Modifications in root morphology are important strategies to maximize soil exploitation under phosphorus starvation in plants. Here, we used two multiple interval models to map QTLs related to root traits, biomass accumulation and P content in a maize RIL population cultivated in nutrient solution.

Drought is a major cause of lost agricultural productivity. Even moderate water limitation can lead to down-regulation of plant growth; however, the underlying mechanisms of stress sensing and growth regulation are little understood. We identified At14a-Like1 (AFL1) and its interacting proteins protein disulfide isomerase 5 (PDI5) and NAI2 as positive and negative regulators, respectively, of growth and proline accumulation.

Casparian strips play a critical role in sealing endodermal cells in the root to block uncontrolled extracellular uptake of nutrients and water. Building Casparian strips requires the construction of extracellular lignin structures that encircle cells within the cell wall and that are anchored to the plasma membranes of adjacent cells to form tight seals between them. The transcription factor we have discovered, and the set of genes it regulates, now provides us with the detailed “parts list” necessary to build Casparian strips.

Acceptance of new rice genotypes by producers and consumers hinges not only on their potential for higher yield but recent emphasis has also been on premium-value genotypes that have the ability to satisfy consumer preferences for grain quality. This review article provides insights into how to link grain quality attributes and sensory perception to support breeding superior rice varieties.

Flavones are a major group of flavonoids with diverse functions and extensively distributed in land plants. There are two different classes of flavone synthase (FNS) enzymes that catalyze the conversion of the flavanones into flavones. The FNSI class comprises soluble Fe^2+/2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, and FNSII enzymes are oxygen- and NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 membrane-bound monooxygenases.

Common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon), the wild relative of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa), flaunts long, barbed awns, which are necessary for efficient propagation and dissemination of seeds. By contrast, O. sativa cultivars have been selected to be awnless or to harbor short, barbless awns, which facilitate seed processing and storage. The transition from long, barbed awns to short, barbless awns was a crucial event in rice domestication.

Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar traits in different species or lineages of the same species; this often is a result of adaptation to similar environments, a process referred to as convergent adaptation. We investigate here the molecular basis of convergent adaptation in maize to highland climates in Mesoamerica and South America, using genome-wide SNP data.

Terpenoids, one of the largest and most diverse classes of natural products, are found in all living organisms, where they play essential roles in growth and development, respiration and photosynthesis, and interactions with the environment. We discovered that a functional homolog of isopentenyl phosphate kinase (IPK), originally identified in archaebacteria, is unexpectedly present in plants and functions in their terpenoid metabolic network.

Elevated growth temperatures are known to affect foliar organic acid concentrations in various plant species. In the current study, citrate, malate, malonate, fumarate and succinate decreased 40 to 80% in soybean leaflets when plants were grown continuously in controlled environment chambers at 36/28 compared to 28/20 °C.

We developed Escherichia coli expressing deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase (DAOCS) as a whole-cell biocatalyst to convert penicillin G to G-7-aminodeacetoxycephalosporanic acid (G-7-ADCA). The major strategy used was to reconstitute the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle of E. coli with DAOCS catalyzed reaction; thus the metabolic flux of central metabolism was forced to go through DAOCS catalyzed reaction to produce G-7-ADCA.