
A dominant mutation in β-AMYLASE1 disrupts nighttime control of starch degradation in Arabidopsis leaves (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants use starch in leaf chloroplasts to fuel their growth and metabolism during the night. In Arabidopsis, nighttime starch degradation is tightly regulated; the degradation rate is linear and adjusts to both the availability of starch and length of night, so that most but not all the starch is used…

Carbon flux through photosynthesis and central carbon metabolism show distinct patterns between algae, C3, and C4 plants (Nature Plants)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPhotosynthesis is an attractive target for improving crop yields, and tailoring downstream photosynthesis-associated metabolism is a relatively unexplored path for achieving this. Chlorella ohadii is the fastest growing photosynthetic organism identified, has high photosynthetic rates, and can survive…

Swapping citrate for malate by plant mitochondria
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLee et al. unravel a mitochondrial transporter responsible for selectively exporting citrate in exchange for malate. Plant Cell (2021)
By Chun Pong Leea, Marlene Elsässerb, Philippe Fuchsb,c, Ricarda Fenskea, Markus Schwarzländerb, A. Harvey Millara
aARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology,…

Redox regulation of NADP-malate dehydrogenase is vital under fluctuating light environment (PNAS)
Plant Science Research WeeklyRedox switches regulate photosynthetic reactions and are mediated by conserved cysteine pairs, activated by reduction under light and deactivated by oxidation in the dark. Those reactions are mediated by thioredoxins (Trx). Usually, only plastidic and not cytosolic isozymes show these redox switches.…

How circadian changes in metabolism affect hybrid vigor
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellZhi Li, Andan Zhu, et al. compare inbred and hybrid lines to explore how daily changes in metabolic pathways affect hybrid vigor. The Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.20.00320
Background: Heterosis or hybrid vigor refers to the superior growth or fitness in the hybrid progeny compared to one…

Unexpected Role of a TCP Transcription Factor in Seed Oil Biosynthesis
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: News and Views, ResearchTianhu Sun
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2513-1387
Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
[email protected]
Plant seed oils (such as canola oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil) are important for the human diet and store energy…

Perspective: Multiplying the efficiency and impact of biofortification through metabolic engineering (Nature Comms.)
Plant Science Research Weekly
As heterotrophs, we are what we eat. One of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is to end all forms of hunger, including the “hidden hunger” that results from nutrient deficiencies. Van Der Straeten et al. provide an overview of biofortification strategies. They review current successes from…

Post-transcriptional regulation of nutrient transporters
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: News and Views, ResearchAuthor: Stefanie Wege
ORCID: 0000-0002-7232-5889
[email protected]
Affiliation: ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, PRC, School of Agriculture,
Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen
Osmond 5064, South Australia, Australia
Most…

Tracking the Courier: In Planta Imaging of NADH/NAD+ Ratios with a Genetically Encoded Biosensor
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefThe movement of electrons between molecules and organelles via redox reactions is a cornerstone of cellular metabolism. Electron carriers such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and its phosphorylated form NADP mediate reduction or oxidation reactions via their own conversion between reduced…