Recent Posts

Exploring the hydraulic failure hypothesis of esca leaf symptom formation (Plant Phys)

Esca 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)

In 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)

Plants 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.)

Manganese (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)

Soil 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)

Indole-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)

Auxin 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)

Auxin 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)

Arsenic 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…