Review: Embryo-endosperm interactions ($) (Annu Rev Plant Biol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAngiosperm seed formation is an incredibly complex process, considering that it requires coordinating the development of three distinct structures –the embryo, the endosperm and the seed coat– in a small space. However, Doll and Ingram show us that angiosperms faced this challenge by evolving a complex…
Misregulation of MYB16 expression causes stomatal cluster formation by disrupting polarity during asymmetric cell divisions (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyWater loss during photosynthesis is limited by specialized plant cells such as stomata, as well as cuticle formation on the epidermis. In Arabidopsis thaliana, stomata lineage is a good system in which to elucidate the interplay between biochemical signals and mechanical properties during leaf development.…
GA-GRF module – A key regulator of rice leaf length via spatial cell division control (New Phytol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyLeaf features have undergone significant changes during the course of evolution and domestication owing to ecological adaptations and changes in source-sink dynamics. Therefore, wild relatives of crop plants are important resources for exploring the genetic regulation of leaf features that might not…
Cell-by-cell dissection of phloem development links a maturation gradient to cell specialization (Science)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn this seminal paper, Roszak et al. present a deeper understanding of the development of the protophloem cell lineage. The differentiation process from the phloem stem cell to the enucleated cell state spans approximately 19 cells. Using live imaging, FACS sorting and single-cell RNA sequencing, the…
CLAVATA modulates auxin homeostasis to regulate stem cell identity in a moss (New Phytol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe size and shape of aerial organs in angiosperms is determined by the activity of shoot apical meristem cells. The mechanism by which this cell population is maintained has been well described in Arabidopsis, and involves a negative feedback loop of diffusible CLAVATA peptides and the transcription…
Sheathing leaf: The grass leaf conundrum!! (Science)
Plant Science Research WeeklyOne of the peculiar features of monocots is the presence of sheathing leaf base that encircles the stem, which allow grasses to grow in height, while protecting apical meristem from herbivores by keeping it lower to the ground. Despite its significance, the evolutionary origin has been a controversy…
An essential role of MADS-box proteins during wheat spike development (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyWheat yields depend on the morphology of the inflorescence known as the spike, which harbors multiple lateral spikelets. To control and manipulate wheat productivity, it is necessary to understand the molecular and genetic mechanisms behind the development of inflorescence architecture. Wheat spike development…
Expression analyses in Ginkgo biloba provide new insights into the evolution and development of the seed (Sci. Reports)
Plant Science Research WeeklySeed production was a decisive adaptation that appeared during plant evolution. Not in vain! The most diverse plant lineage today is that of the so-called seed plants, a group that includes gymnosperms and angiosperms. Therefore, it is not surprising that understanding seed origin and evolution has been…
Focus Issue on Architecture and Plasticity (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe November issue of Plant Physiology is a Focus Issue on Architecture and Plasticity. One of the most intriguing aspects of plant growth and development is the environmental responsiveness (also known as “plasticity”) of plant architecture (growth form). Depending on environmental conditions, roots…