Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mary E. Byrne
Summary: The variation in leaf shapes is determined by an evolutionary genetic pathway that modifies shape through regulating regional growth in the developing leaf.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alvin Sanjaya, Ryohsuke Muramatsu, Shiho Sato, Mao Suzuki, Shun Sasaki, Hiroki Ishikawa, Yuki Fujii, Makoto Asano, Ryuuichi D. Itoh, Kengo Kanamaru, Sumie Ohbu, Tomoko Abe, Yusuke Kazama, Makoto T. Fujiwara
Summary: The EGY1 gene encodes a protease involved in chloroplast development in leaf mesophyll cells but is also crucial for chloroplast differentiation in the leaf epidermis, particularly in guard cells. This study revealed that EGY1 mutants showed severe chlorophyll deficiency in both epidermal cell types and exhibited permanent defects in chloroplast formation, highlighting the importance of EGY1 in chloroplast formation and differentiation in leaf tissues.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin Schafer, Alan R. Pacheco, Rahel Kunzler, Miriam Bortfeld-Miller, Christopher M. Field, Evangelia Vayena, Vassily Hatzimanikatis, Julia A. Vorholt
Summary: Resource allocation affects the structure of microbiomes, including those associated with living hosts. Understanding the degree to which this dependency determines interspecies interactions may advance efforts to control host-microbiome relationships. We combined synthetic community experiments with computational models to predict interaction outcomes between plant-associated bacteria. The models recapitulated outcomes observed in planta with >89% accuracy, highlighting the role of carbon utilization and the contributions of niche partitioning and cross-feeding in the assembly of leaf microbiomes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yang Yang, Charles T. Anderson, Jiashu Cao
Summary: The study explores the functions of Arabidopsis PG45 in organ morphogenesis, revealing its significant role in leaf and flower structure, branch formation, and organ growth. Knockout and overexpression of PG45 result in altered leaf morphology and impaired cell proliferation, accompanied by changes in pectin metabolism and OG profiles. These findings underscore a previously unrecognized function for PGs in tissue polarity determination and cell proliferation regulation, suggesting the presence of OG-based signaling pathways in modulating plant development.
Article
Plant Sciences
Young-Sun Riu, Hyun-Geun Song, Hwi-Su Kim, Sam-Geun Kong
Summary: This study used different promoters to alter the response characteristics and growth phenotypes of phototropins in transgenic plants, as well as improve leaf transpiration.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yanqing Zhao, Lingmin Wei, Shaoying Wen, Huogen Li
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated the role of the BOP2 gene in leaf morphogenesis in Liriodendron tulipifera. They found that LtuBOP2 was highly expressed in stems and leaf buds, and it participated in leaf serration formation by promoting the expression of boundary genes and regulating the antagonistic relationship between hormones and KNOX I. These findings provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of leaf formation in L. tulipifera.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Paige E. Panter, Jacob Seifert, Maeve Dale, Ashley J. Pridgeon, Rachel Hulme, Nathan Ramsay, Sonia Contera, Heather Knight
Summary: We demonstrate the importance of fucose-dependent pectin cross-linking in stomatal development and leaf water loss control. The reduction of guard cell wall stiffness in a fucosylation-defective mutant does not affect stomatal closure. The fucosylation levels of cell walls and freezing tolerance of the Arabidopsis sensitive-to-freezing8 (sfr8) mutant are compromised. Leaf water loss is significantly higher in sfr8 and the allelic mutant mur1-1, indicating that CW fucosylation affects the response to desiccation.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Selin Buelbuel, Yasuhito Sakuraba, Mastoureh Sedaghatmehr, Mutsumi Watanabe, Rainer Hoefgen, Salma Balazadeh, Bernd Mueller-Roeber
Summary: BBX14 is a negative regulator of nitrogen starvation-induced leaf senescence and is directly regulated by PIF4 and MYB44. It directly regulates the transcription of EIN3, which is involved in nitrogen signaling and leaf senescence.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Shahaf Armon, Michael Moshe, Eran Sharon
Summary: Plant leaves grow in a decentralized manner, with cell deformation maintaining shape while experiencing fluctuations, as shown by high-resolution measurement of Tobacco leaf growth. These fluctuations must be regulated and correlated for flat leaf growth.
COMMUNICATIONS PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
R. Glen Uhrig, Sira Echevarria-Zomeno, Pascal Schlapfer, Jonas Grossmann, Bernd Roschitzki, Niklas Koerber, Fabio Fiorani, Wilhelm Gruissem
Summary: The study reports the changes in the Arabidopsis leaf rosette proteome and phosphoproteome during the diurnal cycle, indicating proteins involved in nitrogen and hormone metabolism undergo simultaneous changes in protein abundance and phosphorylation status. The phosphoproteome at light-dark transitions reveals dynamic changes at phosphorylation sites.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sakuya Nakamura, Shinya Hagihara, Kohei Otomo, Hiroyuki Ishida, Jun Hidema, Tomomi Nemoto, Masanori Izumi
Summary: Autophagy is involved in plant tolerance to the photooxidative stress caused by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, with mitophagy serving as a process for maintaining mitochondrial quality by eliminating dysfunctional mitochondria. Following a 1-h UVB exposure, an increase in autophagosome formation and active transport of mitochondria into the central vacuole were observed. Autophagy also plays a role in removing depolarized mitochondria when mitochondrial function is disrupted, contributing to mitochondrial quality control in Arabidopsis leaves.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Birgitta Ryback, Miriam Bortfeld-Miller, Julia A. Vorholt
Summary: Auxotrophs are organisms that cannot synthesize all the essential metabolites and rely on others for their survival. In a study of bacteria isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, it was found that about half of the strains require biotin, niacin, pantothenate, and/or thiamine. These auxotrophic strains were able to store coenzymes and grow exponentially for a few generations without vitamin supplementation, with biotin showing the highest storage capacity. Co-culture experiments showed that auxotrophic strains had higher species richness when provided with external vitamins. The results suggest that auxotrophs can benefit from metabolic by-products beyond vitamins.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Felipe K. Ricachenevsky, Tracy Punshon, David E. Salt, Janette P. Fett, Mary Lou Guerinot
Summary: Zinc is a key micronutrient for plants and animals, and understanding its homeostasis can have positive impacts on agriculture and human health. This study found that the accumulation of zinc in the base of trichomes on leaves is influenced by the overall zinc concentration in the plant, offering a basis for further research on the molecular mechanisms involved in zinc spatial distribution in plants.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ruben Tenorio Berrio, Kevin Verstaen, Niels Vandamme, Julie Pevernagie, Ignacio Achon, Julie Van Duyse, Gert Van Isterdael, Yvan Saeys, Lieven De Veylder, Dirk Inze, Marieke Dubois
Summary: Profiling young Arabidopsis leaves at the single-cell level provides insights into the distribution, development, and sensitivity to drought of different cell populations. The study identified 14 cell populations in young leaves, including subpopulations with distinct identity or metabolic activity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hiroki Yagi, Kentaro Tamura, Tomonao Matsushita, Tomoo Shimada
Summary: This study reveals that the development of hydathodes in Arabidopsis is influenced by auxin biosynthesis and accumulation. Using a triple marker line, it was found that the expression area of markers for auxin biosynthesis and accumulation increased during leaf development, suggesting a correlation with hydathode size enlargement. Additionally, the auxin-related markers were expressed earlier than the hydathode development marker, providing new insights into the spatiotemporal relationship between auxin dynamics and hydathode development.
PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mutiara K. Pitaloka, Robert S. Caine, Christopher Hepworth, Emily L. Harrison, Jennifer Sloan, Cattleya Chutteang, Chutima Phunthong, Rangsan Nongngok, Theerayut Toojinda, Siriphat Ruengphayak, Siwaret Arikit, Julie E. Gray, Apichart Vanavichit
Summary: This study examined stomatal model mutants in rice and found that two of the mutants responded better to increased CO2 concentration and restricted water conditions, showing higher water use efficiency and biomass.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jacqueline L. Stroud, Iain Dummett, Simon J. Kemp, Craig J. Sturrock
Summary: The conversion from conventional tillage to no-tillage soil management practices improves aggregate stability and earthworm populations. UK farmers found that middened soil, which accounts for up to 42% of the soil surface, has significantly more earthworms than general soil. In a recent experimental field trial, middened areas covering 13% of the trial showed improved aggregate stability and porosity compared to general soil. These findings emphasize the importance of considering middens in assessing soil quality and health in arable systems.
ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Samuel W. Booth, Benedikt Kurtz, Martine I. de Heer, Sacha J. Mooney, Craig J. Sturrock
Summary: In this study, X-ray CT was used to visualize and quantify wireworms, their burrow networks, and the root architecture of maize, barley, and bare soil. The study found that the presence of root structures caused behavioral differences in wireworms, leading to variations in the volume and structure of burrow networks.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guoqiang Huang, Azad Kilic, Michal Karady, Jiao Zhang, Poonam Mehra, Xiaoyun Song, Craig J. Sturrock, Wanwan Zhu, Hua Qin, Sjon Hartman, Hannah M. Schneider, Rahul Bhosale, Ian C. Dodd, Robert E. Sharp, Rongfeng Huang, Sacha J. Mooney, Wanqi Liang, Malcolm J. Bennett, Dabing Zhang, Bipin K. Pandey
Summary: Soil compaction poses a significant challenge to agriculture, inhibiting root elongation and affecting crop productivity. This study reveals that ethylene regulates the synthesis of auxin and abscisic acid, as well as cortical cell radial expansion, thereby impacting the ability of rice roots to penetrate compacted soil.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Riccardo Fusi, Serena Rosignoli, Haoyu Lou, Giuseppe Sangiorgi, Riccardo Bovina, Jacob K. Pattem, Aditi N. Borkar, Marco Lombardi, Cristian Forestan, Sara G. Milner, Jayne L. Davis, Aneesh Lale, Gwendolyn K. Kirschner, Ranjan Swarup, Alberto Tassinari, Bipin K. Pandey, Larry M. York, Brian S. Atkinson, Craig J. Sturrock, Sacha J. Mooney, Frank Hochholdinger, Matthew R. Tucker, Axel Himmelbach, Nils Stein, Martin Mascher, Kerstin A. Nagel, Laura De Gara, James Simmonds, Cristobal Uauy, Roberto Tuberosa, Jonathan P. Lynch, Gleb E. Yakubov, Malcolm J. Bennet, Rahul Bhosale, Silvio Salvi
Summary: Root angle in crops is an important trait for efficient utilization of soil resources. This study identifies a regulatory gene called EGT1 that controls root angle by affecting cell wall stiffness in elongating root cortical tissue. Mutations in the EGT1 gene result in a striking root phenotype with steeper growth angles in barley and wheat. These findings suggest that EGT1 plays a crucial role in exerting an antigravitropic mechanism to control root angle in cereal crops.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Monica Pineda, Maria Luisa Perez-Bueno, Matilde Baron
Summary: This study developed a detection method for black rot in broccoli leaves using imaging sensors and machine learning algorithms. By analyzing the response of broccoli plants to Xcc infection and climate conditions, the best classification algorithm was identified, and three novel diseased broccoli indices were defined. This is the first study to consider future climate conditions for developing a robust disease detection model.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Luisa Perez-Bueno, Jonatan Illescas-Miranda, Amanda F. Martin-Forero, Alberto de Marcos, Matilde Baron, Carmen Fenoll, Montana Mena
Summary: This study investigates the impact of global warming on plant transpiration and photosynthesis. It identifies a mutant with low stomatal density that can counteract the effect of high temperature by developing larger stomata and thinner leaves.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Anatomy & Morphology
Adam Best, Monika Egerbacher, Sophia Swaine, William Perez, Aziza Alibhai, Paul Rutland, Valentina Kubale, Samir A. A. El-Gendy, Mohamed A. M. Alsafy, Kerstin Baiker, Craig J. Sturrock, Catrin Sian Rutland
Summary: This systematic review compares the prevalence, histology, and anatomical location of Ossa cordis in different veterinary species and humans. It also discusses the associated factors, such as aging and cardiovascular disease, and the potential functions and formation mechanisms of Ossa cordis.
ANATOMIA HISTOLOGIA EMBRYOLOGIA
(2022)
Review
Soil Science
D. Luke R. Wardak, Faheem N. Padia, Martine I. de Heer, Craig J. Sturrock, Sacha J. Mooney
Summary: This paper reviews 34 studies that demonstrate the influence of zero-tillage (ZT) on porosity, depending on soil texture, pore size class, and depth. ZT can also affect important transport mechanisms that impact the fate of agrochemicals in soils, although the effects on hydraulic transport are less clear.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yi Xiao, Jen Sloan, Chris Hepworth, Marc Fradera-Soler, Andrew Mathers, Rachel Thorley, Alice Baillie, Hannah Jones, Tiangen Chang, Xingyuan Chen, Nazmin Yaapar, Colin P. Osborne, Craig Sturrock, Sacha. J. J. Mooney, Andrew. J. J. Fleming, Xin-Guang Zhu
Summary: Leaf structure plays a crucial role in photosynthesis, but the relationship between a single structural parameter and the overall photosynthetic performance is still debated. In this study, a mechanistic model called eLeaf was developed to capture the photosynthetic performance of rice leaves under various environmental conditions. The model successfully quantified the importance of different elements by analyzing imaging data and biochemical measurements. The results showed that photosynthetic metabolism was the major driver of increased carbon assimilation under elevated CO2 levels, and various structural elements made positive and negative contributions. The findings provide theoretical support for experimental data and highlight the significance of leaf structural plasticity in improving crop photosynthesis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Robert S. Caine, Emily L. Harrison, Jen Sloan, Paulina M. Flis, Sina Fischer, Muhammad S. Khan, Phuoc Trong Nguyen, Lang Thi Nguyen, Julie E. Gray, Holly Croft
Summary: A warming climate and water scarcity are affecting rice yields. Stomatal closure due to elevated temperature and vapor pressure deficit is reducing plant productivity. Variations in stomatal size and density were found in traditionally bred rice varieties, with high stomatal density and small stomatal size being more resilient to drought. However, none of the varieties assessed were as resilient as transgenic rice plants with low stomatal density. Compromises will be needed when choosing stomatal characteristics to tackle multiple future environmental stresses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Poonam Mehra, Bipin K. Pandey, Dalia Melebari, Jason Banda, Nicola Leftley, Valentin Couvreur, James Rowe, Moran Anfang, Hugues De Gernier, Emily Morris, Craig J. Sturrock, Sacha J. Mooney, Ranjan Swarup, Christine Faulkner, Tom Beeckman, Rishikesh P. Bhalerao, Eilon Shani, Alexander M. Jones, Ian C. Dodd, Robert E. Sharp, Ari Sadanandom, Xavier Draye, Malcolm J. Bennett
Summary: The study demonstrates how plant roots adapt their branching patterns to efficiently search for soil water resources under heterogeneous conditions. Xerobranching is regulated by the radial movement of abscisic acid, disrupting intercellular communication to inhibit lateral root branching.
Article
Agronomy
Jennifer M. Sloan, Azzami Adam Muhamad Mujab, Jusoh Mashitah, Berahim Zulkarami, Matthew J. Wilson, Liang Su Toh, A. Jalil Nur Zahirah, Kamaruzali Afiq, Ahmad Tajuddin Asyraf, Xin-Guang Zhu, Nazmin Yaapar, Andrew J. Fleming
Summary: Tillering in rice is influenced by both genetic factors and the environment. In this study, it was found that even moderate exposure to elevated CO2 can induce tillering in rice seedlings. A cost-effective growth system was then developed to increase CO2 levels and enhance tillering, leading to increased panicle number and 1000 grain weight in mature rice plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jen Sloan, Saranrat Wang, Qi Yang Ngai, Yi Xiao, Jodie Armand, Matthew J. Wilson, Xin-Guang Zhu, Andrew J. Fleming
Summary: This study reveals an inherent pattern of mesophyll cell size and shape in rice leaves, which is observed in different cultivars and species. The study suggests that this pattern may be related to photosynthetic function and discusses the implications of using middle layer mesophyll cells as typical of the rice leaf.