CRISPR-TSKO: A technique for efficient mutagenesis in specific cell types, tissues, or organs in Arabidopsis ($) (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe ability to introduce base-specific changes through CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has given scientists fantastic tools with which to understand and modify the genes that control plant development and physiology. New tools and refinements to this toolkit are being developed rapidly. In this new work, Decaestecker…
Plant Direct Q&A with Joshua Windhalm
Blog, Plant Direct, Plant Direct: Author Q&A, Research
What does your lab work on?
We combine functional genomics with synthetic biology approaches to study the metabolism of redox-active plant natural products that can harnessed for applications relevant to agriculture and human health. We are particularly interested in specialized quinones like…
An Improved plant toolset for high-throughput recombineering (BioRxiv)
Plant Science Research WeeklyTo determine the role of any gene of interest it is necessary to understand the spatiotemporal expression pattern. This is accomplished by tagging the regulatory sequence(s) alone (transcriptional fusion) or regulatory sequence(s) with the coding region (translational fusion) of the gene of interest.…
Assembling a Nanomolecular Power Station
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellZhang et al. investigate the assembly of a molecular motor that produces cellular ATP in chloroplasts https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00075.
By Lin Zhang, Lianwei Peng and Jean-David Rochaix
Background: The F-type ATP synthase produces nearly all of the cellular ATP, the universal energy currency…
Review: New insights into the plant epitranscriptome ($) (J. Exp. Bot.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyJust like the epigenome is the collection of epigenetic marks on DNA, the epitranscriptome is the collection of epigenetic marks on mRNA. Vandivier and Gregory review our current understanding of the epitranscriptome, with a focus on N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and 5-methylcytosine (m5C), and their various…
A single transcription factor promotes both yield and immunity in rice ($) (Science)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants regularly prioritize either growth or defense, leading to reduced growth rate when the plant is under attack. Wang et al. have identified a simple switch in rice that demonstrates this principle beautifully. The Ideal Plant Architecture 1 (IPA1) transcription factor is involved in controlling…
Metabolic Fate of Modified Nucleotides after RNA Turnover, an Overlooked Issue in RNA Modification
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellChen et al. reveal a multilayer molecular protection system functioning in Arabidopsis and human cells https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00236
By Mingjia Chen and Claus-Peter Witte
Background: RNA possesses over 100 distinct posttranscriptional modifications in eukaryotic species. N6-methyladenosine…
Evolution of Gene Regulation During Domestication
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLiu, et al. examine how wound response and its control mechanism differs between domesticated and wild tomato. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00194.
By Ming-Jung Liu and Shin-Han Shiu
Background: Two related species accumulate differences between each other over time. If one of the…