Table of Contents
IN BRIEF
BREAKTHROUGH REPORTS
- Target of Rapamycin Inhibition in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Triggers de Novo Amino Acid Synthesis by Enhancing Nitrogen Assimilation
TOR inhibition leads to an immediate and substantial accumulation of amino acids, which is driven by an increase in nitrogen assimilation and amino acid synthesis.
- Predicting Division Planes of Three-Dimensional Cells by Soap-Film Minimization
A model based on three-dimensional cell shape successfully predicts the division planes of plant and animal cells, confirming a century-old hypothesis.
LARGE-SCALE BIOLOGY ARTICLES
- Alternative Splicing Plays a Critical Role in Maintaining Mineral Nutrient Homeostasis in Rice (Oryza sativa)
Genome-wide RNA-seq and mutant analyses reveal the importance of alternative splicing in the mineral deficiency response and in mineral uptake and remobilization in rice.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Sweet Sorghum Originated through Selection of Dry, a Plant-Specific NAC Transcription Factor Gene
The sorghum Dry gene encodes a plant-specific NAC transcription factor important for the origin of sweet sorghum and provides a possible molecular tool for controlling stem texture in crops.
- Ploidy and Size at Multiple Scales in the Arabidopsis Sepal
Ploidy and size correlate at multiple biological scales (subcellular, cellular, and organismal), but compensation effects dampen the effect of ploidy change on organ size.
- A Spatiotemporal DNA Endoploidy Map of the Arabidopsis Root Reveals Roles for the Endocycle in Root Development and Stress Adaptation
A spatio-temporal ploidy map for the complete Arabidopsis root tip was established using computational biology techniques and experimentally verified.
- The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase HAF1 Modulates Circadian Accumulation of EARLY FLOWERING3 to Control Heading Date in Rice under Long-Day Conditions
An amino acid variation within the interaction domain of EARLY FLOWERING3 with the E3 ubiquitin ligase HAF1 strongly affects the variation in heading date among japonica rice accessions.
- The COP1 Target SHI-RELATED SEQUENCE5 Directly Activates Photomorphogenesis-Promoting Genes
Blue light-induced SRS5 promotes photomorphogenesis by directly activating photomorphogenesis-promoting genes such as HY5, BBX21 and BBX22, but COP1 directly targets SRS5 for degradation in the dark.
- CIK Receptor Kinases Determine Cell Fate Specification during Early Anther Development in Arabidopsis
CLAVATA3 INSENSITIVE RECEPTOR KINASEs function with BARELY ANY MERISTEM 1/2 and RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE2 to regulate early anther development in Arabidopsis.
- The ZmbZIP22 Transcription Factor Regulates 27-kD γ-Zein Gene Transcription during Maize Endosperm Development
An unusual approach was used to identify a transcription factor that regulates γ-zein gene expression during maize endosperm development together with other transcription factors.
- Opaque-2 Regulates a Complex Gene Network Associated with Cell Differentiation and Storage Functions of Maize Endosperm
Genome-wide analysis of genes regulated by the maize transcription factor Opaque-2 uncovered its functions in regulation of cell differentiation and endosperm storage development.
- Maize Oxalyl-CoA Decarboxylase1 Degrades Oxalate and Affects the Seed Metabolome and Nutritional Quality
The Ocd1 oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase catalyzes oxalyl-CoA into formal-CoA and CO2 for oxalate degradation and ocd1 mutations affect seed storage reserves, metabolome, and endosperm vitreousness.
- Systemic Upregulation of MTP2- and HMA2-Mediated Zn Partitioning to the Shoot Supplements Local Zn Deficiency Responses
The physiological Zn status of the shoot controls root transcript levels of MTP2 and HMA2, which encode membrane transport proteins and act in Zn partitioning to the shoot of Zn-deficient Arabidopsis.
- A MPK3/6-WRKY33-ALD1-Pipecolic Acid Regulatory Loop Contributes to Systemic Acquired Resistance
A positive feedback loop consisting of MPK3/6, WRKY33, ALD1, and pipecolic acid regulates local immune amplification contributing to systemic acquired resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana.
- Decoding β-Cyclocitral-Mediated Retrograde Signaling Reveals the Role of a Detoxification Response in Plant Tolerance to Photooxidative Stress
β-Cyclocitral, generated in the chloroplast under high-light stress, mitigates photooxidative stress by recruiting the xenobiotic response involving SCL14, TGAII, and ANAC102 transcription factors.
- Blue Light Regulates Secondary Cell Wall Thickening via MYC2/MYC4 Activation of the NST1-Directed Transcriptional Network in Arabidopsis
Blue light enhances cell wall thickening in inflorescence stem fibers through blue light-responsive activation of the transcriptional network that promotes secondary cell wall formation in Arabidopsis.
- RNA-Binding Protein RBP-P Is Required for Glutelin and Prolamine mRNA Localization in Rice Endosperm Cells
Assays of three key mutations reveal that RBP-P is indispensable for the localization of glutelin and prolamine mRNAs in rice endosperm cells.
- The Inhibitor Endosidin 4 Targets SEC7 Domain-Type ARF GTPase Exchange Factors and Interferes with Subcellular Trafficking in Eukaryotes
Endosidin 4, which interferes with endomembrane protein trafficking, represents a chemical tool for studying processes mediated by ARF GTPase exchange factors, including their role in plant development.
- Nonselective Chemical Inhibition of Sec7 Domain-Containing ARF GTPase Exchange Factors
A chemical genetic approach uncovered the small molecule Secdin, which impairs multiple endomembrane trafficking routes by targeting the Arabidopsis ARF GTPase exchange factors.
- Turnip Mosaic Virus Uses the SNARE Protein VTI11 in an Unconventional Route for Replication Vesicle Trafficking
Turnip mosaic virus replication vesicles bypass the Golgi and take an alternative, nonconventional pathway involving VTI11 in order to reach prevaculolar compartments/multivesicular bodies.
- Trehalose 6-Phosphate Positively Regulates Fatty Acid Synthesis by Stabilizing WRINKLED1
Trehalose 6-phosphate binds to the KIN10 subunit of SnRK1 and inhibits it in a GRIK-dependent manner, positively regulating fatty acid synthesis by stabilizing WRINKLED1.
- The Number of Meiotic Double-Strand Breaks Influences Crossover Distribution in Arabidopsis
Analysis of a spo11-1 hypomorphic allele in Arabidopsis showed that reducing the number of meiotic DSBs resulted in a profound redistribution of meiotic crossovers on a genome-wide scale.