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Exploring the surprising breadth of plant viruses that hitchhike on pollen

By | News, Plant Science

We rely on pollinators like honeybees to grow a wide array of the world’s crops. But that same reliance may put plants at risk of disease, according to new research. In the first study to take a broad look at virus hitchhikers on pollen grains, biologists show that a variety of viruses travel on pollen — especially in areas close to agriculture and human development where honeybees dominate. 

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Plants: RNA notes to self

By | News, Plant Science

How does a developing plant shoot know how, where, and when to grow? Dividing cells need to pass messages from one another to coordinate growth. In plants, important messages are packaged into RNA, which are sent from cell to cell. By studying Arabidopsis thaliana, researchers found that RNA messages need a special protein to escort them where they need to go. Without this escort, cells cannot coordinate and the plant fails to develop properly. 

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Researchers Discover World’s Earliest Fossil Record of Flower Buds

By | CSPB, News, Research

Angiosperms may be distinguished from their gymnosperm peers by their flowers, and thus a flower is a good proxy of fossil angiosperms. However, flowers and their parts are usually too frail to be preserved in the fossil, which makes the origin of angiosperms and their flowers the foci of controversy. Recently, researchers reported a fossil flower bud, Florigerminis jurassica gen. et sp. nov., from the Jurassic in Inner Mongolia, China. This is the earliest fossil record of flower buds in the world so far. 

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One gene closer to a super sorghum

By | Agriculture, News, Plant Science

Scientists are honing the traits of speed, strength and near invulnerability in sorghum, a very important food crop. Achieving a milestone in their pursuit of the Superman of sorghum plants, scientists identified a single gene that confers broad protection from the fungal diseases anthracnose, rust and target spot. 

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The plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Credit: Salk Institute

Plants rely on the classy gene family to diversify their epigenomes

By | News, Plant Science

What determines how a cell’s genome is regulated to ensure proper growth and development? Turns out, the parts of the genome that are turned on or off in each cell-type or tissue play a major role in this process. Now, a research team has shown that the CLASSY gene family regulates which parts of the genome are turned off in a tissue-specific manner. The CLASSYs essentially control where the genome is marked by DNA methylation—the addition of methyl chemical groups to the DNA that act like tags saying, “turn off.” Because DNA methylation exists across diverse organisms, including plants and animals, this research has broad implications for both agriculture and medicine.

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The genetics of flower power: Hidden link between genes and flower formation revealed

By | News, Plant Science

Researchers recently announced that they have discovered the genetic linkages governing the formation of flowers. The revelation solves a long-standing mystery—how are there so many different types of flowers in the world?—and shines a bright light into a dark corner of evolution. The research also demonstrates the power of a technique called “forward genetics” in uncovering the mysteries of nature.

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