Phloem loading and subcellular transport drive carbon storage in cassava roots
Plant Science Research WeeklyCassava (Manihot esculenta) is a vital starchy crop essential for food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. A recent study on cassava by Rüscher et al. provides important insights into the plant’s sugar control mechanisms as the roots expand, produce large amounts of…
Review. Revisiting plant electric signaling: Challenging an old phenomenon with new discoveries
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn the electrifying world of plant signaling, a paradigm shift is underway as researchers dig into the intricate mechanisms of action potentials (APs) and slow wave potentials (SWPs). Departing from conventional neurophysiological dogma in the animal kingdom, this review by Barbosa-Caro and Wudick illuminates…
Review: Chloroplast ion homeostasis
Plant Science Research WeeklyHealthy plants require access to several mineral nutrients, which are usually taken up in ionic form. The details of nutrient uptake, distribution, and function have been painstakingly revealed over several decades. In this excellent new Tansley Review, Kunz et al. provide an overview of ion homeostasis…
How do plants export brassinosteroids?
Plant Science Research WeeklyIf you’ve ever wondered how plants grow, survive, and adapt to their dynamic environment, the secret lies in their vast array of chemical messengers, also called phytohormones. Brassinosteroids are important hormones that are crucial for plant development and defense against environmental stresses.…
SWEET sugar transporters orchestrate distribution of microbiota along the root longitudinal axis
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant roots are functionally distinct along the longitudinal axis due to different cell types and diverse metabolic states. Root-secreted metabolites are involved in the assembly of complex microbial communities, yet the relationships between root-metabolites and organization of root microbiota at the…
Review. Milestones in understanding phosphorus uptake, transport, sensing, use, and signaling
Plant Science Research WeeklyPhosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient and critical component of nucleic acids, phospholipids, and other molecules. Yang et al. provide a historical (since 1996) overview of the processes controlling its uptake and use. Plants take up P from the rhizosphere primarily in the form of orthophosphate (Pi).…
Bacterial pathogens deliver water- and solute-permeable channels to plant cells
Plant Science Research WeeklyWhat do you do when you’ve identified a gene that you know is important, but you don’t know how it functions? Usually, you can get hints from homology searches, overexpression studies, or the identification of protein domains, but sometimes those approaches don’t work. That’s where the story…
Hydraulic failure as a primary driver of xylem network evolution in early vascular plants (Science)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe earliest terrestrial plants had relatively small, simple forms. The evolution of water-conducting cells provided opportunities for increased size. However, water movement by tension (driven by evaporation) can fail when the water column breaks and is blocked by an air bubble called an embolism. Looking…
Review: Deep origin and gradual evolution of transporting tissues: Perspectives from across the land plants (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe development of vascular plants (tracheophytes) was a major innovation during the evolution of land plants. The classic view is that the evolution of transporting tissues is distinct to tracheophytes, but Woudenberg and Renema et al. discuss an alternative hypothesis where this was a gradual process…
Crosstalk between phosphate transport and plant immunity (Curr. Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants have evolved signaling cascades to survive biotic and abiotic stresses, and recent studies have shown that there is crosstalk between many of these pathways. In a recent study, Dindas et al. developed a micro-electrode-based system to detect active inorganic phosphate (Pi) transport in Arabidopsis…
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,…
STOP1-NRT1.1: a new module to optimize nitrogen and growth in acidic media for plants (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAcidic soils often negatively impact plant growth, yet the application of fertilizers containing urea or ammonia have the effect of acidifying soils. In a recent paper, Ye and colleagues investigated how nitrate uptake through the nitrate transporter NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1.1 (NRT1.1) can mitigate some…
Review. The Fast and The Furious: Rapid long-range signaling in plants (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants possess a complex series of local and systemic signaling networks driven by multiple stimuli. They translate this information into plant-wide response to coordinate their physiology and development. Here, Johns et al. review these communication pathways, which function across different scales…
In vivo single-particle tracking of the aquaporin AtPIP2;1 in stomata reveals cell type-specific dynamics (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyBacteria can exploit the stomatal pores to gain entry into plant leaves. Previous studies have demonstrated that guard cells close in response to flagellin, an effect that is described as stomatal immunity. Like ABA-induced stomatal closure, this involves the movements of ions and water from the guard…
NPA directly binds to and inhibits PIN transporters (PNAS)
Plant Science Research WeeklyN-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) inhibits polar auxin transport (PAT). Though used for over six decades, the precise mechanism by which it inhibits PAT is still unclear. A new study by Abas and colleagues now suggests that NPA directly associates with and inhibits the activity of PIN-FORMED (PIN) transporters.…
Review: Mesophyll conductance: walls, membranes and spatial complexity (New Phytol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThere’s been a lot of talk lately about how to improve the carboxylation efficiency of Rubisco, but of course this also depends on how much CO2 reaches the enzyme within the chloroplasts. To do so, it needs to pass through several distinct barriers: the boundary layer to reach the leaf surface, the…
Identification of a unique ZIP transporter involved in zinc uptake via the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal pathway (bioRxiv)
Plant Science Research WeeklyLast week, PSRW presented two review papers regarding host plant interactions with microbial populations, particularly for plant nutrient intake. Watt-Williams et al. utilize such knowledge for their paper, performing an RNA-seq dataset to identify a novel zinc transporter in Medicago truncatula. Zinc…
The calcium-permeable channel OSCA1.3 regulates plant stomatal immunity (Nature)
Plant Science Research Weekly
In plants, the perception of environmental threats induces a peak of calcium ions (Ca2+) in the cytosol that triggers signal transduction pathways leading to stomatal closure as defense response. In Arabidopsis, the mechanosensitive Ca2+ channel OSCA1 regulates water transpiration in response to…
Lipid distribution in cuticles affects flower architecture in Medicago (Plant Physiol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyFloral architecture influences pollination and reproduction: open flowers facilitate cross-pollination, while closed flowers limit outcross. Some plants of the Leguminosae family (i.e., members of the Papilionoideae subfamily that includes soybean, pea, medicago, lotus) possess a complex architecture,…
Review. Plant nutrition for human nutrition: Hints from rice research and future perspectives
Plant Science Research WeeklyAmong all the mineral elements transported from the soil to the plant, cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As)- are toxic for all organisms whereas 13 micronutrients, including iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), are beneficial for both human and plant nutrition. Ideally, food crops should accumulate fewer soil contaminants…
Vacuolar channel CLCa is involved in guard cell pH homeostasis (PNAS)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn plants, stomata are involved in a host of responses, controlled by ion homeostasis in guard cells. In an attempt to understand the function of a plant chloride channel (CLC), CLCa, which transports chloride (Cl-) and nitrate (NO3-) in guard cells, Demes and colleagues sought to establish a relationship…
MscS-like 10 as a cell swelling sensor and promotes hypo-osmotic shock responses (Curr. Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyOptimal volume and turgor in the plant cell is important for metabolism, development and growth. Excessive diffusion of water into the cell will cause extreme swelling and a loss of cellular integrity. Members of the plasma membrane MscS-like (MSL) family of mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels play a…
Review: Targeting root ion uptake kinetics to increase plant productivity and nutrient use efficiency (Plant Physiol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyContinuous agricultural production is required to feed the growing population, and fertilizers are important factors determining the productivity of today’s high-input agriculture. Fertilizers increase the cost of production, some are produced from finite sources, and some create environmental concern,…
Advanced vascular function discovered in a widespread moss (Nature Plants)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn order to grow upwards into the dry atmosphere, plants need to keep their elevated tissues hydrated and functional. In vascular plants this is achieved by a lignified water transport system in conjunction with stomatal regulation of gas exchange and the encasement of photosynthetic tissues in an impermeable…
Symplastic auxin transport: Active, passive or both? (Curr. Biol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAdjacent cells in plants are connected by cytoplasmic connections called plasmodesmata (PD) and the movement through PD is called symplastic movement. Studies have shown that auxin transport between cells is protein-dependent, but it is not clear whether it can also move freely in the symplastic pathway.…
Maize aquaporin PIP2;5 alters water relations and plant growth (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAquaporins, also known as water channels, are conserved across all kingdoms. In plants, the plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) subfamily controls membrane water permeability. Maize aquaporin PIP2;5 is highly expressed in roots. By reverse genetic approaches, Ding et al. showed that overexpression…
Review: Targeting root ion uptake kinetics to increase plant productivity and nutrient use efficiency (Plant Physiol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyRoots anchor plants and take up water, but one of their most important and complex functions is to bring a large number of different essential nutrients into the plant. Root architecture affects and is affected by nutrient uptake, but ultimately uptake is largely controlled by membrane-bound ion transporters.…
Over‐accumulation of abscisic acid in transgenic tomato plants increases the risk of hydraulic failure (Plant Cell Environ.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyABA enhances stomatal closure and so decreases transpiration. Several studies have shown that increasing ABA levels can increase water-use efficiency, so this strategy has been investigated with the goal of obtaining “more crop per drop”. Lamarque et al. investigated physiological and hydraulic effects…
ATP binding cassette proteins ABCG37 and ABCG33 are required for potassium-independent cesium uptake in Arabidopsis roots (bioRxiv)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPotassium is one of the major nutrients for plant growth and development. Plants have a well-studied potassium uptake system mediated by transporters and ion channels. Unfortunately, due to the chemical similarity of potassium and cesium, which is toxic for plant growth, cesium is able to to get into…
Exploring the hydraulic failure hypothesis of esca leaf symptom formation (Plant Phys)
Plant Science Research WeeklyEsca is a leaf scorch (necrosis) disease of grapevine that causes tremendous yield losses. Bortolami et al. have investigated the etiology of this condition, which is known to be a consequence of fungal pathogen infection. But how exactly does the fungal infection contribute to the observed symptoms?…
The QKY-SYP121 complex controls long-distance florigen movement ($) (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn Arabidopsis thaliana, changes in day-length (photoperiod) activate the expression and transport of phloem-mobile florigen (FT, FLOWERING LOCUS T) to the shoot apical meristem to trigger the transition to flowering. While the role of FT as a long-distance signal is well-established, the underlying…
The N-terminus of AtMSL10 interacts with its own C- terminus (bioRxiv)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants are equipped with multiple mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels that respond to external and internal mechanical perturbations. When one of these, AtMSL10, is overexpressed it leads to a cell death phenotype, although there is no discernible phenotype associated with its loss of function. Recently…
Manganese deficiency affects root endodermal suberization and ion homeostasis (Plant Physiol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyManganese (Mn) is an essential plant nutrient necessary for multiple plant process such as photosynthesis. Mn deficiency has a significant impact on crop production particularly in cereals including barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Chen et al. identified how Mn deficiency alters suberin deposition in the …
Plant cell-surface GIPC sphingolipids sense salt to trigger Ca2+ influx (Nature)
Plant Science Research WeeklySoil salinity is one of the most important global problems that negatively affect crop productivity. Jiang et al designed a forward genetic screen in A. thaliana to identify the specific ionic response triggered by salt stress. They mutagenized plants expressing the genetically encoded Ca2+ sensor aequorin,…
TRANSPORTER OF IBA1 links auxin and cytokinin to influence root architecture ($) (Devel. Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIndole-3-butyric acid (IBA) is the precursor of the hormone auxin and it controls the formation of lateral roots. Evidence suggests that IBA is converted to IAA, endogenous active auxin. The major study material to distinguish between IBA and IAA was highlighted by the IBA-specific efflux carrier ABCG36/PDR8/PEN3,…
ABCB21 regulates auxin levels in cotyledons, pericycle and leaves (Frontiers Plant Science)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAuxin activity is maintained through regulated biosynthesis, metabolism and transport. In this paper Jenness et al. characterized the physiological significance of a known IAA transporter, ABCB21 (ATP BINDING CASSETTE TRANSPORTER subfamily B member 21) in Arabidopsis. ABCB21 transports shoot derived…
Pinstatic acid promoters auxin transport by inhibiting PIN internalization (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAuxin transport regulated by directional transporters such as PIN (PIN-FORMED) proteins ensures maintenance of proper auxin levels for growth and development. Plants modulate auxin flow by regulating the localization of PIN through exocytosis and endocytosis allowing recycling of PIN protein within a…
A simple arsenic detoxification strategy in the fern Pteris vittata ($) (Curr Biol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyArsenic contamination is a growing human health threat. The fern Pteris vittata demonstrates a remarkable capacity to accumulate and sequester high levels of the toxic heavy metal arsenic from contaminated environments. Cai et al. used an ‘omics’-guided approach to identify and characterize the molecular…
Identification of transcription factors regulating senescence in wheat through gene regulatory network modelling (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyLike other seed crops, wheat yields depend in part on the efficiency with which nutrients stored in leaves are mobilized into the developing seeds. This depends on the several processes from macromolecule breakdown to transport, as well as the timing of leaf senescence. Borrill et al. used RNA analysis…
NRT1.1B is associated with root microbiota composition and nitrogen use in rice ($) (Nature Biotechnol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAvailability of nitrogen has always been a limiting factor for rice production. Different soil inhabitants and root-associated bacterial populations are involved in making nitrogen available to plants in organic as well as in inorganic forms. However, plant absorption of nitrogen is selective and affects…
Review: Functional status of xylem through time ($) (Annu Rev Plant Biol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIf you haven’t been paying attention, you may have missed the great advances that have been taking place in xylem research recently. This excellent review by Brodersen et al. is your chance to catch up. Like all aspects of plant science, new tools and techniques have provided tremendous new insights…
Review: Connecting the pieces: uncovering the molecular basis for long-distance communication through plant grafting (New Phytol)
Plant Science Research Weekly
Grafting is an ancient vegetative asexual plant propagation technique. It is characterized by the connection of two plant segments, the shoot piece known as ‘scion’ and the root piece called ‘rootstock’ or simply 'stock'. Grafting is widely used in agriculture to improve crop production and…
Crystal structure of plant vacuolar transporter VIT1 (Nature Plants) ($)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIron is an essential nutrient for plants that participates in cellular processes such as DNA replication, photosynthesis, and respiration. Excess iron accumulation is harmful to plants due to its participation in the generation of reactive oxygen species, which can damage cellular machinery. One of the…
Oscillating aquaporin phosphorylations and 14-3-3 proteins mediate circadian regulation of leaf hydraulics (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant activities change drastically between the light and dark times of day. Many of these different activities can be observed through transcriptional studies, which show that gene expression goes up and down over the course of the day. Many of these transcriptional changes are driven by the circadian…
Hydraulic Regulation of Stomata in Ferns
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The InsideStomatal responses to environmental and endogenous signals in vascular plants are critical for regulating plant gas exchange with the atmosphere. In addition, stomatal closure is vital for minimizing water loss and preventing lethal embolism during drought. The vast majority of studies concerning stomatal…
Review: Long distance signlaing in plant stress response (COPB)
Plant Science Research WeeklyTo compensate for their lack of a nervous system, vascular plants have developed complex mechanisms to connect their organs and coordinate stress. Many different types of molecules are involved in long-distance signaling and must be integrated to maintain homeostasis. In this review, Takahashi and Shinozaki…
Expert View. Merging genotypes: Scion/rootstock interactions (J Exp Bot)
Plant Science Research WeeklyGrafting is an ancient technology and still extremely important in horticulture and food production, including grapes for wine. Although much is known about what scion/shoot combinations work, less is known at the molecular and cellular level about successful grafts. How do two genetically different…
Review: Perspective on wheat yield and quality with reduced N supply (TIPS)
Plant Science Research WeeklyWheat production demands huge inputs of nitrogen as fertilizer, with accompanying financial and environmental costs. Zorb et al. discuss several strategies by which to maintain wheat yields and wheat quality while decreasing N use and wastage. Some of these are agronomic, such as ensuring that the N…
Brassica clubroot disease protist pathogen promotes phloem differentiation and expression of SWEET sucrose transporters (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyClubroot is a disease of brassicas (including oilseed crops and Arabidopsis) caused by the protist Plasmodiophora brassicae. The infection is characterized by the formation of swollen tissues called galls that are metabolic sinks in which the pathogen propagates. Walerowski et al. took advantage of Arabidopsis…
How Peroxisomes Modulate Chloroplast Activity in a Microalga
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellBackground: Chloroplasts are the major powerhouse of plant and algal cells, where photosynthesis—the conversion of carbon dioxide into organic compounds using sunlight energy—occurs. Chloroplasts are also where important cell components (such as membrane lipids and pigments) and energy-rich compounds…
Genetic Basis of Natural Variation of Rice Ionomics
Blog, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: News(Translated from the Chinese original http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2018/1101/52991.shtml)
Nanhu News Network (Correspondent Sheng Ke)
On October 30th, the research group of Professor Tian Xingming from the Rice Science Team of the National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement of our School…
NRT1.1 involved in balance between NH4+ uptake and assimilation ($) (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAmmonium (NH4+) is an inorganic nitrogen source that is the preferred source for some plant species (e.g., rice and tea) but can be toxic in high amounts. The nitrate transporter NRT1.1 is involved in mediating the effects of toxic NH4+, as well as functioning in NO3- and auxin transport, NO3- signaling…
Special Issue: Long-distance signaling ($) (Plant Cell Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyOf course plants need to communicate between their different parts, and our understanding of these crucial signals has been advancing rapidly. This issue of Plant Cell Physiology includes a set of papers highlighting recent findings. A meeting report by Kiba on the Integrative Graduate Education and…
Systemic upregulation of Zn partitioning to the shoot supplements local Zn-deficiency responses (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyZinc is an important micronutrient for plants and people. To better understand Zn uptake and homeostasis, Sinclair et al. used a transcriptomic approach to identify genes abnormally expressed in zinc-transporter mutants (hma2 hma4). In these mutants, Zn accumulates in roots but isn’t effectively transported…
Don’t Go Grocery Shopping When Hungry! Systemic Signaling in Zinc Homeostasis
The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefGoing grocery-shopping on an empty stomach is a bad idea. You’re bound to make poor decisions, not based on nutritional content of the food but based on temporary cravings that will leave you asking for more later. Plants face this nutritional puzzle every day, since they eat where they shop, and shop…
RNA Mobility and the Regulation of Flowering
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The InsideIn addition to hormones, proteins, and metabolites, many plants use mRNAs as mobile molecules for long-distance communication. It has been demonstrated that many mobile mRNAs are trafficked through phloem, probably by forming an RNA-protein complex to allow the stable translocation of mRNA molecules.…
Red Light and the Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase in Guard Cells
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The InsideStomatal opening is stimulated by light, including blue and red light. Blue light-induced stomatal opening is fairly well understood: it is mediated by blue-light photoreceptor phototropins (phot1 and phot2). Blue light activates the plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase via phosphorylation of its penultimate…
Esculin, a Sucrose Proxy for Phloem Transport
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The InsideThe study of phloem transport and its vital roles in long distance communication and carbon allocation have been hampered by a lack of suitable tools that allow high-throughput, real-time studies. Since the 1970s, several studies have used 11C or 14C isotopes to measure rates of phloem transport in large…
Annexins Facilitate Post-Phloem Sugar Transport
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The InsideBecause local sugar concentrations play a critical role in regulating root growth, it is important to learn more about the mechanisms that control sugar transport into the growing zones of the
root. It has previously been proposed that once translocated sugar reaches the interface between conducting…
Co-expression networks for strawberry flower and fruit development
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe diploid strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is a useful model system for understanding non-climacteric ripening and seed-to-fruit cross-tissues communication. Previously, spatial and temporal transcriptome data from the strawberry fruit and flowers was generated. Shahan and colleagues combine the transcriptome…
How to identify the substrates of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant genomes encode many ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, which mediate the transport of many different substrates involved in development, nutrition and stress responses. Mutants and transgenic plants have been used to understand the in planta roles, yet the identity of substrates transported…
Adjusting Boron Transport by Two-Step Tuning of Levels of the Efflux Transporter BOR1
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: News and ViewsBoron is an essential plant micronutrient with the narrowest optimal range in the soil of any micronutrient. At neutral pH, boron is present as uncharged boric acid, B(OH)3, which can freely penetrate membranes. Boron plays an important role in cross-linking cell wall components, but boron starvation…
Developing High-Yield Early-Maturation Crops by Manipulating Nitrogen Utilization
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellWang et al. investigate the function of OsNRT1.1A in rice. Plant Cell (2018). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00809.
By Wei Wang, Bin Hu and Chengcai Chu
Background: To cope with an increasing global population and decreasing availability of arable land, improving crop yield is a major agricultural…
Update: Cation/H+ transporters affect membrane trafficking
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: UpdatesBy Heven Sze and Salil Chanroj.
Plants remodel their cells through the dynamic endomembrane system. Intracellular pH is important for membrane trafficking, but the determinants of pH homeostasis are poorly defined in plants. Electrogenic proton (H+) pumps depend on counter-ion fluxes to establish…
Lipid Anchor: Postal Code for Proteins on the Road to Membranes
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellMajeran et al. investigate how plant cells target proteins to membrane compartments https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00523
By Wojciech Majeran, Thierry Meinnel & Carmela Giglione
Background: Living cells are encased in an oily barrier, the plasma membrane, made up of a double layer of lipids…
Mechanisms of Long-Distance mRNA Movement
Plant Physiology: On The InsidePhloem has long been recognized as a tissue that transports carbohydrates and amino acids. In recent years, however, it has also been found that this tissue serves as a conduit for signals, e.g., mRNAs, small RNAs, proteins, small peptides, and hormones. Several classical studies have shown that certain…
Review: Venus Flytrap: How an excitable, carnivorous plant works ($) (Trends Plant Sci)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe one sure-fire way to get children excited about plants is to show them how a Venus flytrap works. But how does it work? We’ve all heard that the trap “counts” the number times it is triggered, and that it requires two or more touches in quick succession to close – but how does it count? Hedrich…
Iron availability sensed in leaf vasculature causes changes in transcriptional programs (Plant Cell Environ)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIron is an essential micronutrient for plants but it is often not bioavailable in the soil. Thus, plants have evolved difference processes for iron sensing and iron uptake. OLIGOPEPTIDE TRANSPORTER 3 (OPT3) is an important iron transporter and is a component of the systemic network that mediates iron…
Metal sensing by the IRT1 transporter-receptor (Mol. Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants need some but not too much iron, so the regulation of iron transporters is quite tight. IRT1 is a broad-spectrum metal transporter that is crucial for iron uptake (mutants can only be rescued by massive amounts of iron). IRT1 synthesis is transcriptionally upregulated by iron limitation, and although…
Role of a Medicago truncatula citrate transporter in symbiotic nitrogen fixation (Plant Physiol.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIron, an essential nutrient for plants and symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria, needs to be complexed with organic chelators (i.e. citrate) for in planta transport. Kryvoruchko and colleagues have identified a nodule-specific citrate transporter of Medicago truncatula, MtMATE67 (Medicago truncatula Multidrug…
Apple Hexokinase Mediates Response to Salinity Stress
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The InsideAbiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, low temperature, and flooding usually lead to sugar accumulation. It has been reported that the accumulation of Glc, Suc, and Fru under high salinity plays an important role in carbon storage, osmotic regulation, and homeostasis, as well as scavenging of free…
High yield and early maturation in rice overexpressing nitrate transporter (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe application of nitrogen-containing fertilizers is crucial for good yields of crops like rice but also is energy intensive and polluting, so many approaches are being explored to develop plants that are more efficient in their uptake and use of nitrogen. Previous studies identified a crucial role…
The Real Yield Deal? Nitrate Transporter Expression Boosts Yield and Accelerates Maturation
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In BriefApproaches to improve final grain production must consider yield stability, that is ways to prevent yield losses. For example, flowering time affects yield and yield stability-- if grains mature late, they may be literally caught out in the cold, as late-season weather turns. Indeed, the application…
A virus-targeted plant receptor-like kinase promotes cell-to-cell spread of RNAi (PNAS) ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogViruses can move from cell to cell through plasmodesmata. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are key components in the plant's arsenal against viruses. They function by harnessing the AGO system to target and cleave viral RNA, thus silencing the viruses. Like the viruses they target, siRNAs move from cell…
The biotrophic development of Ustilago maydis studied by RNAseq analysis (Plant Cell)
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis that causes tumorous symptoms on all aerial parts of maize has established itself as a model system to dissect host colonization strategies by biotrophic fungi. Transcriptional responses upon U. maydis colonization were previously demonstrated by several studies using…
MicroRNAs from the parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris target host messenger RNAs
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogNature. Cuscuta sp. commonly known as dodder, is an obligate parasitic plant that colonizes a broad range of host plants and obtain water and nutrients by specialized feeding structure called haustorium. Literature suggests that this specialized structure is involved in bidirectional movement of viruses,…
Boron Transport in Rice
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, Research, Research BlogBoron (B) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development. Its major physiological function is to maintain the structure of the cell wall by crosslinking pectic polysaccharides through borate-diol bonding of two rhamnogalacturonan II molecules. B is immobile in most plant species. Therefore,…
Arabidopsis pollen tube integrity and sperm release are regulated by RALF-mediated signaling
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogSuccessful fertilization in plants requires sperm cells (SCs) to be carried along the growing pollen tube (PT) until reaching the female gametophyte where the PT then bursts to release the SCs. One challenge PTs must overcome in order to achieve fertilization is deciding to rupture or not to rupture.…
Review: On the selectivity, specificity and signaling potential of long-distance movement of messenger RNA
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogRegulation of transcription occurs at the cell-type specific level, but transcribed messenger RNA is mobile and can move between tissues through plant vasculature, serving as a long distance messenger. Many mRNA molecules have been identified in the phloem sap, suggesting that mRNA transport goes through…
OnGuard2 Computational Platform Tracks Guard Cell Processes
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellWang et al. discover unexpected connections between humidity and ion transport using a model that bridges guard cell-to-leaf scales https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00694
By Maria Papanatsiou
Background: Plants rely on stomata on the leaf epidermis for their survival. Stomata are small pores formed…
How do trees transport carbohydrates?
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogAs a tree grows in height, increasing the length of the transport pathway, the hydraulic resistance of the vascular tissues should increase. It is not clear if trees only rely on passive transport mechanisms (no active loading of sugars) to move carbohydrates from shoots to roots. To answer this question,…
Intracellular distribution of manganese by NRAMP2 critical for photosynthesis and redox homeostasis
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogManganese is a micronutrient essential for the function of several proteins including manganese superoxide dismutase (localized in the peroxisome and mitochondria) and the photosystem II reaction center (localized in the chloroplast). Mn is transported via NRAMP (Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage…
Letter: New database for metal and metalloid accumulating plants
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlants that can accumulate metals or metalloids in their living tissues to extremely high levels (hyperaccumulators) can be used to model metal uptake and biotic interactions and used for phytoremediation, among other uses. While the uses for hyperaccumulators are vast, until now a database with global…
Cross-species functional diversity within the PIN auxin efflux protein family
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPolar localized PIN FORMED (PIN) efflux carriers proteins organize directional auxin flow and accumulation. Most flowering plants have another family of PIN proteins called Sister of PIN1 (SoPIN1), which Arabidopsis and members of the Brassicacea family do not have. The grass Brachypodium dystachion…
Review: New molecular mechanisms to reduce arsenic in crops ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research Blog“Over 200 million humans are at risk of arsenic poisoning,” due to arsenic in groundwater and its uptake into crops. Our understanding of the transporters through which arsenic enters the plant, moves through the plant, and enters the seed has increased substantially in recent years, opening the…
Review: Plant hormone transporters: what we know and what we would like to know
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogHormones are signaling molecules, and in most (but not all) cases part of their function is to convey information from one cell or tissue to another, sometimes from cell-to-cell and sometimes through vascular tissues. Park et al. review our current state of understanding of transporters for diverse…
Strategy for enhancement of iron and zinc in biofortified rice
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPolished white rice is a major food source for much of the world but is not a good source of the essential micronutrients iron and zinc. Like microbes, plants enhance their uptake of iron from the environment by synthesizing small “iron carrying” molecules called respectively siderophores or phytosiderophores…
Phosphate transfer from maternal tissue to embryo
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogMany nutrients move through the plant body via the phloem. The developing embryo, which depends on the maternal plant for its nutrients, is not directly (symplastically) connected to maternal tissues, so nutrients must be exported across membranes to reach the embryo. PHO1 was identified previously as…
An Ion Channel Active in Plant Drought Response
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellEisenach et al. discover A new ion channel of the plant vacuole helps plants react to drought https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00452
By Cornelia Eisenach
Background: Stomata are small pores on plant surfaces that facilitate diffusion of CO2, O2 and water vapor between plant and atmosphere. During…
A Plant Protein That Foils Aphid Feeding
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellKloth et al. probe aphid feeding behavior. The Plant Cell 2017 doi: 10.1105/tpc.16.00424
By Karen Kloth
Background: Aphids are phloem-feeding insects. They penetrate plants with a piercing-sucking mouth. Once they reach a tube where the plant transports its sugar-rich phloem sap, they can take…
Insights into plasmodesmata composition of fully developed Arabidopsis thaliana leaves
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlasmodesmata (PD) are complex, regulated channels between plant cells that facilitate the movement of signals, metabolites and pathogens, but their small size makes them difficult to study. Previously, Kraner et al. identified an Arabidopsis mutant that produced fewer, simpler plasmodesmata. In their…
Ectopic expression of WINDING 1 leads to asymmetrical distribution of auxin and a spiral phenotype in rice
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThrough insertional mutagenesis of rice, Cheng et al. identified a BTBN (Brac/Tramtrack/Broad complex and NPH3 domain)-encoding gene which they named WINDING 1 (WIN1), because the mutant phenotype (caused by ectopic expression in the shoot) causes the shoot to grow in a spiral. Ectopic expression of…
Suc Signals Induce Etiolated Stem Branching
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, Research, Research BlogPlant shoot branching is determined by apical dominance, a process in which the apical bud (shoot tip) inhibits the outgrowth of axillary buds further down the stem to control the number of growing branches. In response to this inhibition, plants have evolved rapid long-distance signaling mechanisms…
Review: The structure-to-function missing link of plasmodesmata: ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlasmodesmata are tiny channels between cells that allow intercellular movement of messages and metabolites as well as pathogens. They are structurally complex and usually have a central strand of endoplasmic-reticulum (the desmotubule) that passes between adjacent cells, connected by spoke-like elements…
Cation/H+ exchangers affect pollen wall formation, male fertility, and embryo development
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogCells have developed different mechanisms including control of ion and pH homeostasis to adapt to their constantly changing environment. Such adaption is accomplished by different ion transporters at the membranes. AtCHX17, AtCHX18 and AtCHX20 are members of the cation-H+ exchanger (CHX) family, which…
ABA-induced stomatal closure involves ALMT4, a phosphorylation-dependent vacuolar anion channel
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogChanges in guard cell turgor pressure result in stomatal opening and closing, balancing CO2 uptake with transpiration. These dynamics have been studied as early as the 1800s and much knowledge has been gained regarding the components involved in this process, yet we are still far from a unified model…
Review: Mechanosensitive ion channels ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogIon channels are proteins that regulate the passage of ions across membranes. Ion channels are regulated in diverse ways – some are calcium-regulated, some are pH sensitive, some are charge sensitive, and some are sensitive to mechanical stimulation i.e., membrane tension. Basu and Haswell review mechanosensitive…
A plant protein structure from the MATE family, an important family of transporters ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe MATE (multidrug and toxic compound extrusion) family is found in all three domains of life. Proteins in this family are secondary transporters, functioning as sodium or proton/organic cation antiporters. This family has diverse functions in plants, including vacuolar sequestration of alkaloids,…
Review: Plant signaling and metabolic pathways enabling arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogThe relationship between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi has persisted for 400 million years, but we are still learning about the biochemistry of this interaction. MacLean, Bravo and Harrison review how plants attract, recognize, and accommodate their fungal partners, from pre-contact through…
Production of low-Cs+ rice plants by inactivation of the K+ transporter OsHAK1 with the CRISPR-Cas system
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogNuclear accidents in recent years such as the Fukushima incident during the tsunami in 2011 revealed the detrimental effects of leaked radioactive cesium (Cs) in environmental soil and water. Due to Cs's chemical similarity with potassium, an essential macronutrient for plants, cesium is taken up by…
Temporal and spatial transcriptomic and miRNA dynamics of CAM photosynthesis in pineapple ($)
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research Blog0 Comments
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CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) is the form of photosynthesis in which carbon assimilation occurs at night. CAM allows plants, especially those growing in arid regions, to avoid excessive water loss. With the long-term goal of eventually engineering this water-conserving trait into crop plants, Wai…
Phloem loading through plasmodesmata: a biophysical analysis
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogSugars produced in photosynthetically active mesophyll cells move into the phloem through a process known as phloem loading, but not all plants phloem load the same way. Some use a passive process in which sugars move down a concentration gradient into the phloem, but others use active transport processes.…
A Regulator of Calcium Signatures Revealed
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, Research, Research BlogCalcium (Ca2+) is an important cellular second messenger for diverse developmental processes and environmental responses in both plants and animals. Transient increases in cytosolic Ca2+ are activated in plants during a host of environmental and developmental processes, including root growth, stomatal…
Transporter Function and N Use Efficiency
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, Research, Research BlogNitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient that plants require in large amounts for growth and development. In industrial countries, high N fertilization enables maximum crop yields, and in the last 50 years, the use of synthetic N fertilizers has increased dramatically to meet food demands. Improving the…
Systemic transport of trans-zeatin and its precursor have differing roles in Arabidopsis sho
Blog, Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogPlant hormones are made in one tissue and usually transported to act in another. One example of this is the transport of cytokinin. In the root, the precursor trans-zeatin riboside (tZR) is synthesized, then xylem loaded and transported to the shoot. Once at a site of action like the leaf or shoot…
Commentary: Salt Tolerance in Crops: Not Only a Matter of Gene Regulation
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: Updates, Research, Research BlogBy Elide Formentin
Rice (Oryza sativa), the primary source of calories for more than 2 billion people, is the most sensitive of all cereal crops to soil salinity, which affects more than 20% of irrigated arable land (FAO and ITPS, 2015). Rice paddies are mainly located at the delta of rivers, where…
Emission of volatile organic compounds from petunia flowers is facilitated by an ABC transporter
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants can emit up to 10% of the carbon they fix as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which function in abiotic stress tolerance, pollinator attraction, signalling between plants, and defending against pathogens and herbivores. It has been an open question whether these small molecules pass directly…
Architecture and permeability of post-cytokinesis plasmodesmata lacking cytoplasmic sleeves ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchPlasmodesmata are pores between cells through which viruses, proteins, small RNAs and other molecules can pass. The pores are usually described as being lined with a layer of plasma membrane with a tube of endoplasmic-reticulum membrane through the center. These membranes and associated proteins are…
TAL effector driven induction of a SWEET gene confers susceptibility to bacterial blight of cotton
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchPlants undergo photosynthesis in leaves to produce carbohydrates sucrose and starch. The sucrose is transported to other parts of the plants via sugar transporters called SWEET proteins. In addition, certain plant pathogens activate SWEET genes to invade their host. As shown in this paper, during bacterial…
Review: Phosphate scouting by root tips ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchPhosphate is both really important (think of its abundance in DNA, RNA, ATP, and membrane lipids), and really difficult to assimilate due to its insolubility and immobility in soil. Phosphate is frequently limiting for growth, meaning that it is widely applied as fertilizer, but global supplies of phosphate…
Review: Chloroplast function and ion regulation in plants growing on saline soils: lessons from halophytes ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchSalinity is a growing problem for food production. Progress has been made in understanding how plants tolerate salinity, mostly focused on strategies for tolerance at the plasma membrane and cytosol. Bose et al. review studies that focus on how the chloroplast is affected by salinity. The authors review…
Review: Advances in methods for identification and characterization of plant transporter function ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchTransporters are massively important for the functions of a cell and organism, but also notoriously difficult to study. Larsen et al. review advances in the tools available for transporter research, ranging from expression in Xenopus oocytes to genetic screens using toxic analogues and fluorescent substrates,…
Metal Tolerance Protein 8 mediates Mn and Fe homeostasis in seeds
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchPlants and seeds are the main dietary source of essential micronutrients in the food chain. The processes regulating transport of micronutrients to and within seeds are critical for germination and enrichment of seeds. Metal transport protein 8 (MTP8) has been characterized as a tonoplast Mn transporter…
Sugar suppression of aquaporin expression and leaf hydraulics ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchSugar is a signal as well as an energy source, and plants monitor sugar levels to maintain an appropriate growth rate and rate of photosynthesis. A new study by Kelly et al. points to a role for sugars in the expression and activity of plasma-membrane (PIP) aquaporins. Aquaporins (AQP) are membrane channels…
MtLAX2, a functional homologue of the auxin influx transporter AUX1, is required for nodule organogenesis
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchNodules are specialized structures that form symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing associations with rhizobia on some plants including Medicago truncatula. Previous work has shown that auxin signalling is involved in nodule formation. Roy et al. extend this knowledge through the identification of a Medicago gene…
Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate–binding protein AtPH1 controls the localization of the metal transporter NRAMP1
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchNRAMPs are transporters of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). The nramp3nramp4 double mutant arrests shortly after germination, due to its inability to remobilize Fe from seed vacuolar stores. Agorio et al. used a genetic approach to identify nns1, a partial suppressor of the growth-arrest phenotype. They…
Review: Arsenic transport in rice and biological solutions to reduce risk
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchRice is a staple food for half of the world’s population, but it accumulates the toxic metalloid arsenic (As), which is present in soils and in plants in two forms, arsenate (AsV) and arsenite (AsIII). Chen et al. review the genetics and biochemistry of As uptake and sequestration into the rice grain,…
Update: Ion transport at the vacuole during stomatal movement
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: Updates, Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchGas exchange and transpiration are regulated by the stomatal aperture, which is itself regulated by the changes in volume of the guard cells that overlay the stomatal pore. When triggered to open, solutes such as K+ and Cl– enter the guard cell through ion transporters, followed osmotically by water;…
A chloroplast envelope glycolate transporter and its involvement in photorespiratory metabolism
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchIn C3 plants at ambient CO2 levels, Rubisco’s oxygenation reaction occurs about once for every three carboxylation reactions. One of the oxygenation products, 2-phosphoglycolate, is rapidly dephosphorylated to glycolate which is toxic and inhibitory to photosynthesis. Glycolate has to be removed from…
Review: Ammonium as a signal for physiological and morphological responses ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchAmmonium is one of the major forms in which nitrogen is assimilated. Besides being a nutrient, it also acts as signal that affects gene expression and root system architecture. Some ammonium-induced genes are also induced by low pH (ammonium acidifies the apoplast), whereas others are specifically induced…
Shoot-to-root mobile polypeptides involved in systemic regulation of nitrogen acquisition ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchTo balance nutrient uptake (usually from heterogeneous sources) with nutrient demand, plants use a root-shoot-root signaling pathway. Previously, a root-to-shoot mobile peptide C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE (CEP) was shown to translocate from N-starved roots to the shoot, where it interacts with a leucine-rich…
Threonine Phosphorylation Regulates Polar Localization of the Boric Acid Transporter NIP5;1 in Root Cells
Research, The Plant Cell: In BriefIN BRIEF by Gregory Bertoni [email protected]
Proper localization of proteins in the plasma membrane is critical for proper functioning of plant cells, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood (Łangowski et al, 2016). This is especially true for transporter proteins that move necessary…
Role of LOTR1 in Nutrient Transport ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchCasparian strips, named after the German botanist Robert Caspary who discovered them, are a cellular feature found in the roots of all higher plants. They are ring-like lignin polymers deposited in the middle of anticlinal cell walls (parallel to the root radius) between endodermal cells. Along with…
Review: Impact of the ion transportome of chloroplasts on the optimization of photosynthesis ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchIn photosynthesis, light energy generates proton motive force (pmf) across the thylakoid membrane. The establishment and maintenance of pmf involves numerous membrane transporters as well as other ions. Szabò and Septea review how various ions (including K+, Na+, Fe2+, Cu+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Cl–) contribute…
Origin and evolution of transporter substrate specificity within the NPF family
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchWhich arose first during evolution- a metabolite molecule or a transporter that could move it across a membrane? Jørgensen et al. studied transporters for glucosinolate defense molecules in Brassicales species. Glucosinolates are derived from the broad class of cyanogenic glucosides, and glucosinolates…
Heteroblastic Development of Transfer Cells: A Role for MicroRNA
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, ResearchTransfer cells (TCs) play critical roles in membrane transport of solutes at various sites within plants and between plants and their environment. This transport capacity is conferred by inward wall protuberances that extend into the cell lumen. These ingrowths function to enhance the area of surrounding…
Review: Source-sink interactions in plants ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogWith populations increasing globally, improving crop yield potential is one of the major challenges to the plant biologist, complicated by the changing climate. A better understanding of the source (material producer or exporter, e.g., leaves) – sink (material importer or consumer, e.g., roots, growing…
Phloem unloading in Arabidopsis roots
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research, Research BlogIt is well known that long distance transport and movement of molecules is enabled by phloem, but the precise mechanism of loading/unloading of phloem mobile compounds is not known. In this article, Ross-Elliott et al. used a combination of approaches (non-invasive imaging, 3D-electron microscopy, and…
Review: Nitrogen sensing in plants ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchLike other organisms, plants have developed mechanisms to sense and respond to changes in the availability of nutrients. Nitrogen (N), being very essential for the growth and development of plants, must also be strongly monitored by plants. N sensing and signaling in plants are highly researched topics,…
Immunity at hydathodes controls bacterial infection ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchHydathodes are the sites of guttation, which is a process by which water and solutes are pushed out of leaves by the force of root pressure when the rate of transpiration is low (for example at night). Hydathodes have numerous stomata-like pores and are located near vascular ends. Like stomata, hydathodes…
New Phytologist Tansley Medal finalists essays
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchThe New Phytologist Tansley Medal is awarded to an early career scientist for excellence in plant science. The essays submitted by each of the five finalists are published in the March 2017 of New Phytologist, and make good reading. We agree with the sentiments of the editors, “warmest congratulations…
Review: Role of vacuoles in phosphorus storage and remobilization ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchPhosphorus (P) is a non-renewable soil nutrient essential for plant growth. The vacuole serves as a crucial dynamic store of P that helps maintain cytosolic homeostasis. Yang et al. review vacuolar P stores, comparing P storage species and membrane proteins in yeast, algae and plants. In yeast, polyphosphate…
Peptide diffusion as a signal for Casparian strip diffusion barrier formation ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchThe Casparian strip is a permeability barrier that seals the spaces between root endodermis cells and so prevents bulk-flow uptake of solutes. Previously, a leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase called SCHENGEN3 or GASSHO1 (GSO1/SGN3) was identified as necessary for normal Casparian strip formation. Now,…
Root xylem plasticity to improve water use and yield in water-stressed soybean
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchRoot architecture and anatomy contribute to water uptake efficiency and plant performance under water-limitation. Prince et al. explored root anatomy in a panel of soybean, and identified metaxylem number as a key trait influencing performance under water-limiting conditions. Increases in metaxylem number…
Review: New routes for plant iron mining
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchIron (Fe) is a frequently limiting nutrient for plant growth. Iron uptake requires that plants manipulate the extracellular environment through secretion of protons, chelators and other molecules. Curie and Mari review new studies on the importance of coumarin (phenolic compound) secretion in iron uptake,…
Review: Chloride on the move ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchSaline soils are an ever growing problem, whether due to seawater incursions, for example in Bangladesh, or due to the rising water table in Australia. Salinity is harmful in three ways: non-specific osmotic effects, excess Na+, and excess Cl–. Of these, chloride has received the least attention. Li…
Low Phytate Rice Grains
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchPhosphorus (P) is an important macronutrient for crop productivity. In cereal crops like rice, about 60-85% of total plant P is allocated to grains and therefore removed from fields at harvest. Furthermore, the major form of P in the grains is phytate (C6H18O24P6), which cannot be digested by humans…
Review: The many roles of AVP1, a H+-PPase ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchThe AVP1 gene encodes a proton-pumping pyrophosphatase (H+-PPase) localized to the vacuolar membrane, which means that it pumps H+ into the vacuole using energy stored in pyrophosphatase (PPi). The direct consequences of its action are the acidification of the vacuole and the removal of PPi from the…
Review: Adaptive strategies for N metabolism in P deficient legume nodules ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchLegume nodules fix N, but their function has a high requirement for P, making nitrogen-fixation highly sensitive to P deficiency. Valentine et al. review how P limitation affects nodule function and also how nodules respond and adapt to P deficiency, drawing largely on studies of Virgilia divaricata,…
Review: Transport and homeostasis of K & P ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchNitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are the three macronutrients required in highest amounts for plant growth. N is abundant in the atmosphere, therefore plentiful if we overlook the energetic costs of converting N2 to usable form. By contrast, K and P are present in limited amounts in the…
Calcium Deficiency Triggers Phloem Remobilization of Cadmium
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchCadmium (Cd) is among the most toxic heavy metal to humans. Contamination of Cd in soils poses a serious threat to both crop productivity and human health in many parts of the world. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Cd transport process will help in developing plants for soil remediation and…
Iron acquisition and saline-alkaline tolerance in rice
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchSoil saline-alkalization is a major abiotic stress to agriculture worldwide, causing considerable damage to crop growth and loss of crop productivity. In alkaline soil, iron availability to plants also becomes very limiting. This paper explores the physiological and molecular mechanisms of rice plant’s…
J. Exp. Bot. Special Issue: Making Connections: Plant Vascular Tissue Development
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchThe Journal of Experimental Botany has a special issue on vascular development that features several outstanding review and opinion articles. Topics include Evolution of Conducting Cells, Regulation of Vascular Cell Division, overviews of hormones, peptide signals, receptors and transcription factors…
Best of 2016: Top Topics in The Plant Cell journal
Blog, Research, Research Blog, The Plant CellWe’ve highlighted some of the Plant Cell papers that were widely shared, liked, blogged, retweeted and otherwise garnered high-levels of attention this year. Perhaps you can use some holiday-season quiet time to catch up on those you missed.
Reviews and Perspectives
Creating order from chaos: epigenome…
Best of 2016: Top Topics in Plant Physiology jounal
Blog, Research, Research Blog
We’ve highlighted some of the Plant Physiology papers that were widely shared, liked, blogged, retweeted and otherwise garnered high-levels of attention this year. Perhaps you can use some of that holiday-season quiet time to catch up on those you missed.
The breakaway attention-getter from Plant…
Transcriptional repression of K+ uptake by ARF2
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchHAK5 is a high-affinity potassium transporter that is transcriptionally repressed in high K+ conditions. Zhao et al. identified hormone-related cis-elements in the HAK5 promoter. They screened mutants deficient in transcription factors associated with these cis-elements and found that arf2 mutants show…
Biofortification of plants: New Reviews ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchBiofortification is the nutritional enhancement (using conventional or genetic engineering approaches) of food with vitamins or micronutrients with the goal of improving the human diet. A set of new reviews in Current Opinion in Biotechnology summarizes progress towards biofortification of plants to…
Review: Plasmodesmata, pores between cells ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, ResearchThe cytosol of most plant cells are connected by plasmodesmata, tiny channels that form bridges between adjoining cells (guard cells notably lack plasmodesmatal connections). Water, ions, small molecules, proteins and viruses can move through plasmodesmata. Upon wounding or infection, plasmodesmatal…
Stimulation of sugar import for antibacterial defense ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research
When villagers see the marauding hordes approaching, they secure their food sources. Similarly, when the cell-surface FLS2 receptor detects a bacterial pathogen, it (through its co-receptor BAK1) phosphorylates and stimulates the activity of a cell-surface sugar transporter (STP13), leading to the…
Two-cell metabolism in multicellular cyanobacteria ($)
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research
Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria such as Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 have the challenge of supporting nitrogenase, an enzyme that is highly sensitive to oxygen, and simultaneously photosynthesis, an oxygen-producing set of reactions. They accomplish this by segregating these reactions into two cells, heterocysts…
Commentary: Chemical nature of the root-shoot signals
Plant Science Research Weekly, Research
Unravelling the mechanism and signals originating from roots and able to contribute to stomatal control has been the subject of research for decades. In this commentary, Tardieu summarizes and discusses many studies and models on root-shoot signals, including work in the same issue by Visentin et…
It’s Not Easy Not Being Green: Breakthroughs in Chlorophyll Breakdown
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In Brief
IN BRIEF by Jennifer Mach [email protected]
Plants can dispose of organs such as leaves and recycle the nutrients in these organs into new leaves, seeds, or storage organs. However, when separated from its photosystem proteins, chlorophyll can be phototoxic, absorbing light and producing high-energy…
Ticket to Ride: tRNA-Related Sequences and Systemic Movement of mRNAs
Blog, Research, The Plant Cell: In BriefIN BRIEF by Jennifer Mach [email protected]
Movement of macromolecules through the plant phloem provides a mechanism for long-distance signaling that plants use in development, disease resistance, and other adaptive responses (reviewed in Spiegelman et al., 2013). For example, full-length RNAs, such…