Root growth control plays an important role in plant adaptation to drought stress, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of this control remain largely elusive. Here, a root‐specific nuclear factor Y (NF‐Y) transcription factor PdNF‐YB21 was isolated from Populus. The functional mechanism of PdNF‐YB21 was characterised by various morphological, physiological, molecular, biochemical and spectroscopy

The plasma membrane (PM)-localized receptor kinase FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2) recognizes bacterial flagellin or its immunogenic epitope flg22 and initiates microbe-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity, which inhibits infection by bacterial pathogens. The localization, abundance, and activity of FLS2 are under dynamic control. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis thaliana EXO70B1, a subunit

Plants are continuously exposed to diurnal fluctuations in light and temperature, and spontaneous changes in their physical or biotic environment. The circadian clock coordinates regulation of gene expression with a 24-hour period, enabling the anticipation of these events. We used RNA sequencing to characterize the Brachypodium distachyon transcriptome under light and temperature cycles, as well as

Synthetic biology can greatly aid the investigation of fundamental regulatory mechanisms and enable their direct deployment in the host organisms of choice. In the field of plant hypoxia physiology, a synthetic biology approach has been recently exploited to infer general properties of the plant oxygen sensing mechanism, by expression of plant-specific components in yeast. Moreover, genetic sensors

Broad-spectrum resistance is highly preferred in crop breeding programs. Previously, we reported the identification of the broad-spectrum resistance-Digu 1 (bsr-d1) allele from rice Digu. The bsr-d1 allele prevents activation of Bsr-d1 expression by Magnaporthe oryzae infection and degradation of H2 O2 by peroxidases, leading to resistance to M. oryzae. However, it remains unknown whether defense pathways

Root hair (RH) size has vital physiological implications, since it influences the surface area of the root and thus the ability of the plant to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Arabidopsis thaliana ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE 6-LIKE 4 (RSL4), a bHLH transcription factor, controls the expression of hundreds of RH genes and RSL4 expression itself can trigger ectopic RH growth. Recent studies reveal

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene induces the ripening of climacteric fruit, including apple (Malus domestica). Another phytohormone, auxin, is known to promote ethylene production in many horticultural crops, but the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we found that auxin application induces ethylene production in apple fruit prior to the stage of commercial harvest, when they are not otherwise

Effective legume-rhizobia symbiosis depends on efficient nutrient exchange. Rhizobia need to synthesize iron-containing proteins for symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) in nodules, which depends on host plant-mediated iron uptake into the symbiosome. We functionally investigated a pair of vacuolar iron transporter like (VTL) genes, GmVTL1a/b in soybean (Glycine Max), and evaluated their contributions

Tricin (3´,5´-dimethoxylated flavone) is a predominant flavonoid amongst monocots but occurs only in isolated and unrelated dicot lineages. Although tricin biosynthesis has been intensively studied in monocots, it remained largely elusive in tricin-accumulating dicots. We investigated a subgroup of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 75B subfamily flavonoid B-ring hydroxylases (FBHs) from two tricin-accumulating

The PII superfamily consists of signal transduction proteins found in all domains of life. Canonical PII proteins sense the cellular energy state through the competitive binding of ATP and ADP, and carbon/nitrogen balance through 2-oxoglutarate binding. The ancestor of Archaeplastida inherited its PII signal transduction protein from an ancestral cyanobacterial endosymbiont. Over the course of evolution

Systemin, a peptide plant hormone of 18 amino acids coordinates local and systemic immune responses. The activation of the canonical systemin-mediated systemic signaling pathway involves systemin release from its precursor prosystemin, systemin binding to its membrane receptor SYSTEMIN RECEPTOR1 (SYR1), and the transport of long-distance signaling molecules, including jasmonic acid, the prosystemin

Different phosphorus (P)-acquisition strategies may be relevant for species coexistence and plant performance in terrestrial communities on P-deficient soils. However, how interspecific P facilitation functions in natural systems is largely unknown. We investigated the root physiological activities for P mobilization across 19 co-existing plant species in steppe vegetation, and then grew plants with

(1)The biotrophic fungus Ustilago maydis causes the smut disease of maize. The interaction with its host and induction of characteristic tumors are governed largely by secreted effectors whose function is mostly unknown. To identify effectors with a prominent role in virulence, we used RNA-seq and found that the gene sta1 is upregulated during early stages of infection. (2)We characterized Sta1 by

•Resurrection plants recover physiological functions after complete desiccation. Almost all of them are native to tropical warm environments. The Gesneriaceae though, includes four genera, remnant of the past paleotropical flora, which inhabit temperate mountains. One of these species is additionally freezing-tolerant: Ramonda myconi. We hypothesise that this species has been able to persist in a colder

Introduced populations often experience lag-times prior to invasion, but the mechanisms constraining rapid expansions of introduced populations are unclear. Solidago altissima is a North American native plant with highly invasive Japanese populations, and introduced Australian populations that are not invasive despite the climatic and ecological suitability of the region. By contrasting Australian

C2 photosynthesis is a carbon concentrating mechanism that can increase net CO2 assimilation by capturing, concentrating, and re-assimilating CO2 released by photorespiration. Empirical and modelling studies indicate that C2 plants assimilate more carbon than C3 plants under high temperature, bright light, and low CO2 conditions. I argue that engineering C2 photosynthesis into C3 crops is a promising

Recent decades have been characterized by increasing temperatures worldwide, resulting in an exponential climb in vapor pressure deficit (VPD). VPD has been identified as an increasingly important driver of plant functioning in terrestrial biomes including being a major contributor in recent drought-induced plant mortality, independently from other drivers associated with climate change. Despite this

Phenology is an important indicator of environmental variation and climate change impacts on tree responses. In conifers, monitoring phenology of photosynthesis through remote sensing has been unreliable, because needle foliage varies little throughout the year. This is challenging for modelling ecosystem carbon uptake and monitoring phenology for enhanced breeding (genomic selection) and forest health

•Root system architecture (RSA) influences the effectiveness of resources acquisition from soils but the genetic networks that control RSA remain largely unclear. •We used rhizoboxes, X-ray Computed Tomography, grafting, auxin transport measurements and hormone quantification to demonstrate that Arabidopsis and Medicago CEP (C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE)-CEP RECEPTOR signalling controls RSA, the gravitropic

(1) Trees are increasingly exposed to hot droughts due to [CO2 ]-induced climate change. However, the direct role of [CO2 ] in altering tree physiological responses to drought and heat stress remains ambiguous. (2) Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) trees were grown from seed under ambient (421 ppm; a) or elevated (867 ppm; e) [CO2 ]. The 1.5-year-old trees, either well-watered or drought-treated during

Strigolactones (SLs) represent a class of plant hormones that regulate developmental processes and play a role in the response of plants to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Both in planta hormonal roles and ex planta signalling effects of SLs are potentially interesting agricultural targets. In this review, we explore various aspects of SL function and highlight distinct areas of agriculture that

Photosynthetic phenology is an important indicator of annual gross primary productivity (GPP). Assessing photosynthetic phenology remotely is difficult for evergreen conifers as they remain green year-round. Carotenoid-based vegetation indices such as the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and chlorophyll/carotenoid index (CCI) are promising tools to remotely track the invisible phenology of photosynthesis

The fungus Verticillium dahliae causes vascular wilt disease on hundreds of plant species. Homologs of the bZIP transcription factor Atf1 are required for virulence in most pathogenic fungi, but the molecular basis for their involvement is largely unknown. We performed targeted gene deletion, expression analysis, biochemistry, and pathogenicity assays to demonstrate that VdAtf1 governs pathogenesis

Plant oils are valuable commodities for food, feed, renewable industrial feedstocks and biofuels. To increase vegetable oil production, here we show that the nonspecific phospholipase C6 (NPC6) promotes seed oil production in the Brassicaceae seed oil species Arabidopsis, Camelina and oilseed rape. Overexpression of NPC6 increased seed oil content, seed weight and oil yield both in Arabidopsis and

While mutualistic interactions are widespread and essential in ecosystem functioning, the emergence of uncooperative cheaters threatens their stability, unless there are some physiological or ecological mechanisms limiting interactions with cheaters. In this framework, we investigated the patterns of specialization and phylogenetic distribution of mycoheterotrophic cheaters versus non-cheating autotrophic

VERNALIZATION2 (VRN2), an angiosperm-specific subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), is an oxygen (O2 ) regulated target of the PCO branch of the PRT6 N-degron pathway of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. How this post-translational regulation coordinates VRN2 activity remains to be fully established. Here we use Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes, mutants and transgenic lines to determine how

In legumes, phytoglobins (Phytogbs) are known to regulate nitric oxide (NO) during early phase of the nitrogen‐fixing symbiosis and to buffer oxygen in functioning nodules. However, their expression profile and respective role in NO control at each stage of the symbiosis remain little‐known. We first surveyed the Phytogb genes occurring in Medicago truncatula genome. We analyzed their expression pattern

Nitrogen (N) assimilation is associated with 14N/15N fractionation such that plant tissues are generally 15N‐depleted compared to source nitrate. In addition to nitrate concentration, the δ15N value in plants is also influenced by isotopic heterogeneity amongst organs and metabolites. However, our current understanding of δ15N values in nitrate is limited by the relatively small number of compound‐specific

The popular dual definition of lichen symbiosis is under question with recent findings of additional microbial partners living within the lichen body. Here we compare the distribution and co‐occurrence patterns of lichen photobiont and recently described secondary fungus (Cyphobasidiales yeast) to evaluate their dependency on lichen host fungus (mycobiont). We sequenced the nuclear internal transcribed

Legumes interact with a wide range of microbes in their root systems, ranging from beneficial symbionts to pathogens. Symbiotic rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal glomeromycetes trigger a so‐called common symbiotic signalling pathway (CSSP), including the induction of nuclear calcium spiking in the root epidermis. By combining gene expression analysis, mutant phenotypic screening and analysis of nuclear

Root hairs (RHs) develop from specialized epidermal trichoblast cells, whereas epidermal cells that lack RHs are known as atrichoblasts. The mechanism controlling RH cell fate is only partially understood. RH cell fate is regulated by a transcription factor complex that promotes the expression of the homeodomain protein GLABRA 2 (GL2), which blocks RH development by inhibiting ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE 6

Perennials have a complex shoot architecture with axillary meristems organized in zones of differential bud activity and fate. This includes zones of buds maintained dormant for multiple seasons and used as reservoirs for potential growth in case of damage. The shoot of Arabis alpina, a perennial relative of Arabidopsis thaliana, consists of a zone of dormant buds placed between subapical vegetative

Recent studies mainly in Arabidopsis have renewed interest and discussion in some of the key issues in hydrotropism of roots, such as the site of water sensing and the involvement of auxin. We examined hydrotropism in maize (Zea mays) primary roots. We determined the site of water sensing along the root using a nonintrusive method. Kinematic analysis was conducted to investigate spatial root elongation

● In trees, the use of nonstructural carbon (NSC) under limiting conditions impacts the age structure of the NSC pools. We compared model predictions of NSC ages and transit times for Pinus halepensis, Acer rubrum and Pinus taeda, to understand differences in carbon (C) storage dynamics in species with different leaf phenology and growth environments. ● We used two C allocation models from the literature

Emergent diseases are an increasing problem in forests worldwide. Exotic pathogens are now threatening forests where pathogens have not traditionally been considered to be major ecological drivers of tree demography, such as water‐limited Mediterranean forests. However, how pathogens might limit regeneration in invaded forests is largely unknown. Here we used fungicide to analyse the impact of soil‐borne

High temporal resolution measurements of wood anatomy and the isotopic composition in tree‐rings have the potential to enhance our interpretation of climate variability, but the sources of variation within the growing season are still not well understood. Here we test the response of wood anatomical features in Pinus ponderosa and Pseudotsuga menziesii, including cell‐wall thickness (CWT) and lumen

Plants produce a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), some of which are perceived by the human olfactory system, contributing to a myriad flavors. Despite the importance of flavor for consumer preference, most plant breeding programs have neglected it, mainly because of the costs of phenotyping and the complexity of disentangling the role of VOCs in human perception. To develop molecular breeding

Dynamic regulation of the concentration of the natural auxin (IAA) is essential to coordinate most of the physiological and developmental processes and responses to environmental changes. Oxidation of IAA is a major pathway to control auxin concentrations in angiosperms and, along with IAA conjugation, to respond to perturbation of IAA homeostasis. However, these regulatory mechanisms remain poorly

Efforts to develop mechanistic tree growth models are hindered by the uncertainty of whether and when tree growth responses to environmental factors are driven by carbon assimilation or by biophysical limitations of wood formation. In this study, we used multiannual weekly wood‐formation monitoring of two conifer species (Larix decidua and Picea abies) along a 900 m elevational gradient in the Swiss

Lamin proteins in animals are implicated in important nuclear functions, including chromatin organization, signaling transduction, gene regulation, and cell differentiation. Nuclear Matrix Constituent Proteins (NMCPs) are lamin analogues in plants, but their regulatory functions remain largely unknown. We report that OsNMCP1 is localized at the nuclear periphery and induced by drought stress. OsNMCP1

Plants use roots to access soil resources, so differences in root traits and their ecological consequences could be a mechanism of species coexistence and niche divergence. Current views of the evolution of root diversity are informed by large-scale evolutionary analyses based on taxonomically coarse sampling and led to the "root trait phylogenetic conservatism hypothesis". Here we test this hypothesized

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs; Meloidogyne spp.) induce new post-embryogenic organs within the roots (galls) were they stablish and differentiate nematode's feeding cells, giant-cells (GCs). Developmental programs and functional genes involved are scarcely defined. Arabidopsis root apical meristem (RAM), lateral root (LR) and callus marker lines: SHORT-ROOT/SHR, SCARECROW/SCR, SCHIZORIZA/SCZ, WUSCHEL-

Photosynthetic stimulation by elevated [CO2 ] (e[CO2 ]) may be limited by the capacity of sink organs to use photosynthates. In many legumes, N2 -fixing symbionts in root nodules provide an additional sink, so that legumes may be better able to profit from e[CO2 ]. However, drought not only constrains photosynthesis but also size and activity of sinks, and little is known about the interaction of e[CO2

Cytokinins control critical aspects of plant development and environmental responses. Perception of cytokinin ultimately leads to the activation of proteins belonging to the type-B Response Regulator family of cytokinin response activators. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ARR1 is one of the most abundantly expressed type-B Response Regulators. We investigated the link between cytokinin signaling, protein

Photosynthetic induction describes the transient increase in leaf CO2 uptake with an increase in light. During induction, efficiency is lower than at steady state. Under field conditions of fluctuating light, this lower efficiency during induction may cost > 20% of potential crop assimilation. Accelerating induction would boost photosynthetic and resource-use efficiencies. Variation between rice accessions

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful tool to image xylem embolism formation in plants. MRI scanners configured to accept intact plants are rare and expensive. Here, we investigate if affordable small-scale, custom-built low-field MRI scanners would suffice for the purpose. A small-scale, C-shaped permanent magnet was paired with open, plane parallel imaging gradients. The setup was small enough

Globins (Glbs) are widely distributed in archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes. They can be classified into proteins with 2/2 or 3/3 α-helical folding around the heme cavity. Both types of Glbs occur in green algae, bryophytes and vascular plants. The Glbs of angiosperms have been more intensively studied, and several protein structures have been solved. They can be hexacoordinate or pentacoordinate, depending

Access to greater genomic resolution through new sequencing technologies is transforming the field of plant pathology. As scientists embrace these new methods, some overarching patterns and observations come into focus. Evolutionary genomic studies are used to determine not only the origins of pathogen lineages and geographic patterns of genetic diversity, but also to discern how natural selection

A dynamic assembly of nuclear and cytoplasmic processes regulate gene activity. Hypoxic stress and the associated energy crisis activate a plurality of regulatory mechanisms including modulation of chromatin structure, transcriptional activation and post-transcriptional processes. Temporal control of genes is associated with specific chromatin modifications and transcription factors. Genome-scale technologies

●Cells are continuously exposed to chemical signals that they must discriminate between and respond to appropriately. In embryophytes, the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) are signal receptors critical in development and defense. LRR-RLKs have diversified to hundreds of genes in many plant genomes. Although intensively studied, a well-resolved LRR-RLK gene tree has remained elusive

Plant reproductive success depends on making fertile flowers but also upon developing appropriate shoot internodes that optimally arrange and support the flowering shoot. Compared to floral morphogenesis, we understand little about the networks directing internode growth during flowering. However, new studies reveal that long-range signals, local factors, and age-dependent micoRNA-networks are all

Kelps are key primary producers of cold and temperate marine coastal ecosystems and exhibit systemic defences against pathogens. Yet, the cellular mechanisms underpinning their immunity remain to be elucidated. We investigated the time course of infection of the kelp Macrocystis pyrifera by the oomycete Anisolpidium ectocarpii using TEM, in vivo autophagy markers and autophagy inhibitors. Over several

Several publications have examined leaf-trait and carbon-cycling shifts along an Amazon-Andes transect spanning 3.5 km in elevation and 16°C in mean annual temperature. Photosynthetic capacity was previously shown to increase as temperature declines with increasing elevation, counteracting enzyme-kinetic effects. Primary production declines, nonetheless, due to decreasing light availability. We aimed

Hydraulic failure explains much of the increased rates of drought-induced tree mortality around the world, underlining the importance of understanding how species distributions are shaped by their vulnerability to embolism. Here we determined which physiological traits explain species climatic limits among temperate rainforest trees in a region where chronic water limitation is uncommon. We quantified

As climate change transforms seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation, germination success at marginal temperatures will become critical for the long-term persistence of many plant species and communities. If populations vary in their environmental sensitivity to marginal temperatures across a species' geographical range, populations that respond better to future environmental extremes are

The cotton fibre serves as a valuable experimental system to study cell wall synthesis in plants, but our understanding of the genetic regulation of this process during fibre development remains limited. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and identified 28 genetic loci associated with fibre quality in allotetraploid cotton. To investigate the regulatory roles of these loci, we sequenced

Low oxygen availability is often associated with soil waterlogging or submergence, but may occur also as hypoxic niches in otherwise aerobic tissues. Experimental evidences assign a role in Botrytis cinerea resistance to a group of oxygen-unstable Ethylene Response Factors (ERF-VII). Given that infection by B. cinerea often occurs in aerobic organs such as leaves, where ERF-VII stability should be