Volume 65, Issue 17, September 2014

This review examines the phytotoxicity of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid, as well as the herbicidal effects of glyphosate, presenting their interconnected consequences on various plant physiological processes.

There has been an upsurge of interest in the molecular biology of fleshy fruits coincident with the onset of ripening. We discuss recent trends and paradigms in fruit ripening.

The newly identified age pathway ensures plants flower under non-inductive conditions.

Complex genetic networks underlie developmental processes. Recent advances in technology allow us to understand the topology of the network and the interactions between genes, gene products, and hormones.

This study demonstrated that silicon-enhanced root hydraulic conductance through up-regualtion of aquaporin gene expression resulted in improved root water uptake under osmotic stress in sorghum.

A potent multifunctional stress-induced cold and drought regulatory protein (CcCDR) has been isolated from pigeonpea. It conferred multiple abiotic stress tolerance through activation of ABA-dependent and ABA-independent genes in Arabidopsis.

2,4-D affects actin polymerization by post-translational modifications (carbonylation and S-nitrosylation), thereby disturbing the actin cytoskeleton and the dynamics of peroxisomes. Xanthine dehydrogenase is involved in ROS production under these conditions.

The main constituent of barrier to radial oxygen loss is unclear. Gene expression profiles in the outer part of roots suggest that suberin is its major constituent in rice roots.

Low-dose JA application synergizes with effect of spider-mite induction of gene coding for ocimene synthase, and increased emission of (E)-β-ocimene, a compound known to attract carnivorous enemies of herbivorous spider-mites.

Peroxisomal ABC transporters have been studied extensively in Arabidopsis but not in monocotyledonous species. Using barley, it is shown that their biochemical functions are conserved in flowering plants.

OsNRAMP5 plays an important role in the translocation and distribution of Mn in rice plants in addition to its role in Mn uptake.

PEG-mediated osmotic stress induces premature differentiation of the root apical meristem, which in turn leads to outgrowth of lateral roots and improved tolerance to water stress.

Virus-induced tumours on the stems of rice have many modified sieve elements with previously undescribed flexible intercellular gateways able to accommodate large (80nm) virus particles.

Excess red light induces a defence response by activating lipoxygenase at both the transcript and activity levels.

RNA-Seq of RUM1-dependent gene expression in maize primary roots, in combination with histological analyses, highlighted the regulation of auxin signal transduction by RUM1 and its role in vascular development.

Exposing plants to non-toxic metal concentrations elicits specific detoxification mechanisms in tobacco roots that improve root membrane functionality and leaf stomatal regulation with toxic zinc in the growing medium.

Cucumber fruit spine is multicellular and non-branched with no endoreduplication. Spines in the tbh mutant were tiny and branched. Meristem regulators and polarity genes regulate spine development in cucumber.

Significant variation in photosynthesis and growth in 64 wheat cultivars was explained by differences in photosynthetic capacity, operation and CO₂ diffusion. Natural variation in photosynthesis is an underutilized resource for potential crop improvement.

A total of 2 542 lincRNAs were identified from Populus trichocarpa and some of them play key roles in drought stress tolerance or regulate microRNA through target mimicry patterns.

Overexpression of SVP3 affects kiwifruit flower and fruit development. The reduced petal pigmentation results from interference with transcription of the kiwifruit flower tissue-specific R2R3 MYB regulator.

The phosphorylation of proteins involved in cellulose biosynthesis was examined under different photosynthetic contexts. Light/dark and CO₂ conditions are shown to influence cellulose synthase phosphorylation, correlating to sugar metabolites.

The oomycete elicitor cryptogein triggers the relocation of RBOHD from intracellular compartments to the plasma membrane in tobacco cells. This suggests that intracellular trafficking is a potential determinant of RBOHD activity.

When grown in a low-phosphate environment Triticum aestivum showed reduced basipetal auxin transport and altered root PIN and AUX/IAA expression profiles, with a concurrent reduction in root branching density.

We undertook production and inhibition studies of recombinant millet PGIP. Using computational mutagenesis, the most significant binding contact involved in pearl millet PGIP–AnPGII interaction was identified.

GSTF2/3 was identified to be a substrate of MSRB7 using our established CNBr digestion-based proteomic analysis, and the restoration of GSTF2/3 activity by MSRB7 was required for oxidative stress tolerance.

In this study, we identified the ZmCLA4 gene, which is responsible for the qLA4-1 associated with leaf angle, by positional cloning, and parsed the genetic mechanism.

This research describes the role of specialized isoforms encoding regulated steps of the MEP pathway in melon and provides evidence for their functional specialization in seedling greening.

The survey of expression patterns, biochemical characters, and intracellular localizations of cystatins in tobacco reveals their widespread roles in gamete development, embryogenesis, and seed formation.