Detoxification of phenanthrene in Arabidopsis thaliana involves a Dioxygenase For Auxin Oxidation 1 (AtDAO1).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination has a negative impact on ecosystems. PAHs are a large group of toxins with two or more benzene rings that are persistent in the environment. Some PAHs can be cytotoxic, teratogenic, and/or carcinogenic.

Transcription initiation as a control point in plastid gene expression.

The extensive processing and protein-assisted stabilization of transcripts have been taken as evidence for a viewpoint that the control of gene expression had shifted entirely in evolution from transcriptional in the bacterial endosymbiont to posttranscriptional in the plastid. This suggestion is however at odds with many observations on plastid gene transcription. Chloroplasts of flowering plants and mosses contain two or more RNA polymerases with distinct promoter preference and division of labor for the coordinated synthesis of plastid RNAs.

Regulation of Phaeodactylum plastid gene transcription by redox, light, and circadian signals.

Diatoms are a diverse group of photosynthetic unicellular algae with a plastid of red-algal origin. As prolific primary producers in the ocean, diatoms fix as much carbon as all rainforests combined. The molecular mechanisms that contribute to the high photosynthetic productivity and ecological success of diatoms are however not yet fully understood.

An evolutionarily conserved iron-sulfur cluster underlies redox sensory function of the Chloroplast Sensor Kinase.

Photosynthetic efficiency depends on equal light energy conversion by two spectrally distinct, serially-connected photosystems. The redox state of the plastoquinone pool, located between the two photosystems, is a key regulatory signal that initiates acclimatory changes in the relative abundance of photosystems. The Chloroplast Sensor Kinase (CSK) links the plastoquinone redox signal with photosystem gene expression but the mechanism by which it monitors the plastoquinone redox state is unclear.

Detoxification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Arabidopsis thaliana involves a putative flavonol synthase.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental contaminants with cytotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic properties. Bioremediation studies with bacteria have led to the identification of dioxygenases (DOXs) in the first step to degrade these recalcitrant compounds. In this study, we characterized the role of the Arabidopsis thaliana AT5G05600, a putative DOX of the flavonol synthase family, in the transformation of PAHs.

Abiotic stresses induce different localizations of anthocyanins in Arabidopsis.

Anthocyanins are induced in plants in response to abiotic stresses such as drought, high salinity, excess light, and cold, where they often correlate with enhanced stress tolerance. Numerous roles have been proposed for anthocyanins induced during abiotic stresses including functioning as ROS scavengers, photoprotectants, and stress signals. We have recently found different profiles of anthocyanins in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants exposed to different abiotic stresses, suggesting that not all anthocyanins have the same function.

Not all anthocyanins are born equal: distinct patterns induced by stress in Arabidopsis.

Different abiotic stress conditions induce distinct sets of anthocyanins, indicating that anthocyanins have different biological functions, or that decoration patterns of each anthocyanin are used for unique purposes during stress. The induction of anthocyanin accumulation in vegetative tissues is often considered to be a response of plants to biotic or abiotic stress conditions. Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) accumulates over 20 anthocyanins derived from the anthocyanidin cyanidin in an organ-specific manner during development, but the anthocyanin chemical diversity for their alleged stress protective functions remains unclear.