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Expressing the Pseudomonas ethylene-forming enzyme (Efe) in Synechocystis 6803 causes it to produce ethylene. Tracer experiments and metabolic modelling show that this is achieved by plasticity of fluxes through the tricarboxylic acid cycle.
Analysis of a new Arabidopsis mutant shows that SGT1b protein associates with chaperones to stabilize jasmonate receptor Col1 and auxin hormone F-box receptor TIR1. This study highlights the importance of chaperone complexes in hormone signalling.
The mechanisms of sepal/petal/lip determination in orchids remain obscure. Now a study reveals competition between two protein complexes containing different AP3/AGL6 homologues determine the formation of the complex perianth patterns in orchids.
Natural rubber is composed of extremely long polymers of isoprene. In dandelion, a potential alternative source of latex for industry, a rubber transferase activator, homologous to the human Nogo-B receptor, is necessary for this synthesis.
Studies of plants on a series of Australian sand dunes show that leaves and roots have different approaches to coping with phosphorus limitation. While leaves concentrate on using phosphorus efficiently, roots take on rich and diverse nutrient-acquisition strategies.
Plant species diversity regulates the productivity and stability of natural ecosystems and their resilience to disturbance. Experiments in a managed grassland suggest that whereas species diversity promotes livestock fodder production, genetic diversity enhances the temporal stability of that production.
A gene that helps protect potatoes from destructive late blight is identified in a wild relative. It encodes a membrane receptor-like protein, the first discovered in this system, and makes cultivated potato plants more resistant to a broad range of pathogens.
Plant cell organelles interact dynamically, most notably during photosynthesis. A femtosecond laser technology, that creates localized micro-shockwaves, is used to precisely analyse adhesion forces between peroxisomes, mitochondria and chloroplasts.
The mechanism of how plant growth is controlled during the reproductive phase is not well understood. Now a study reveals a new miRNA-dependent module integrating auxin signalling and developmental pathways to promote Arabidopsis fruit morphogenesis.
Plant organs bend in response to external stimuli such as light or gravity. This study documents the role of the actin–myosin cytoskeleton in the process by which the organs stop bending once they reach adequate posture.
There's a lack of knowledge on the extent to which mRNAs are transported across tissues in plants. Now a study combining RNA-seq with grafting experiments identifies 2,006 genes in Arabidopsis thaliana that generate mobile mRNAs.
Live-cell imaging and finite-element modelling shows how the plant's cytoskeleton gives shape to trichomes. The actin-related protein (ARP)2/3 complex generates an actin meshwork that directs growth through cell-wall anisotropy and organelle transport control.
Herbivorous insects influence forest structure and function. Experiments at the Aspen FACE facility in the US suggest that elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide enhance insect-induced reductions in forest productivity, whereas elevated concentrations of ozone have the opposite effect.
In Arabidopsis the plasma membrane nitrate transceptor (transporter/receptor) NRT1.1 governs many physiological and developmental responses to nitrate. Point mutations in two key residues of the transceptor differentially affect several of the NRT1.1-dependent responses to nitrate, suggesting that NRT1.1 activates independent signalling pathways.
The plant auxin receptor TIR1 needs to associate with the SCF complex to be functional and target substrates. Newly discovered mutations that can block this interaction suggest that TIR1 is autocatalytically degraded once assembled in the SCF complex.
Touch can lead to a reduction in plant growth and a delay in flowering time. Experiments with wild-type Arabidopsis plants, and mutants impaired in gibberellin signalling and breakdown, suggest that touch-induced changes in plant morphology depend on gibberellin catabolism.
Little is known about the selection of regulatory mechanisms for plant microRNAs. Now a Dicer partnering protein, DRB2, is reported to determine translational inhibition and repress transcript cleavage, allowing the selection of the two mechanisms.
The United States is one of the largest soybean exporters in the world. An analysis of meteorological and field-trial data spanning the past 20 years suggests that climatic changes have reduced US soybean yields by around 30%.
Closely related plant species can have drastically different abundances of transposable elements. Now it is shown that the genome of Arabis alpina has experienced a striking expansion of retrotransposons, probably shaped by reduced DNA methylation.
The Gora mountains of north-eastern Albania are home to the culturally distinct Gorani and Albanian peoples. Comparison of each's local plant knowledge shows how culture has moulded their use of the environment to alleviate food insecurity.