Новости науки и практики // Декабрь 2017

A model by which plants adapt their photosynthetic metabolism to light intensity
Researchers have proposed a model that explains the molecular mechanism used by plants to adapt their photosynthetic mechanism to light intensity.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uos-amb112117.php


New database catalogues plants that soak up contamination
Hyperaccumulators are unusual plants that can absorb much larger amounts of metal compounds in their leaves and stems than normal plants, and they are very useful for cleaning up contaminated land.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171121121446.htm


Breaking the chain: Catalyzing a green future for chemistry
Researchers create catalyst for refining chemicals in plant waste, allowing a green way to produce valuable raw materials.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171106100522.htm


Creative Destruction: How Death Leads to Function
Researcher explains how death and destruction in sugarcane roots can lead to the development of gas spaces, which improve root function.
https://www.botany.one/2017/11/creative-destruction-death-leads-function/ 


ePlant: A Comprehensive Data Visualization Tool for Plant Biologists
Several groups and research institutes have taken the initiative to provide datasets, tools, algorithms, open source code, and visualization platforms.
https://www.botany.one/2017/11/eplant-comprehensive-data-visualization-tool-plant-biologists/


Genome of wheat ancestor sequenced 
In the study, published Nov. 15 in the journal Nature, researchers applied a combination of advanced technologies to generate a reference-quality genome sequence for Ae. tauschii, which is highly adaptable and tolerant of diseases. It is also the primary source of genes for the bread-making properties of wheat flour.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uoc--gow111517.ph
 

Light green plants save nitrogen without sacrificing photosynthetic efficiency
Scientists designed plants with light green leaves with hopes of allowing more light to penetrate the crop canopy and increase overall light use efficiency and yield. This strategy was tested in a recent modeling study that found leaves with reduced chlorophyll content do not actually improve canopy-level photosynthesis, but instead, conserve a significant amount of nitrogen that the plant might be able to reinvest to improve light use efficiency and increase yield.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/crwi-lgp112017.php 


New bioresources for plant peptide hormones using gene editing technology
Using genome editing technology, researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan generated a new, comprehensive genetic resource collection of plants with knocked out CLE peptides-encoding genes.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/ku-nbf110817.php


Researchers fold a protein within a protein
Scientists have demonstrated it is possible to fold a protein within an engineered protein shell. This is a fundamental breakthrough in synthetic biology with significant applications in the biologics and pharmaceutical sectors.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171113111049.htm


Reducing shade avoidance responses in a cereal crop
Wille et al. took a step towards the development of varieties of wheat with reduced shade avoidance by inducing mutations followed by phenotypic screening.
https://www.botany.one/2017/11/reducing-shade-avoidance-responses-cereal-crop/


The secret lives of ancient land plants
Researchers have unraveled the genome of the common liverwort -- Marchantia polymorpha -- gaining new insight into how the modest land plants evolved.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171102095923.htm


Transcription: Shedding light on alternative promoter selection
In Arabidopsis thaliana, in response to light, phytochromes induce the selection of alternative promoters, which can modulate the localization of encoded proteins.
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrg.2017.100


Uncovering essential enzymes for plant growth during nitrogen starvation 
Researchers in Japan have now found that two enzymes involved in lipid biosynthesis called PAH1 and PAH2 are essential for plant growth during nitrogen starvation.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/tiot-uee111917.php


Water world 
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have traced the paths of three water channels in an ancient photosynthetic organism to provide the first comprehensive, experimental study of how that organism uses and regulates water to create energy.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/wuis-ww111417.php


Regulation of ethylene-responsive SlWRKYs involved in color change during tomato fruit ripening
Study provides comprehensive molecular evidence that WRKY TFs function in fruit ripening, particularly in color change, and are linked to the intricate regulatory network of other ripening regulators. 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-16851-y 

Drought-resistant plant genes could accelerate evolution of water-use efficient crops
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have identified a common set of genes that enable different drought-resistant plants to survive in semi-arid conditions, which could play a significant role in bioengineering and creating energy crops that are tolerant to water deficits.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/drnl-dpg120117.php