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Researchers discovered that plant phototropism—growth toward light—is fine-tuned by acetylation-phosphorylation cross-talk in the blue-light receptor phototropin 1 (phot1). Acetylation at key lysines, especially K636, regulates phot1’s phosphorylation and activity, with the deacetylase HDA9 balancing these modifications. Light triggers phosphorylation, reducing HDA9 binding and allowing acetylation to limit over-signaling, forming a feedback loop. This mechanism, conserved in crops like tomato and peanut, provides new insights for breeding plants with better light adaptability and energy efficiency.

In a recent study, researchers have uncovered how Amazon rainforest canopy trees manage the intense sunlight they absorb — revealing resilience to hot and dry conditions in the forest canopy while also offering a way to greatly improve the monitoring of canopy health under increasing extreme conditions. 

Researchers conducted a systematic review of 99 scientific publications that compared the flora or fauna of old-growth forests, managed forests and clearcut sites in boreal Europe. The reviewed studies showed large differences in the species communities inhabiting these forest types.