Tag: Plant Reproduction

Crops such as rice usually flower in the late morning when the ambient temperature rises. Rice plants briefly open their flowers so the mature anthers hang out. However, heat stress can trigger abnormal anther dehiscence, flower infertility, and subsequent yield reduction. Early-morning flowering…

Scientists have been curious as to how the shoot meristem maintains two adjacent cell populations that respond oppositely to the same systemic flowering signal. In this study by Huang et al., the authors reveal that LEAFY (LFY) transcription factor directly binds to the DNA of TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1)…

Climate change brings about higher temperatures, threatening plant populations worldwide. Higher temperatures interfere with reproductive processes such as pollen production or fertilization, even if the plant itself can withstand these temperatures. For example, some plants can withstand temperatures…

Self-pollination in many crop cultivars has been extremely useful for humans. It simplifies propagation, stabilizes traits, and supports reliable fruit production. But for many plant species, selfing comes with biological costs: reduced genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, and potential declines…

An interesting new study by Doll et al. addresses one of the most complex and important plant developmental processes, that of seed formation, with a focus on maize. Like other seeds, the maize seed (kernel) includes the next generation embryo, surrounded by various maternal tissues as well as the triploid…

Cycads are an ancient lineage of gymnosperms with fascinating ecological interactions. In a recent review, Salzman et al. examine the various adaptations of cycads, from attracting pollinators to repelling parasites, focusing on the roles of their wide array of specialized metabolites. A somewhat unique…

In flowering plants, reproduction involves the alternation of two generations: the diploid sporophyte and the haploid gametophyte. Traditionally, the male gametophyte was thought to develop autonomously with minimal regulation by the sporophyte. However, recent research by Sivakumar, Pandey, and Ramesha…

FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1), two members of the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family, are well-known regulators of flowering time and inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, recent work by Bigas et al. uncovers their additional roles in regulating…