Strigolactones initiate the formation of haustorium-like structures in .

Strigolactones serve as germination signals for several root-parasitic plant species within the Orobanchaceae family. Yet, their role in the life cycle of the facultatively parasitic genus has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that strigolactones initiate the formation of haustorium-like structures in .

Identification challenges of Castilleja (Orobanchaceae) on iNaturalist.

Citizen science platforms like iNaturalist play a crucial role in biodiversity monitoring. However, the identification of plants from the genus Castilleja (Indian Paintbrush), which comprises about 200 species with often similar features and frequent introgression, presents considerable challenges. Our study examines the agreement between initial identifications (often made by computer vision algorithms), subsequent identifications, and the final Research-Grade identifications for Castilleja species on iNaturalist.

GLABRA2 transcription factor integrates arsenic tolerance with epidermal cell fate determination.

Arsenic poses a global threat to living organisms, compromising crop security and yield. Limited understanding of the transcriptional network integrating arsenic-tolerance mechanisms with plant developmental responses hinders the development of strategies against this toxic metalloid. Here, we conducted a high-throughput yeast one-hybrid assay using as baits the promoter region from the arsenic-inducible genes ARQ1 and ASK18 from Arabidopsis thaliana, coupled with a transcriptomic analysis, to uncover novel transcriptional regulators of the arsenic response.

GIGANTEA adjusts the response to shade at dusk by directly impinging on PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 7 function.

For plants adapted to bright light, a decrease in the amount of light received can be detrimental to their growth and survival. Consequently, in response to shade from surrounding vegetation, they initiate a suite of molecular and morphological changes known as the shade avoidance response through which stems and petioles elongate in search for light. Under sunlight-night cycles, the plant's responsiveness to shade varies across the day, being maximal at dusk time.

A potential role of heat-moisture couplings in the range expansion of .

Parasitic weeds in the genera , (broomrapes) and (witchweeds) have a devastating impact on food security across much of Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean Basin. Yet, how climatic factors might affect the range expansion of these weeds in the context of global environmental change remains unexplored. We examined satellite-based environmental variables such as surface temperature, root zone soil moisture, and elevation, in relation to parasitic weed distribution and environmental conditions over time, in combination with observational data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Carnivorous plant evolution: is a killer defense always the best option?

This article comments on: Pavlovič A, Koller J, Vrobel O, Chamrád I, Lenobel R, and Tarkowski P. 2024. Is the co-option of jasmonate signalling for botanical carnivory a universal trait for all carnivorous plants? Journal of Experimental Botany 75, 334–349.

The Genome Sequences of 17 Species of Carnivorous Plants.

We present the genome sequences of 17 species of carnivorous plants. Illumina sequencing was performed on genetic material from cultivated individuals. The reads were assembled using a de novo method followed by a finishing step.

Mutational analysis of mechanosensitive ion channels in the carnivorous Venus flytrap plant.

How the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) evolved the remarkable ability to sense, capture, and digest animal prey for nutrients has long puzzled the scientific community. Recent genome and transcriptome sequencing studies have provided clues to the genes thought to play a role in these tasks. However, proving a causal link between these and any aspect of the plant's hunting behavior has been challenging due to the genetic intractability of this non-model organism.

A Divergent Clade KAI2 Protein in the Root Parasitic Plant Orobanche minor Is a Highly Sensitive Strigolactone Receptor and Is Involved in the Perception of Sesquiterpene Lactones.

Strigolactones (SLs) were initially discovered as germination inducers for root parasitic plants. In 2015, three groups independently reported the characterization of the SL receptor in the root parasitic plant Striga hermonthica, which causes significant damage to crop production, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The characterized receptors belong to HYPOSENSITIVE TO LIGHT/KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE2 (HTL/KAI2), which is a member of the α/β-hydrolase protein superfamily.

The role of ethylene in plant temperature stress response.

Temperature influences the seasonal growth and geographical distribution of plants. Heat or cold stress occur when temperatures exceed or fall below the physiological optimum ranges, resulting in detrimental and irreversible damage to plant growth, development, and yield. Ethylene is a gaseous phytohormone with an important role in plant development and multiple stress responses.

Epidermal GIGANTEA adjusts the response to shade at dusk by directly impinging on PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 7 function.

For plants adapted to bright light, a decrease in the amount of light received can be detrimental to their growth and survival. Consequently, in response to shade from surrounding vegetation, they initiate a suite of molecular and morphological changes known as the shade avoidance response (SAR) through which stems and petioles elongate in search for light. Under sunlight-night cycles, the plant's responsiveness to shade varies across the day, being maximal at dusk time.

Climate change challenges, plant science solutions.

Climate change is a defining challenge of the 21st century, and this decade is a critical time for action to mitigate the worst effects on human populations and ecosystems. Plant science can play an important role in developing crops with enhanced resilience to harsh conditions (e.g.

Crystal structure of DWARF14-LIKE2 (DLK2) reveals a distinct substrate binding pocket architecture.

In , the Sigma factor B regulator RsbQ-like family of α/β hydrolases contains the strigolactone (SL) receptor DWARF14 (AtD14), the karrikin receptor KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE2 (AtKAI2), and DWARF14-LIKE2 (AtDLK2), a protein of unknown function. Despite very similar protein folds, AtD14 and AtKAI2 differ in size and architecture of their ligand binding pockets, influencing their substrate specificity. We present the 1.

PIF7 is a master regulator of thermomorphogenesis in shade.

The size of plant organs is highly responsive to environmental conditions. The plant's embryonic stem, or hypocotyl, displays phenotypic plasticity, in response to light and temperature. The hypocotyl of shade avoiding species elongates to outcompete neighboring plants and secure access to sunlight.

Dynamic calcium signals mediate the feeding response of the carnivorous sundew plant.

Some of the most spectacular examples of botanical carnivory-in which predator plants catch and digest animals presumably to supplement the nutrient-poor soils in which they grow-occur within the Droseraceae family. For example, sundews of the genus have evolved leaf movements and enzyme secretion to facilitate prey digestion. The molecular underpinnings of this behavior remain largely unknown; however, evidence suggests that prey-induced electrical impulses are correlated with movement and production of the defense hormone jasmonic acid (JA), which may alter gene expression.

Leaf cell-specific and single-cell transcriptional profiling reveals a role for the palisade layer in UV light protection.

Like other complex multicellular organisms, plants are composed of different cell types with specialized shapes and functions. For example, most laminar leaves consist of multiple photosynthetic cell types. These cell types include the palisade mesophyll, which typically forms one or more cell layers on the adaxial side of the leaf.

20 years of Developmental Cell: Looking back.

In our 20 anniversary year, we reflect on how the cell and developmental biology fields have changed since the publication of Developmental Cell's first few issues. In this collection of Voices, authors who published in our early issues discuss the advances that helped shape their field over the past two decades.

Singlet Oxygen Leads to Structural Changes to Chloroplasts during their Degradation in the Arabidopsis thaliana plastid ferrochelatase two Mutant.

During stress, chloroplasts produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Chloroplasts also contain many nutrients, including 80% of a leaf's nitrogen supply. Therefore, to protect cells from photo-oxidative damage and to redistribute nutrients to sink tissues, chloroplasts are prime targets for degradation.

PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORs trigger environmentally responsive chromatin dynamics in plants.

The interplay between light receptors and PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORs (PIFs) serves as a regulatory hub that perceives and integrates environmental cues into transcriptional networks of plants. Although occupancy of the histone variant H2A.Z and acetylation of histone H3 have emerged as regulators of environmentally responsive gene networks, how these epigenomic features interface with PIF activity is poorly understood.

Two interacting ethylene response factors regulate heat stress response.

The ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factors are integral components of environmental stress signaling cascades, regulating a wide variety of downstream genes related to stress responses and plant development. However, the mechanisms by which ERF genes regulate the heat stress response are not well understood. Here, we uncover the positive role of ethylene signaling, ERF95 and ERF97 in basal thermotolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Stretch-activated ion channels identified in the touch-sensitive structures of carnivorous Droseraceae plants.

In response to touch, some carnivorous plants such as the Venus flytrap have evolved spectacular movements to capture animals for nutrient acquisition. However, the molecules that confer this sensitivity remain unknown. We used comparative transcriptomics to show that expression of three genes encoding homologs of the MscS-Like (MSL) and OSCA/TMEM63 family of mechanosensitive ion channels are localized to touch-sensitive trigger hairs of Venus flytrap.