BLADE-ON-PETIOLE proteins act in an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to regulate PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 abundance
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlants need light not only for photosynthesis but also for light dependent development (called photomorphogensis). PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR (PIF) proteins accumulate in dark to negatively regulate photomorphogensis. PIFs get degraded via 26S proteasome pathway in response to light e.g., PIF4 is…
Review: Transcriptional control of photosynthetic capacity - conservation and divergence from Arabidopsis to rice
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogAbout 3000 genes are required for a plant to carry out photosynthesis. Wang et al. review the transcriptional control of these photosynthetic genes, drawing on transcriptomic and evolutionary studies to make comparisons between Arabidopsis and grasses. Photosynthesis of course starts with light, and…
Regulation of rice root development by a retrotransposon acting as a microRNA sponge
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogTransposable elements (TEs) compose a considerable portion of most plant genomes, and mounting evidence shows various roles of TEs in the regulation of gene expression. Some TE transcripts have been hypothesized to work as “sponges” to help fine-tune the levels of miRNAs through complementary binding.…
The G-box transcriptional regulatory code in Arabidopsis
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe G-box (CACGTG) is a DNA element widespread in plant genomes and recognized by two large families of transcription factors (TFs), the basic leucine zipper family (bZIP) and the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family. Members of these TF families contribute to growth, temperature and light signaling,…
Epigenetic memory restoration and maintenance after cell division
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogNucleosomes, composed of histones, pack chromatin and make genes less available for transcription. Methylation of some histone positions is associated with repression of transcription and epigenetic silencing of some genes. After cell division during the cell cycle, maintenance of expression patterns…
Flowering Versus Runnering: A Very Important Decision in Strawberry
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellTenreira et al. find a gene responsible for the differentiation of the stolon in strawberry. The Plant Cell 2017. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.16.00949
Asexual reproduction produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parents. This process takes many forms in flowering plants, including…
Light Helps Plants Cope with Phosphate Starvation
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLiu et al. focus on transcriptional regulation of PHR1 expression. The Plant Cell 2017. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00268
Phosphorus (P) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth, development, and metabolism. Phosphate (Pi), the major form of P used by plants, is highly immobile in most soils,…
How Does Histone Phosphorylation Affect Flowering Time?
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellSu et al. look at chromatin modifications that affect flowering. The Plant Cell 2017. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00266
Plants, unlike animals, begin their lives as seeds that – in flowering plants – develop from flowers. This depends upon proper regulation of flowering time, to ensure pollination,…
Stages of silencing to hold epigenetic memory
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe gene FLC (FLOWERING LOCUS C) is a repressor of flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. It needs to be silenced after exposure to prolonged cold for plants to be able to flower. The memory of winter leads to changes in the methylation state of Histone 3 associated with FLC in two steps: first by recruiting…