Gene duplication and aneuploidy trigger rapid evolution of herbicide resistance in common waterhemp
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlant Physiol. Herbicide resistance is a serious problem in contemporary agriculture. One of the most widely used herbicides, glyphosate, interferes with the activity of EPSPS (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase). Koo et al. previously showed that glyphosate-resistant waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus,…
Evolution of transposon-encoded anti-silencing factors in Arabidopsis ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogTransposable elements (TEs) are a major component of eukaryotic genomes. Their activity is silenced by epigenetic mechanisms such as chromatin modifications and DNA methylation in order to avoid deleterious effects on host genome stability. Nevertheless, how TEs overcome silencing by the host and propagate…
What We're Reading: January 5th
Blog, Research, Research Blog, WWR Full PostGuest Editor: Alecia Biel
Alecia is a graduate student at The Ohio State University in the US and has been a Plantae Fellow since September 2017. Her research focuses on elucidating hormone signaling pathways and the role of the nucleus during this process, particularly throughout plant abiotic…
Review. Grasses: The original Vikings ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe Vikings were notorious raiders for centuries, pillaging and looting the shores throughout the northern hemisphere. Through their successful raids, the Vikings established colonies that grew into states and countries, among these Normandy, England, Sicily, and Russia. The success of the Vikings is…
Patterns and consequences of subgenome differentiation provide insights into the nature of paleopolyploidy in plants
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogMany plants are polyploid, meaning that instead of the normal, diploid “2n” complement of chromosomes (one from each parent), they have more than 2n. Following whole-genome duplication, redundancy can allow the duplicated regions to diverge or become silenced. In some cases, silencing occurs preferentially…
Review. Artificial evolution: Creating genetic diversity in the lab ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogHumans have been domesticating plants for 10,000 years, having an impact on the gene pools of multiple species chiefly through selective breeding approaches. Although plant domestication ensured food availability to early civilizations, plants were, and still are, mainly selected based on their morphology…
Regulatory small RNAs responsible for natural variation in snapdragon flower color patterning ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogFlower color pattern is a major trait influencing pollinator attraction, but underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. Using co-existing Snapdragon subspecies displaying different flower pigmentation motifs, Bradley et al. investigated the molecular basis of flower color patterning.…
J. Exp. Bot. Special Issue. The plant cuticle: old challenges, new perspectives ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe cuticle is a cell-wall polymer that protects against desiccation, pathogens and UV light. Domínguez et al. provide an open-access editorial that describes this fine collection of articles covering all aspects of the plant cuticle, from its evolutionary origins to its ecological significance. Within…
Mycorrhizal fungi shaped the evolution of terrestrial plants
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogMutualistic associations between plants and fungi are incredibly widespread, occurring in 90% of extant land plants, and likely are the most ecologically important symbiotic relationships on Earth. Fungi played an integral part in land plant evolution; roots only evolved after early land plants colonised…