One thousand plant transcriptomes and the phylogenomics of green plants (Nature)
Plant Science Research WeeklyWith a collaborative effort by multiple laboratories across the world, a database of transcriptomics data has been generated for 1124 species encompassing green plants, glaucophytes, and red algae. This extensive work referred to as onekp (one thousand plant transcriptomes) will aid in researchers to…
Comparing genes that govern flower development in Petunia and Arabidopsis: Evolution made a mess!
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellMorel et al. investigate AP1/SEP/AGL6 MADS-box transcription factor functions in Petunia. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.19.00162
By Michiel Vandenbussche
Background: The ABCE model is a simple genetic model that explains how the different floral organs in the flower (sepals, petals, stamens…
Minimal auxin sensing levels in vegetative moss stem cells revealed by a ratiometric reporter ($) (New Phytologist)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAuxin plays multiple developmental roles from embryogenesis to seed development. To understand the mechanism of auxin response in plants, researchers utilize the early-diverging land plant models, Physcomitrella patens and Marchantia polymorpha. In this paper, Thelander et al., have identified a…
Genome editing retraces the evolution of toxin resistance in the monarch butterfly ($) (Nature)
Plant Science Research WeeklyWhen a few species from several distantly related groups produce a similar but unusual trait, we usually assume that this trait is an example of convergent evolution; starting from different places but ending up at the same place. The ability to eat plants that produce cardiac glycosides, which are toxic…
Deep conservation of cis-element variants regulating plant hormonal responses (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPromoter regions upstream of transcription start sites contain DNA regulatory elements (RE) crucial for the transcriptional control of gene expression. However, REs are short degenerated sequences with low conservation during evolution. In this paper, Lieverman-Lazarovich et al. studied REs in core hormone…
A novel hypothesis for the role of photosynthetic physiology in shaping macroevolutionary patterns (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn the 450 million(ish) years since plants acquired the ability to live on land, they have caused dramatic changes in the concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and O2 levels. As an example, due to tremendous increases in photosynthesis, CO2 levels dropped and O2 levels rose dramatically in the late Paleozoic…
Effector gene reshuffling involves dispensable mini chromosomes in wheat blast fungus (PLOS Genetics)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe emerging disease wheat blast is devastating and has the capacity to cause 100% yield loss. Wheat blast is caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT). This pathotype is distinct from most of the pathotypes that causes disease in other plants such as M. oryzae Oryza (MoO) in rice.…
Plant microbe co-evolution: Allicin resistance in Pseudomonas fluorescens (bioRxiv)
Plant Science Research WeeklyGarlic (Allium sativum L.) produces allicin (diallylthiosulfinate), which is an antibiotic defense substance. It can oxidize thiols in celular targets such as cysteines and glutathione. Because allicin has multiple sites and mechanisms of action, it is difficult for an organism to become resistant.…
KonMari for Maize - keeping genomes clutter-free during selfing ($) (Nature Plants)
Plant Science Research WeeklyJust like years of hoarding can end up cluttering our homes, years of self-fertilization or selfing can also accumulate harmful mutations in plant genomes. By removing such harmful alleles from the genome (i.e., purging) plants can reduce the mutational load and prevent fitness loss due to selfing. Roessler…