Exploring the world of small proteins in plant biology and bioengineering.

Small proteins are ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life. MicroProteins, initially characterized as small proteins with protein interaction domains that enable them to interact with larger multidomain proteins, frequently modulate the function of these proteins. The study of these small proteins has contributed to a greater comprehension of protein regulation.

Roles for leakiness and O evolution in explaining lower-than-theoretical quantum yields of photosynthesis in the PEP-CK subtype of C plants.

Theoretically, the PEP-CK C subtype has a higher quantum yield of CO assimilation ( ) than NADP-ME or NAD-ME subtypes because ATP required for operating the CO-concentrating mechanism is believed to mostly come from the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC). However, reported is not higher in PEP-CK than in the other subtypes. We hypothesise, more photorespiration, associated with higher leakiness and O evolution in bundle-sheath (BS) cells, cancels out energetic advantages in PEP-CK species.

Controlling flowering of Medicago sativa (alfalfa) by inducing dominant mutations.

Breeding plants with polyploid genomes is challenging because functional redundancy hampers the identification of loss-of-function mutants. Medicago sativa is tetraploid and obligate outcrossing, which together with inbreeding depression complicates traditional breeding approaches in obtaining plants with a stable growth habit. Inducing dominant mutations would provide an alternative strategy to introduce domestication traits in plants with high gene redundancy.