Life Sciences Commons^™

The Pollen Tube’S Secret To Slick Growth? A Dab Of Pectate Lyase-Like Enzyme, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Many Side Jobs Of Lateral Suppressor (Ls) In Plant Development, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Is The Nucleus The Unwitting Architect Of Asymmetric Cell Division In Plants?, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Timekeeper's Dilemma: How Photo-Thermal Cues Alter Flowering Duration, Kyle W. Swentowsky, Janlo M. Robil

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ecophysiological Implications Of Low Lignin In Eastern Leatherwood (Dirca Palustris L.), Anna Cole, Kayla Marie Rigdon, D. Gordon Brown, Katharine Lora Cary

Biology Faculty Publications

Dirca palustris L. (eastern leatherwood) is an understory shrub found throughout much of eastern North America. Dirca palustris wood has a low concentration of lignin, which is a molecule that grants structural rigidity to cell walls. The branches of D. palustris are thus remarkably flexible, but their low lignin content could cause greater vulnerability to water stress. We examined the conductivity, vessel anatomy, and field water potential of D. palustris and conducted ecological surveys. The data showed that D. palustris was not experiencing substantial drought-induced dysfunction in the field, even during an exceptionally hot and dry summer. Its water potentials …

Enhancement Of Developmental Defects In The Boron-Deficient Maize Mutant Tassel-Less1 By Reduced Auxin Levels, Michaela S. Matthes, Norman B. Best, Janlo M. Robil, Paula Mcsteen

Biology Faculty Publications

Background

Plant responses to deficiencies of the micronutrient boron are diverse and go beyond the well-characterized function of boron in cell wall crosslinking. To explain these phenotypic discrepancies, hypotheses about interactions of boron with various phytohormones have been proposed, particularly auxin. While these hypotheses are intensely tested in the root meristem of the model species, Arabidopsis thaliana, studies in crop species and the shoot are limited.

Aims

To address potential boron–auxin interactions during the vegetative and reproductive development of the crop maize (Zea mays), we utilized the boron-deficient tassel-less1 (tls1) mutant and the auxin-deficient vanishing tassel2 (vt2) mutant. We investigated …

Solanum Scalarium (Solanaceae), A Newly-Described Dioecious Bush Tomato From Judbarra/Gregory National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Angela Mcdonnell, Tanisha Williams, Jonathan Hayes, Jason T. Cantley, Peter Jobson, Christine Martine

Biology Faculty Publications

A new species of functionally dioecious bush tomato of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum scalarium Martine & T.M.Williams, sp. nov., is a member of the taxonomically challenging “Kimberley dioecious clade” in Australia and differs from other species in the group in its spreading decumbent habit and conspicuously prickly male floral rachis. The species is so far known from one site in Judbarra/Gregory National Park in the Northern Territory. Ex situ crosses and confirmation of inaperturate pollen grains produced in morphologically cosexual flowers indicate that these flowers are functionally female and the species is functionally dioecious. The scientific name reflects …

Increasing The Resilience Of Plant Immunity To A Warming Climate, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde, Shuai Huang, Chao Li, Richard Hilleary, Adam Seroka, Reza Sohrabi, Diana Medina-Yerena, Bethany Huot, Jie Wang, Sharon Marr, Mary Wildermuth, Tao Chen, John Macmicking, Sheng Yang He

Biology Faculty Publications

Extreme weather conditions associated with climate change affect many aspects of plant and animal life, including the response to infectious diseases. Production of salicylic acid (SA), a central plant defence hormone, is particularly vulnerable to suppression by short periods of hot weather above the normal plant growth temperature range via an unknown mechanism. Here we show that suppression of SA production in Arabidopsis thaliana at 28 °C is independent of PHYTOCHROME B (phyB) and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), which regulate thermo-responsive plant growth and development. Instead, we found that formation of GUANYLATE BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 3 (GBPL3) defence-activated biomolecular condensates (GDACs) …

Salicylic Acid And N-Hydroxypipecolic Acid At The Fulcrum Of The Plant Immunity-Growth Equilibrium, Alyssa Shields, Vanessa Shivnauth, Christian Danve M. Castroverde

Biology Faculty Publications

Salicylic acid (SA) and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP) are two central plant immune signals involved in both resistance at local sites of pathogen infection (basal resistance) and at distal uninfected sites after primary infection (systemic acquired resistance). Major discoveries and advances have led to deeper understanding of their biosynthesis and signaling during plant defense responses. In addition to their well-defined roles in immunity, recent research is emerging on their direct mechanistic impacts on plant growth and development. In this review, we will first provide an overview of how SA and NHP regulate local and systemic immune responses in plants. We …

Plant Canopy May Promote Seed Dispersal By Wind, Xuanping Qin, Wei Liang, Zhimin Liu, Minghu Liu, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin, Zhiming Xin, Zhigang Wang, Quanlai Zhou

Biology Faculty Publications

Seed dispersal has received much research attention. The plant canopy can intercept diaspores, but the effect of the plant canopy (the aboveground portion of a plant consisting of branches and leaves) on dispersal distance has not been explored empirically. To determine the effect of plant canopy on seed dispersal distance, a comparison of diaspores falling through open air and through plant canopy was made in a wind tunnel using three wind speeds and diaspores with various traits. Compared with diaspores falling through open air, the dispersal distance of diaspores falling through plant canopy was decreased or increased, depending on wind …

Cbp60-Db: An Alphafold-Predicted Plant Kingdom-Wide Database Of The Calmodulin-Binding Protein 60 (Cbp60) Protein Family With A Novel Structural Clustering Algorithm, Keaun Amani, Vanessa Shivnauth, Christian Castroverde

Biology Faculty Publications

Molecular genetic analyses in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana have demonstrated the major roles of different CAM-BINDING PROTEIN 60 (CBP60) proteins in growth, stress signaling, and immune responses. Prominently, CBP60g and SARD1 are paralogous CBP60 transcription factors that regulate numerous components of the immune system, such as cell surface and intracellular immune receptors, MAP kinases, WRKY transcription factors, and biosynthetic enzymes for immunity-activating metabolites salicylic acid (SA) and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP). However, their function, regulation and diversification in most species remain unclear. Here we have created CBP60-DB, a structural and bioinformatic database that comprehensively characterized 1052 CBP60 gene homologs …

Global Patterns Of Potential Future Plant Diversity Hidden In Soil Seed Banks, Xuejun Yang, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin, Robin J. Pakeman, Zhenying Huang, Ruiru Gao, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen

Biology Faculty Publications

Soil seed banks represent a critical but hidden stock for potential future plant diversity on Earth. Here we compiled and analyzed a global dataset consisting of 15,698 records of species diversity and density for soil seed banks in natural plant communities worldwide to quantify their environmental determinants and global patterns. Random forest models showed that absolute latitude was an important predictor for diversity of soil seed banks. Further, climate and soil were the major determinants of seed bank diversity, while net primary productivity and soil characteristics were the main predictors of seed bank density. Moreover, global mapping revealed clear spatial …

Complete Genome Sequence Of The Pantoea Phage Ah07, Gregory P. Krukonis, Sam J. Roth, Veronique A. Delesalle

Biology Faculty Publications

Bacteriophages of the phyllosphere have not been extensively described, despite their role in bacterial communities on this plant organ. Here, we describe a temperate Pantoea phage, AH07, that was isolated from the leaves of horse chestnut trees. The 37,859-bp linear double-stranded DNA genome contains 58 putative genes, including an integration cassette.

Complete Genome Sequences Of Four Phages Of The Horse Chestnut Phyllosphere, Gregory P. Krukonis, Sam J. Roth, Veronique A. Delesalle

Biology Faculty Publications

Bacteriophages play important roles in determining bacterial communities, including plant microbiota. Here, we describe four lytic phages, three Siphoviridae and one Podoviridae, isolated from four different bacterial species found on the leaves of horse chestnut trees. Their double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes range from 39,095 to 46,062 bp and contain 51 to 70 genes.

Genome Sequences Of Erwinia Phyllophages Ah04 And Ah06, Gregory P. Krukonis, Sam J. Roth, Veronique A. Delesalle

Biology Faculty Publications

Although crucial in shaping bacterial communities, few bacteriophages of the phyllosphere have been described. We provide genome data for two Myoviridae phages, AH04 and AH06, isolated on Erwinia billingiae strains. AH04 shares limited genetic similarity with previously described phages, while AH06 shares over 75% similarity with various Erwinia phages.

Salicylic Acid: A Key Regulator Of Redox Signalling 1 And Plant Immunity, Mohd Saleem, Qazi Fariddudin, Christian Castroverde

Biology Faculty Publications

In plants, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed during normal conditions are essential in regulating several processes, like stomatal physiology, pathogen immunity and developmental signaling. However, biotic and abiotic stresses can cause ROS over-accumulation leading to oxidative stress. Therefore, a suitable equilibrium is vital for redox homeostasis in plants, and there have been major advances in this research arena. Salicylic acid (SA) is known as a chief regulator of ROS; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. SA plays an important role in establishing the hypersensitive response (HR) and systemic acquired resistance (SAR). This is underpinned by a robust and …

Is The Life History Flexibility Of Cold Desert Annuals Broad Enough To Cope With Predicted Climate Change? The Case Of Erodium Oxyrhinchum In Central Asia, Huiliang Liu, Yanfeng Chen, Lingwei Zhang, Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin, Lan Zhang, Yan Liu, Daoyuan Zhang, Yuanming Zhang

Biology Faculty Publications

Interannual seasonal variability in precipitation may strongly affect the life history and growth of desert annual plants. We compared the effects of dry and wet springs and dry and wet autumns on growth and F2 seed dormancy of plants from spring (SG)- and autumn (AG)-germinated seeds of the cold desert annual Erodium oxyrhinchum. Vegetative and reproductive growth and F2 seed dormancy and germination were monitored from September 2016 to November 2020 in the sandy Gurbantunggut Desert in NW China in Central Asia. Dry autumns decreased the density of AG plants, and dry springs decreased the density of SG plants …

Temperature Regulation Of Plant Hormone Signaling During Stress And Development, Christian Castroverde, Damaris Dina

Biology Faculty Publications

Global climate change has broad-ranging impacts on the natural environment and human civilization. Increasing average temperatures along with more frequent heat waves collectively have negative effects on cultivated crops in agricultural sectors and wild species in natural ecosystems. These aberrantly hot temperatures, together with cold stress, represent major abiotic stresses to plants. Molecular and physiological responses to high and low temperatures are intricately linked to the regulation of important plant hormones. In this review, we shall highlight our current understanding of how changing temperatures regulate plant hormone pathways during immunity, stress responses and development. This article will present an overview …

Effect Of Nitrogen Addition On Selection Of Germination Trait In An Alpine Meadow On The Tibet Plateau, Kun Liu, Yang Liu, Zhilong Zhang, Shiting Zhang, Carol C. Baskin, Jerry M. Baskin, Ting Liang, Haiyan Bu, Shuxia Li, Tingting Zhang, Xianliang Cui, Sa Xiao

Biology Faculty Publications

Seed germination requirements may determine the kinds of habitat in which plants can survive. We tested the hypothesis that nitrogen (N) addition can change seed germination trait-environmental filter interactions and ultimately redistribute seed germination traits in alpine meadows. We determined the role of N addition on germination trait selection in an alpine meadow after N addition by combining a 3-year N addition experiment in an alpine meadow and laboratory germination experiments. At the species level, germination percentage, germination rate (speed) and breadth of temperature niche for germination (BTN) were positively related to survival of a species in the fertilized community. …

(2808) Proposal To Reject The Name Acalypha Supera (Euphorbiaceae), Geoffrey A. Levin, Vernie G. Sagun

Biology Faculty Publications

(2808) Acalypha supera Forssk.; Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 162. 1 Oct 1775[Angiosp.: Euphorb.]; nom. utique rej. prop.Typus: non designatus.

(2807) Proposal To Conserve The Name Acalypha Wilkesiana Against A. Tricolor (Euphorbiaceae), Geoffrey A. Levin, Vernie G. Sagun

Biology Faculty Publications

(2807) Acalypha wilkesiana Müll. Arg. in Candolle; Prodr. 15(2):817. Aug (sero) 1866 [Angiosp.: Euphorb.]; nom. cons. prop.Typus: Fiji; [Viti Levu]; Rewa; “Unit. Stat. explor. exped.under Capt. Wilkes” (G-DC barcodes G00324021 &G00324022; isotypi: GH barcode GH00045512; K barcodeK000959008; US Nos. 1944717 & 1944718 [barcodes00096423 & 00096424]).

(=) Acalypha tricolor Veitch ex Mast. in Gard. Chron. 1866:483. 26 Mai 1866; nom rej. prop.Neotypus (hic designatus): “Hort. Veitch; New Hebrides[Vanuatu]”; Jul 1844 (K barcode K001235482).

Seed Priming With Phytohormones: An Effective Approach For The Mitigation Of Abiotic Stress, Mohammad Saidur Rhaman, Shahin Imran, Farjana Rauf, Mousumi Khatun, Carol C. Baskin, Yoshiyuki Murata, Mirza Hasanuzzaman

Biology Faculty Publications

Plants are often exposed to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, and heavy metals that induce complex responses, which result in reduced growth as well as crop yield. Phytohormones are well known for their regulatory role in plant growth and development, and they serve as important chemical messengers, allowing plants to function during exposure to various stresses. Seed priming is a physiological technique involving seed hydration and drying to improve metabolic processes prior to germination, thereby increasing the percentage and rate of germination and improving seedling growth and crop yield under normal and various biotic and abiotic stresses. …

Data Associated With Walter-Mcneill Et Al. (2021) Oecologia Https://Doi.Org/10.1007/S00442-021-05038-Y, Barry Logan

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of A New Habitat Mimicking Tool For Assessing Larval Salamanders In Temperate Forest Streams, Margaret E. Maloney, Eric B. Borth, Chris Skalski, Ryan W. Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Small streams are a high priority for conservation and an important target for biomonitoring. Stream salamanders are a useful indicator for biotic integrity of headwater streams; however, assessing stream salamanders is a challenging endeavor and existing methods can cause habitat disturbance or require expensive equipment. Our goal was to develop an artificial habitat that mimics the natural habitat that salamanders prefer, leading to rapid colonization and that also (1) represents a standardized area and (2) is easy to handle for rapid assessment. After developing a new artificial habitat (the Maloney Salamander Hotel), we tested the device in a variety of …

Mechanistic Insights Into Strigolactone Biosynthesis, Signaling And Regulation During Plant Growth And Development, Kaiser Iqbal Wani, Andleeb Zehra, Sadaf Choudhary, M Naeem, M. Masroor A. Khan, Christian Danve Castroverde, Tariq Aftab

Biology Faculty Publications

Strigolactones (SLs) constitute a group of carotenoid-derived phytohormones with butenolide moieties. These hormones are involved in various functions, including regulation of secondary growth, shoot branching and hypocotyl elongation, and stimulation of seed germination. SLs also control hyphal branching of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and mediate responses to both abiotic and biotic cues. Most of these functions stem from the interplay of SLs with other hormones, enabling plants to appropriately respond to changing environmental conditions. This dynamic interplay provides opportunities for phytohormones to modulate and augment one another. In this article, we review our current mechanistic understanding of SL biosynthesis, receptors …

Comparison Of Thermal And Hydrotime Requirements For Seed Germination Of Seven Stipa Species From Cool And Warm Habitats, Rui Zhang, Kai Luo, Dali Chen, Jerry M. Baskin, Carol C. Baskin, Yanrong Wang, Xiaowen Hu

Biology Faculty Publications

Temperature and water potential are two important environmental factors influencing germination and subsequent seedling establishment. Seed germination requirements vary with species and with the environment in which the seeds are produced. Stipa species dominate large areas of the Eurasian zonal vegetation, but comparisons of germination requirements between Stipa species from different habitats is limited. We investigated the effects of temperature and water potential on seed germination of S. grandis, S. purpurea, and S. penicillata from habitats with low temperatures and relatively abundant rainfall (cool habitats) and S. glareosa, S. breviflora, S. gobiea, and S. bungeana …

Difficult Creek, Difficult Management Choices, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Virginia is blessed with many botanical wonderlands; see Chapter 4 of the Flora of Virginia (Weakley et al. 2012) for thumbnail sketches describing 50 of these special places. One such treasure, Difficult Creek Natural Area Preserve, is home to a thriving population of the 2019 VNPS Wildflower of the year, Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea). Paradoxically, however, our featured wildflower of last year is inextricably linked to a difficult conservation management decision.

Wildflower Of The Year—Cymes, Not Corymbs!, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

I hit a snag while composing the text for this year’s wildflower of the year brochure on Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum. The problem concerned the proper descriptive term for its inflorescence, i.e., the pattern in which its flowers are grouped. In more than one source, I read that, for the family Geraniaceae, inflorescences are cymes (Figures 1 and 2), but those same sources indicated that inflorescences of Geranium maculatum are corymbs (Figure 4). That conflict caused me to scratch my head because cymes and corymbs are fundamentally different kinds of inflorescences.

Diversity, Function And Regulation Of Cell Surface And Intracellular Immune Receptors In Solanaceae, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde

Biology Faculty Publications

The first layer of the plant immune system comprises plasma membrane-localized receptor proteins and intracellular receptors of the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein superfamily. Together, these immune receptors act as a network of surveillance machines in recognizing extracellular and intracellular pathogen invasion-derived molecules, ranging from conserved structural epitopes to virulence-promoting effectors. Successful pathogen recognition leads to physiological and molecular changes in the host plants, which are critical for counteracting and defending against biotic attack. A breadth of significant insights and conceptual advances have been derived from decades of research in various model plant species regarding the structural complexity, functional diversity and …

Wild Geranium, Geranium Maculatum, 2020 Virginia Wildflower Of The Year, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Geranium maculatum was named by Linnaeus in his monumental Species Plantarum, published in1753. Geranium has long served as the type genus of Geraniaceae. The genus and family name are derived from the Greek word geranos, crane, in reference to the elongate fruiting styles common throughout the family. English common names like Cranesbill and Storksbill for relatives of Wild Geranium similarly refer to their elongate fruiting-stage styles. The species portion of the binomial, maculatum, means spotted, perhaps a reference to slight irregularities in petal pigmentation sometimes observed in this species.