J. Exp. Bot. reviews auxin ($)
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The Journal of Experimental Botany is publishing a good collection of review articles on auxin. Topics include ARF transcription factors, Auxin’s role in lateral root formation, Auxin research in rice and implications for crop improvement, Integration of multiple auxin signaling pathways, Evolution…
Rhamnose-containing cell wall polymers suppress helical plant growth independently of microtubule orientation
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogSaffer et al. identified an Arabidpsis mutant with swirled petals and with petal epidermal cells that show a left-handed (but never right-handed) twist. They mapped the mutation to the RHAMNOSE BIOSYNTHESIS1 (RHM1) gene, which is most highly expressed in petal epidermal cells and encodes an enzyme that…
Flowering time in banana (Musa spp.), a day neutral plant, is controlled by at least three FLOWERING LOCUS T homologues
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogFlowering time is regulated by FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), its paralog TWIN SISTER OF FT (TSF), and related proteins. Banana (Musa spp.) is an economically-important day-neutral plant with a months-long vegetative phase prior to flowering. The banana cultivar Grand Nain has 14 FT/TSF-like genes spread…
A MicroRNA Switch that Controls Lateral Root Growth and Nodulation
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, Research, Research BlogLegume roots form two types of organs, lateral roots and symbiotic nodules, which participate, respectively, in the uptake of water and mineral nutrients and in nitrogen fixation. Since both organs have considerable impacts on plant growth, understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of lateral…
Maize Meristem Matters
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellTsuda et al. explore the function of BLH transcription factors in maize meristems
Plants have specialized tissues at the tips of roots and shoots called meristems. Meristem cells are what keep the plant growing; they are undifferentiated cells that continue to divide, providing new cells for growth.…
Review: Uncovering gene regulatory networks controlling plant cell differentiation ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe transparency and simplicity of the Arabidopsis root apex has made it an excellent model through which to understand the processes that lead from undifferentiated meristem cells to mature root tissues. Drapek et al. review the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that underlie the development of the endodermis…
Expression of Kranz-anatomy candidate genes from maize in rice
Plant Science Research WeeklyMost plants that use the more efficient C4 form of photosynthesis also exhibit Kranz anatomy, in which the PEPC and Rubisco carboxylases reside in distinct cells. Key genes that control the development of Kranz anatomy have been hard to find. In this report, Wang et al. analysed the effects of constitutively…
Embryo/endosperm separation through formation of an extra-cuticular sheath at the embryo surface
Plant Science Research WeeklyFollowing double fertilization, the embryo and the endosperm form within a developing seed. In Arabidopsis, the endosperm is somewhat transient, as most of the space it occupies is eventually taken over by the embryo. The question of how the embryo pushes aside the endosperm has not been fully clear.…
A sacrifice-for-survival mechanism protects root stem cell niche from chilling stress
Plant Science Research WeeklyChilling to 4° induces cell death in a subset of cells at the Arabidopsis root tip, the CSCDs (columella stem cell daughters, located just distal to the quiescent center). Hong et al. show that this cell death is dependent on cell division and that it is an active, programmed response. Blocking this…