Molecular teamwork: how three protein families and DNA work together to control gene expression
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHong and Rusnak et al. explore how a 1000-bp region of DNA activates gene expression in giant cells.
By Adrienne Roeder and Byron Rusnak
Background: Specialized cell types carry out specific functions within plants. Some genes are expressed uniquely in one cell type and not expressed in other…
Ligands and regulatory properties of the HD-ZIPIII START domain
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellHusbands et al. identify ligands and regulatory properties of the HD-ZIPIII START domain.
By By Aman Y. Husbands (University of Pennsylvania) and Marja C.P. Timmermans (University of Tuebingen).
Background: Development has been compared to a ball rolling down a hill. Cells initially have broad…
Effectors breaking down the lignin fortress
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellSingh et al. reveal how the effector ArPEC25 renders chickpea susceptible to a necrotrophic pathogen by targeting the transcription factor CaβLIM1a and negatively modulating the accumulation of lignin.
Shreenivas Kumar Singh, Kamal Kumar, Praveen Kumar Verma
Background: Adapted pathogens exploit…
Unraveling cold tolerance in maize
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLi et al. discover a cold-tolerance allele that was not selected during maize domestication.
Background: Cold stress is an important environmental factor that limits plant growth, development, and geographical distribution. Maize originated in Mexico and is sensitive to low temperatures. Cold stress…
EAR domain-containing transcription factors attract PRC2 repression machinery to chromatin
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellBaile et al. discover how EAR domain-containing transcription factors recruit the polycomb group complex PRC2 to mediate gene repression in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell (2021) https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab139
By Fernando Baile and Myriam Calonje
Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis…
Too much of a good thing - nitrate inhibition of nodulation
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellNishida, Nosaki, et al. explore how nitrate inhibits nodulation through transcription factors. Plant Cell. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab103
Hanna Nishidaa, Shohei Nosakia,b,c, Takuya Suzakia,c
aFaculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
bGraduate…