosteroid signaling-dependent root responses to prolonged elevated ambient temperature
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogTemperature is one of the major factors affecting plant growth and development. Martins et al. showed that elevated temperature increases root growth through elongated cell size, but reduced both meristem size and number of meristematic cells. The elongation of root growth during elevated temperature…
In Arabidopsis thaliana cadmium affects growth of the primary root by altering SCR expression and auxin-cytokinin crosstalk
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogCadmium is a toxic metal in our environment. Bruno et al. explored cadmium-mediated root-growth inhibition using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Cadmium affects root growth longitudinally by reducing root meristem cell number and radially by controlling the number and width of stele cells. The…
Review: Auxin signaling
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Leyser summarizes our current understanding of the what, how and why of what auxin does (and doesn’t) do. For example, she points out that, “Auxin does not instruct cells to do anything in particular, but rather it influences the behavior of cells according to their pre-existing identity.” She…
Genetic architecture and molecular networks underlying leaf thickness in desert-adapted tomato
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlants with thicker leaves are better able to retain water and deal with water-limiting conditions. Coneva et al. explored the genetic basis for leaf thickness by comparing introgression lines of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and a species adapted to the desert (Solanum pennillii). They found…