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The PDK1 lipid-dependent kinase controls PIN1 and auxin transport through a phosphorylation cascade that includes AGC-type kinase D6PK. The double pdk1 mutant reveals auxin-related phenotypes such as reduced gravitropism and lateral roots.
Plant leaf structure is classified as either simple or compound. A simple leaf is a single leaf, whereas a compound leaf is composed of several leaflets emerging from a single compound leaf primordia. Liangliang He, Yu Liu and colleagues have identified a regulator of compound leaf formation in Medicago truncatula, leading to the discovery of an undefined class of eudicot-specific BEL1-like homeodomain proteins and a molecular framework controlling trifoliate leaf patterning.
The authors demonstrate the negative role of GOLVEN peptides during lateral root initiation in Arabidopsis, at the very early stage of the first asymmetric cell division of lateral root founder cells, and identify the receptors for these peptides.
The PDK1 lipid-dependent kinase controls PINs and auxin transport through a phosphorylation cascade that includes AGC-type kinase PAX. The double pdk1 mutant reveals auxin-related phenotypes in vascular development.
Dichotomous root branching evolved in both lycophytes and euphyllophytes, followed by lateral branching in separate extant lineages during the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, illustrating extreme cases of divergent evolution.
Global meta-analysis of plant species diversity effects on trophic levels of ecosystem functioning, finding beneficial impacts from increased diversity.
The structures of four plant phytochrome sensory modules, including an A-type phytochrome, illuminate the function of these red/far-red photoreceptors and suggest the existence of a nuclear localization signal specific to the phytochrome A lineage.
Previous studies showing that mast seeding was synchronized at large scales were constrained to hundreds of kilometres, but this continental-scale study shows that such events are asynchronous, driving spatial and temporal impacts for a wide range of species.
Heat stress damages photosystems, especially photosystem II (PSII), thus affecting photosynthetic efficiency. To counteract the thermal damage, a new bioengineering strategy is introduced by expressing a PSII subunit D1 under the control of a heat-responsive promoter in the nuclear genome. The strategy has been tested and found to be effective in Arabidopsis, tobacco and rice.
A novel optical sensor for hydrogen peroxide, based on DNA-wrapped single wall carbon nanotubes, is developed and validated in plants. It can be used in non-model species to study the kinetics of systemic H2O2 propagation in response to wounding.
Fire has shaped plant life for millions of years, but flammability as an inherited trait has been difficult to discern. This Letter reveals several predictors in the evolution of plant flammability.
The AHL15 transcription factor is a repressor of axillary meristem maturation. AHL15 is downstream of flowering genes and prolongs the vegetative growth and longevity of plants, particularly monocarps such as Arabidopsis thaliana.
Apertures are thin areas on the wall of pollen grains where pollen tubes can penetrate. The number and configuration of pollen apertures vary drastically in different plant species. Here, Xu Zhang and colleagues identify a novel aperture factor that is essential for the formation of pollen aperture and for reproduction in rice.
Temperature-dependent translational enhancement of PIF7 promotes gene expression for thermomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis during warm daytime. This enhanced translation is mediated by an RNA hairpin which shifts conformation at higher temperatures.
The Arabidopsis clock component ELF4 protein moves from shoots to roots to regulate the circadian clock in roots in a temperature-dependent manner. Low temperature increases the mobility of ELF4 and thus leads to a slow-paced root clock.
Mitochondria ribosomes translate essential mRNAs encoded by mitochondrial genomes. The cryo-EM structure of the 78S mitoribosome from cauliflower shows plant-specific pentatricopeptide repeat proteins binding rRNAs expanded over those of animals.
Analyses of Arabidopsis temperature-sensitive genic male sterility lines show that slowing development overcomes microspore defects and restores fertility, suggesting that low temperature reverses their fertility as a general factor by slowing development.
Potassium, one of the most important ions, is stored in the vacuole. A new mechanism for potassium homeostasis and release from this vacuolar store relies on the CBL–CIPK calcium sensing module, which activates the tonoplastic two-pore K+ channel.
In plant communities, co-occurring species compete for resources such as mineral nutrients under limited supply. Here, the researchers found that a major mineral nutrient, phosphorus, was taken up by co-occurring plants in species-specific proportions of different forms, which may drive the development of community biodiversity.
Five genome-wide approaches are integrated to give a comprehensive picture of jasmonic acid signalling networks in Arabidopsis. New genes, validated by mutant analysis, and important connections with other pathways are revealed.