Plant Biology

A shade-responsive microProtein in the Arabidopsis ATHB2 gene regulates elongation growth and root development

1. Ashleigh Edwards
2. Maurizio Junior Chiurazzi
3. Anko Blaakmeer
4. Ylenia Vittozzi
5. Ashish Sharma
6. Sanne Matton
7. Valdeko Kruusvee
8. Daniel Straub
9. Giovanna Sessa
10. Monica Carabelli
11. Giorgio Morelli
12. Stephan Wenkel

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  Through a genome-wide screen for functional alternative transcription start sites (TSS) in Arabidopsis, the authors provide evidence for widespread transcription of potential microproteins from previously annotated protein-coding genes. Functional analysis of AtHB2-miP, derived from the C-terminal region of transcription factor AtHB2 and predicted to form non-productive dimers with ATHB2, suggested that this microprotein could affect AtHB2 functions in shade responses, root growth, and iron homeostasis. The work is valuable as a case study of how new microproteins could act to modulate gene regulation in response to environmental change, but the focus on a single gene, the lack of precision in AtHB2-miP measurement and missing controls, and the relatively minor phenotypic effects mean that data supporting microprotein production as a vital regulatory strategy are incomplete.

Reviewed by eLife

Unraveling the role of urea hydrolysis in salt stress response during seed germination and seedling growth in Arabidopsis thaliana

1. Yuanyuan Bu
2. Xingye Dong
3. Rongrong Zhang
4. Xianglian Shen
5. Yan Liu
6. Shu Wang
7. Tetsuo Takano
8. Shenkui Liu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important study advances our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying salt stress-induced inhibition of seed germination and seedling growth. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing, with rigorous genetic, physiological, and metabolic analyses. This paper will be of interest to plant stress biologists and crop breeders.

Reviewed by eLife

A dual function of the IDA peptide in regulating cell separation and modulating plant immunity at the molecular level

1. Vilde Olsson Lalun
2. Maike Breiden
3. Sergio Galindo-Trigo
4. Elwira Smakowska-Luzan
5. Rüdiger GW Simon
6. Melinka A Butenko

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript presents valuable findings on the role of a plant peptide in coordinating developmental and immune responses signaling. The evidence supporting the claims, while mainly descriptive and and somewhat limited due to the main conclusions being drawn from overexpression lines, is mostly solid. The findings are interesting, they align with existing models, and they are of relevance to plant pathologists and developmental biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Single-molecule analysis reveals the phosphorylation of FLS2 governs its spatiotemporal dynamics and immunity

1. Yaning Cui
2. Hongping Qian
3. Jinhuan Yin
4. Changwen Xu
5. Pengyun Luo
6. Xi Zhang
7. Meng Yu
8. Bodan Su
9. Xiaojuan Li
10. Jinxing Lin

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This potentially important study employs advanced imaging techniques to directly visualize molecular dynamics and of the immune receptor kinase FLS2 in specific microenvironments. The evidence supporting the ligand-induced association with remorin and the requirement of a previously reported phosphosite as presented is solid, although support by independent methods would be welcome. The work will be of interest to plant biologists working on cell surface receptors.

Reviewed by eLife

In vitro function, assembly, and interaction of primary cell wall cellulose synthase homotrimers

1. Pallinti Purushotham
2. Ruoya Ho
3. Jochen Zimmer

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  It is well-established that cellulose synthesis in higher plants requires three different but related catalytic subunits known as CESA proteins. Here the authors provide convincing cryo-electron microscopy structural information on soybean CESA1, CESA3, and CESA6 and find substantial differences between the structure of these CESA homotrimers and the previously-resolved secondary cell wall CESAs. They present an important model in which the multi-subunit cellulose synthase complexes are made of multiple homotrimers but further evidence is needed to strengthen the conclusions.

Reviewed by eLife

Regulation of adaptive growth decisions via phosphorylation of the TRAPPII complex in Arabidopsis

1. Christian Wiese
2. Miriam Abele
3. Benjamin Al
4. Melina Altmann
5. Alexander Steiner
6. Nils Kalbfuß
7. Alexander Strohmayr
8. Raksha Ravikumar
9. Chan Ho Park
10. Barbara Brunschweiger
11. Chen Meng
12. Eva Facher
13. David W. Ehrhardt
14. Pascal Falter-Braun
15. Zhi-Yong Wang
16. Christina Ludwig
17. Farhah F. Assaad

Reviewed by Review Commons

The tRNA thiolation-mediated translational control is essential for plant immunity

1. Xueao Zheng
2. Hanchen Chen
3. Zhiping Deng
4. Yujing Wu
5. Linlin Zhong
6. Chong Wu
7. Xiaodan Yu
8. Qiansi Chen
9. Shunping Yan

Reviewed by Review Commons

FER-like iron deficiency-induced transcription factor (FIT) accumulates in nuclear condensates

1. Ksenia Trofimov
2. Regina Gratz
3. Rumen Ivanov
4. Yvonne Stahl
5. Petra Bauer
6. Tzvetina Brumbarova

Reviewed by Review Commons

Heat stress impairs centromere structure and segregation of meiotic chromosomes in Arabidopsis

1. Lucie Crhak Khaitova
2. Pavlina Mikulkova
3. Jana Pecinkova
4. Manikandan Kalidass
5. Stefan Heckmann
6. Inna Lermontova
7. Karel Riha

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study is an important contribution to our insights into the impact of heat stress on sexual reproduction in plants and provides information about how centromere integrity is affected by heat stress during male meiosis in Arabidopsis thaliana. The evidence supporting the claims, specifically the dynamics of tagged proteins in meiocytes by live cell imaging is solid, even though a deeper mechanistic understanding is still lacking.

Reviewed by eLife

Serine hydroxymethyl transferase is a binding target of caprylic acid: Uncovering a novel molecular target for a herbicide and for producing caprylic acid-tolerant crops

1. Zuren Li
2. Mugui Wang
3. Haodong Bai
4. Hongzhi Wang
5. Jincai Han
6. Likun An
7. Dingfeng Luo
8. Yingying Wang
9. Wei Kuang
10. Xiaoyi Nie
11. Lianyang Bai

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study presents a valuable contribution towards understanding the protein target and mechanism of action of an herbicide, which could be applied to the development of herbicide-based technologies to improve crop yields. Evidence is gathered using a variety of technical approaches that enrich and support the findings, but the methodology and the presentation of the results are incomplete.

Reviewed by eLife