Recent Posts

Casparian strip formation at root endodermal and non-endodermal cell layers in rice

Zhang et al. investigate the role of the OsCIF1/2–OsSGN3a/b signaling pathway in Casparian strip formation in rice. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad269 By Jixing Xia, of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, China. Background: The Casparian strip (CS) is a belt-like lignin-based…

Cytokinin signaling determines rice panicle size

Chun, Fang, Savelieva, Lomin et al. explore the mechanism by which cytokinin signaling influences the size of rice panicle. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad257 By Yan Chun (淳雁), and Xueyong Li (李学勇) National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute…

Jasmonate-regulated gibberellin catabolism slows rice growth during herbivory

Jin et al. identify a mechanism for rice growth suppression during herbivore attack. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad191 Gaochen Jin1, Jinfeng Qi2, Hongyue Zu1, Shuting Liu1, Jonathan Gershenzon3, Yonggen Lou1, Ian T. Baldwin4, Ran Li1,* 1State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of…

Epigenetic regulation during rice domestication and de-domestication

Cao et al. investigate the role of epigenetic variation in rice domestication and de-domestication. The Plant Cell (2023). https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad160 By Shuai Cao1,2 and Qingxin Song1 1 State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University,…

Oryza glumaepatula: A wild relative to improve drought tolerance in cultivated rice

When we speak about rice, we’re often referring to one of two domesticated species, Oryza japonica or Oryza indica. However, there are an additional 25 species in the genus Oryza. These so-called wild relatives harbor substantial genetic diversity that holds promise for crop improvement. Here, Prakash…

Residues required for polar localization of rice Si transporter

Konishi et al. explore the mechanism underlying the polar localization of a silicon transporter. By Noriyuki Konishi, Namiki Mitani-Ueno, Naoki Yamaji and Jian Feng Ma Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki, 710-0046 Japan Background: Silicon (Si)…

Alternative splicing orchestrates phosphate signaling and plant growth

Guo et al. demonstrate that alternative splicing of REGULATOR OF LEAF INCLINATION 1 modulates phosphate signaling and plant growth in the face of phosphate deficiency.  By Meina Guo, Wenyuan Ruan, and Keke Yi  Background: Phosphate (Pi) limitation represents a primary constraint on crop production.…

Casparian Strip formation at the root endodermis in rice

Wang et al. identify three OsMYB36s that redundantly regulate Casparian strip formation. Jixing Xia; College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, China Background: The Casparian strip (CS) is a ring-like lignin-rich structure in the anticlinal cell wall between endodermal cells…

WHITE-CORE RATE 1 regulates grain chalkiness in rice

Wu et al. uncover a mechanism underlying chalkiness, an important grain quality trait in rice. Background: With improved living standards, the demand for better grain quality has become a challenge in rice production areas. Rice chalkiness, i.e., endosperm containing opaque regions, seriously reduces…