Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is well-known for its role in cells as acting almost like currency for energy storage. Research by Elsa Matthus and colleagues shows that it can also play an important role outside the cell...
Methanol is a frequently used solvent, and a volatile organic compound (VOC) released from plant cell walls through the action of pectin methylesterases. Tran et al. show that cell wall-produced methanol is a signal in...
Understanding the spatial distribution of inorganic nutrients within edible parts of plant products helps biofortification efforts to identify and focus on specific uptake pathways and storage mechanisms. Cheah et al...
Limestone karsts across southern China to south-eastern Asia support high levels of species diversity and endemism. Tao et al. studied the molecular evolution of the Ca2+-permeable channel TPC1 in the genus Primulina, a...
You are all forgiven for doing a ‘double-take’ upon reading that headline. Usually it’s all bad news when humans and forests are concerned, so a statement to the contrary is noteworthy. The item concerns ancient humans...
Calcium (Ca) and the toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) are antagonistic ions competing for uptake in plants when they co-occur in soil solutions, and high Ca concentrations can reduce the uptake of Cd in plants. However...
Root cortical aerenchyma (RCA) provides an adaptation to low nutrient availability by reducing the metabolic cost of soil exploration. Hu et al. use radiolabelling to investigate uptake of phosphate, sulphate and...
Stomata formed at high relative humidity (RH) are less responsive to abscisic acid (ABA), an effect that varies widely between genotypes. Giday et al. study four rose cultivars (Rosa hybrida) grown at 60% and 90% RH and...
It’s a little naughty to consider these two elements together, I know, because this may unintentionally add to the confusion that often ensues in class when you ask students to tell you the full chemical names for...
Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) male-sterile anthers abort at the microspore-stage, but the role sporophytic tissues in controlling male-sterility is unknown. Falasca et al. show that the tapetum and middle-layer...