Plants Commons^™

Field Journal: The Excluded Middle, Carrie E. Kouts

Masters Theses

What does it look like to engage with organisms and landscapes at the periphery of anthropocentric value structures? How does one break the internalized myth that the “built” environment is excluded from the natural world? When does a hyper-mobile and hyper-commodified society confront the exponential crisis of animal death? Within this series of journal entries, field notes, collection observations, weird prose, and sensory musings, one will find questions on the nature of being human and the complex narratives of care we encounter in a world shared with more-than-humans. Each handwritten vignette and photograph from daily life weaves a non-linear and …

In Vitro Antibacterial, Antibiofilm Activities, And Phytochemical Properties Of Posidonia Oceanica (L) Delile: An Endemic Mediterranean Seagrass, Ertugrul Ozbil, Mehmet Ilktac, Sultan Ogmen, Ovgu Isbilen, Jesus M Duran Ramirez, Jana Gomez, Jennifer N Walker, Ender Volkan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the antibiotic resistance era, utilizing understudied sources for novel antimicrobials or antivirulence agents can provide new advances against antimicrobial resistant pathogens. In this study, we aimed to investigate antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603 and several S. aureus clinical isolates obtained from medical devices, including patient urinary catheters and breast implant infections, with varying antibiotic recalcitrance profiles. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts from P. oceanica rhizome exhibited significant antibacterial activity against E. faecalis and S. aureus, as well …

Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Metabolite Diversity Of The Rare Cliff Plant Oresitrophe Rupifraga Unge, Hao Wang, Jinjun Cao, Sheng Chang, Caifeng Yan, Guangming Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Oresitrophe is monotypic, with the only species, Oresitrophe rupifraga Bunge, which is exclusive to China, having special growth and developmental traits due to its habitat. Furthermore, it has bright flowers and medicinal benefits. This study investigated the metabolites present in various tissues of Oresitrophe rupifraga Bunge. Using a widely targeted metabolomics approach, 1965 different metabolites were identified in Oresitrophe rupifraga Bunge. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), the aboveground and underground metabolites of Oresitrophe rupifraga differed significantly. The comparison between bulblets and leaves revealed the differential expression of 461 metabolites, whereas the …

Naturify 2300, Yarina Yiwei Dai

Masters Theses

In my art practice, I explore the interplay between human desires to manipulate and anthropomorphize nature, as seen in the technological augmentation of plants and living entities. This investigation delves into how this intersection, alongside empathy towards these creations, contributes to fears of uncontrollability and the risks of addiction and excessive dependence on technology.

Bioengineering and genetic modification have cultivated unprecedented developments, allowing humans to manipulate the fundamental building blocks of life. My research speculates on this technology further, modifying the genetic code of organisms and creating bioengineered wearable entities with enhanced traits or entirely new functionalities. The primary objective …

Confirmation And Inheritance Of Glufosinate Resistance In An Amaranthus Palmeri Population From North Carolina, Eric A L Jones, Jeffrey C Dunne, Charles W Cahoon, Katherine M Jennings, Ramon G Leon, Wesley J Everman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A putative glufosinate‐resistant Amaranthus palmeri population was reported in 2015 in Anson County, North Carolina. The results from dose–response assays conducted in the field suggested plants were surviving lethal rates of glufosinate. Dose–response assays conducted in the glasshouse determined the Anson County accession exhibited reduced susceptibility to glufosinate compared to three glufosinate‐susceptible populations. The LD50 values (210–316 g ai ha−1) for the Anson County population were always higher than the LD50 values (118–158 g ai ha−1) for the tested susceptible populations from the dose–response assays. Anson County plants that survived lethal glufosinate rates were reciprocally crossed with susceptible plants to …

High-Density Genetic Map Construction And Qtl Mapping Of A Zigzag-Shaped Stem Trait In Tea Plant (Camellia Sinensis), Dingding Liu, Yuanyuan Ye, Rongjin Tang, Yang Gong, Si Chen, Chenyu Zhang, Piao Mei, Jiedan Chen, Liang Chen, Chunlei Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The highly unique zigzag-shaped stem phenotype in tea plants boasts significant ornamental value and is exceptionally rare. To investigate the genetic mechanism behind this trait, we developed BC1 artificial hybrid populations. Our genetic analysis revealed the zigzag-shaped trait as a qualitative trait. Utilizing whole-genome resequencing, we constructed a high-density genetic map from the BC1 population, incorporating 5,250 SNP markers across 15 linkage groups, covering 3,328.51 cM with an average marker interval distance of 0.68 cM. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) for the zigzag-shaped trait was identified on chromosome 4, within a 61.2 to 97.2 Mb range, accounting for a phenotypic …

Rosarugosides A And D From Osa Rugosa Flower Buds: Their Potential Anti-Skin-Aging Effects Intnf-Α-Induced Human Dermal Fibroblasts, Kang Sub Kim, So-Ri Son, Yea Jung Choi, Yejin Kim, Si-Young Ahn, Dae Sik Jang, Sullim Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This present study investigated the anti-skin-aging properties of Rosa rugosa. Initially, phenolic compounds were isolated from a hot water extract of Rosa rugosa's flower buds. Through repeated chromatography (column chromatography, MPLC, and prep HPLC), we identified nine phenolic compounds (1-9), including a previously undescribed depside, rosarugoside D (1). The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated via NMR, HR-MS, UV, and hydrolysis. Next, in order to identify bioactive compounds that are effective against TNF-α-induced NHDF cells, we measured intracellular ROS production in samples treated with each of the isolated compounds (1- …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Plants As Vectors For Environmental Prion Transmission, Christina M Carlson, Samuel Thomas, Matthew W Keating, Paulina Soto, Nicole M Gibbs, Haeyoon Chang, Jamie K Wiepz, Annabel G Austin, Jay R Schneider, Rodrigo Morales, Christopher J Johnson, Joel A Pedersen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prions cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases and exhibit remarkable durability, which engenders a wide array of potential exposure scenarios. In chronic wasting disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer and in scrapie of sheep and goats, prions are transmitted via environmental routes and the ability of plants to accumulate and subsequently transmit prions has been hypothesized, but not previously demonstrated. Here, we establish the ability of several crop and other plant species to take up prions via their roots and translocate them to above-ground tissues from various growth media including soils. We demonstrate that plants can accumulate prions in above-ground tissues …

Reintroducing Hemp (Rongony) In The Material Palette Of Madagascar: A Study On The Potential Of Hemp Clay Components And Its Impact On Social And Ecological Communities., Henintsoa Thierry Andrianambinina

Masters Theses

When mentioning the word hemp, especially in the local language of Madagascar, the literal translation does not set it apart from marijuana, as they are both called “rongony” - creating the stigma around hemp as the negative stereotype of marijuana. However, the material has been used by the ancestors of Madagascar, as well as across cultures, in its fibrous form to produce fabrication like textile goods and packaging. During colonization, the prohibition of hemp intensified, and since then, any activity related to either of these plants is prohibited and will end in severe punitive measures. This thesis explores the strengths …

The Metabolic Profile Of Young, Watered Chickpea Plants Can Be Used As A Biomarker To Predict Seed Number Under Terminal Drought, Sarah J Purdy, David Fuentes, Purushothaman Ramamoorthy, Christopher Nunn, Brent N Kaiser, Andrew Merchant

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chickpea is the second-most-cultivated legume globally, with India and Australia being the two largest producers. In both of these locations, the crop is sown on residual summer soil moisture and left to grow on progressively depleting water content, finally maturing under terminal drought conditions. The metabolic profile of plants is commonly, correlatively associated with performance or stress responses, e.g., the accumulation of osmoprotective metabolites during cold stress. In animals and humans, metabolites are also prognostically used to predict the likelihood of an event (usually a disease) before it occurs, e.g., blood cholesterol and heart disease. We sought to discover metabolic …

Eco-Interoception: What Plants, Fungi And Protista Have Taught My Body, Sara Riley Dotterer

Art Theses and Dissertations

To me, ecology is the relational, full-body awareness that I am made up of and deeply connected to everything around me; and for better or worse, this is reciprocal. I form ecotones, an ecological transitional zone between two ecosystems, with the world around me. I use this ecotonal lens to blur binaries and dissolve boundaries between me and the world “outside my body.” During my Masters of Fine Arts at Southern Methodist University, I have continuously explored and represented the lives of various more-than-human species outside of my body, including plants, fungi and protista through an ecotonal lens. Although these …

Potential Mitigation Of Environmental Impacts Of Intensive Plum Production In Southeast China With Maintenance Of High Yields: Evaluation Using Life Cycle Assessment, Xiaojun Yan, Delian Ye, Yafu Tang, Muhammad Atif Muneer, Peter Christie, Congyue Tou, Weidong Xu, Bingrong Shen, Jinxian Xu, Jiangzhou Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Intensive plum production usually involves high yields but also high environmental costs due to excessive fertilizer inputs. Quantitative analysis of the environmental effects of plum production is thereby required in the development of optimum strategies to promote sustainable fruit production.

METHODS: We collected survey questionnaires from 254 plum production farms in Zhao'an county, Fujian province, southeast China to assess the environmental impacts by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The farms were categorized into four groups based on yield and environmental impacts, i.e., LL (low yield and low environmental impact), LH (low yield but high environmental impact), HL (high yield …

Mycorrhiza-Mediated Recruitment Of Complete Denitrifying Pseudomonas Reduces N2o Emissions From Soil, Xia Li, Ruotong Zhao, Dandan Li, Guangzhou Wang, Shuikuan Bei, Xiaotang Ju, Ran An, Long Li, Thomas W Kuyper, Peter Christie, Franz S Bender, Ciska Veen, Marcel G A Van Der Heijden, Wim H Van Der Putten, Fusuo Zhang, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Junling Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are key soil organisms and their extensive hyphae create a unique hyphosphere associated with microbes actively involved in N cycling. However, the underlying mechanisms how AMF and hyphae-associated microbes may cooperate to influence N2O emissions from "hot spot" residue patches remain unclear. Here we explored the key microbes in the hyphosphere involved in N2O production and consumption using amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Chemotaxis, growth and N2O emissions of isolated N2O-reducing bacteria in response to hyphal exudates were tested using in vitro cultures and inoculation experiments.

Results: AMF hyphae reduced denitrification-derived N2O emission (max. 63%) …

Maize/Peanut Intercropping Has Greater Synergistic Effects And Home-Field Advantages Than Maize/Soybean On Straw Decomposition, Surigaoge Surigaoge, Hao Yang, Ye Su, Yu-He Du, Su-Xian Ren, Dario Fornara, Peter Christie, Wei-Ping Zhang, Long Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The decomposition of plant litter mass is responsible for substantial carbon fluxes and remains a key process regulating nutrient cycling in natural and managed ecosystems. Litter decomposition has been addressed in agricultural monoculture systems, but not in intercropping systems, which produce species-diverse litter mass mixtures. The aim here is to quantify how straw type, the soil environment and their combined effects may influence straw decomposition in widely practiced maize/legume intercropping systems.

METHODS: Three decomposition experiments were conducted over 341 days within a long-term intercropping field experiment which included two nitrogen (N) addition levels (i.e. no-N and N-addition) and five …

Identification Of Minimum Essential Therapeutic Mixtures From Cannabis Plant Extracts By Screening In Cell And Animal Models Of Parkinson’S Disease, Michael G Morash, Jessica Nixon, Lori M N Shimoda, Helen Turner, Alexander J Stokes, Andrea L Small-Howard, Lee D Ellis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Medicinal cannabis has shown promise for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), but patient exposure to whole plant mixtures may be undesirable due to concerns around safety, consistency, regulatory issues, and psychoactivity. Identification of a subset of components responsible for the potential therapeutic effects within cannabis represents a direct path forward for the generation of anti-PD drugs. Using an

Behavioural Support And Nicotine Replacement Therapy For Smokeless Tobacco Cessation: Protocol For A Pilot Randomised-Controlled Multi-Country Trial, Faraz Siddiqui, Linda Bauld, Ray Croucher, Cath Jackson, Ian Kellar, Mona Kanaan, Subhash Pokhrel, Rumana Huque, Romaina Iqbal, Javaid Ahmed Khan

Community Health Sciences

Background: Smokeless tobacco (ST) is consumed globally by more than 350 million people, with approximately 85% of all users based in South and Southeast Asia. In this region, ST products are cheap and easily accessible. Evidence-based interventions to people quit ST use are lacking. This study aims to test the feasibility of conducting a future definitive trial of ST cessation, using a culturally adapted behavioural intervention, and/or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in three South Asian countries.
Methods: We will conduct a factorial design, randomised-controlled pilot trial in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Daily ST users will be recruited from primary health …

Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Methanolic Extract On Isolated Smooth Muscles And Acetylcholinesterase Enzyme: An In Vitro And Mechanistic In Silico Investigation, Muhammad Nabeel Ghayur, Mohnad Abdalla, Asaad Khalid, Saeed Ahmad, Anwar Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Results: When tested on the baseline of isolated tissues, Tfg.Cr was devoid of any activity (stimulant or relaxant) till 10 mg/ml. This is an interesting finding, keeping in mind that the fenugreek seeds are used to alleviate constipation and diarrhoea. When Tfg.Cr was tried for any potential AChE inhibitory activity, it did show an inhibitory effect in increasing concentrations (47-380 μg/ml). This inhibitory effect was comparable to the effect produced by a standard AChE inhibitor physostigmine. One of the known fenugreek constituents, diosgenin, was also tested, and it also showed an AChE inhibitory effect in a concentration-dependent manner (11-190 …

Sensory Descriptors For Three Edible Chilean Seaweeds And Their Relations To Umami Components And Instrumental Texture, Valentina Figueroa, Andrea Bunger, Jaime Ortiz, José Miguel Aguilera

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Although seaweeds exhibit many benefits as a food source, few studies have characterized their sensory attributes. An expert nine-member panel developed a vocabulary with 25 descriptors to describe the appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and aftertaste of raw and cooked seaweeds consumed in Chile: Durvillaea antarctica, Pyropia spp., and Ulva lactuca. Subsequently, the vocabulary was used in a ranking descriptive analysis (RDA) to evaluate the sensory properties and relate them with physicochemical and physical data. Sensory attributes of the three seaweeds were very different from each other but similar between treatments (raw and cooked). Pyropia spp., both cooked and …

Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Benefit To Climate-Displaced And Host Communities, Gül Aktürk, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Climate change is borderless, and its impacts are not shared equally by all communities. It causes an imbalance between people by creating a more desirable living environment for some societies while erasing settlements and shelters of some others. Due to floods, sea level rise, destructive storms, drought, and slow-onset factors such as salinization of water and soil, people lose their lands, homes, and natural resources. Catastrophic events force people to move voluntarily or involuntarily. The relocation of communities is a debatable climate adaptation measure which requires utmost care with human rights, ethics, and psychological well-being of individuals upon the issues …

Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Population Decline In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler King Sinnott

Master's Theses

The endemic eelgrass (Zostera marina) community of Morro Bay Estuary, located on the central coast of California, has experienced an estimated decline of 95% in occupied area (reduction of 344 acres to 20 acres) from 2008 to 2017 for reasons that are not yet definitively clear. One possible driver of degradation that has yet to be investigated is the role of herbicides from agricultural fields in the watershed that feeds into the estuary. Thus, the primary research goal of this project was to better understand temporal and spatial trends of herbicide use within the context of San Luis …

Subcellular Localization Of Tobacco Sabp2 Under Normal And Stress Conditions, Sanjeev Das

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Subcellular Localization of Tobacco SABP2 under Normal and Stress Conditions

Salicylic acid (SA), a phytohormone, plays an important role in plant physiology. SA mediated innate immune pathway is an important pathway for plant immunity against pathogens. Plants resisting pathogen infection synthesize higher levels of Methyl Salicylate (MeSA), which is then converted to SA by the esterase activity of Salicylic Acid Binding Protein 2 (SABP2). The high level of the converted SA leads to enhanced pathogen resistance. The study of subcellular localization of a protein is critical in explaining its potential biochemical functions. SABP2 tagged with eGFP was expressed transiently in …

Reporting Charcoal Rot In Chia And Developing A Susceptibility Assay, Reis M. Misaka, Hagop S. Atamian Dr., Julien Besnard Dr.

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Chia (Salvia Hispanica) cross breeds were planted in the summer of 2018 with the intent of selective breeding for agricultural benefit. Preexisting pathogens in the soil caused 40-50% fatality of adult plants. This was surprising due to the precursory knowledge that chia has antibiotic and antifungal oils (Elshafie et. al. 2018); chia was only recently documented to be susceptible to Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum). The primary pathogen responsible was identified as Macrophomina phaseolina (aka charcoal rot); a widespread soilborne pathogen which has multiple commercial hosts (Su et. al. 2001).

M. phaesolina on wheat seed vector where used as …

Characterization Of Immunomodulatory Microbial Factors In Medicinal Plants, Kriti Kalpana

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Medicinal plants are one of the biggest sources of natural products with therapeutic importance. There are currently over 28,000 plants with putative medicinal values. Plant-derived compounds have been explored extensively for various biological activities ranging from anti-cancer, immune-boosting to anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. Some of the most important therapeutic agents are of plant-origin, such as paclitaxel from Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) and artemisinin from qinghao su (a Chinese medicinal herb; a.k.a. Artemisia annua) to name a few.

The study presented in this thesis started out as classical pharmacognosy research, which focused on the identification of immunostimulatory factors in …

Phaeophleospora Vochysiae Savi & Glienke Sp. Nov. Isolated From Vochysia Divergens Found In The Pantanal, Brazil, Produces Bioactive Secondary Metabolites, Daiani C. Savi, Khaled A. Shaaban, Francielly M. W. Gos, Larissa V. Ponomareva, Jon S. Thorson, Chirlei Glienke, Jürgen Rohr

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Microorganisms associated with plants are highly diverse and can produce a large number of secondary metabolites, with antimicrobial, anti-parasitic and cytotoxic activities. We are particularly interested in exploring endophytes from medicinal plants found in the Pantanal, a unique and widely unexplored wetland in Brazil. In a bio-prospecting study, strains LGMF1213 and LGMF1215 were isolated as endophytes from Vochysia divergens, and by morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses were characterized as Phaeophleospora vochysiae sp. nov. The chemical assessment of this species reveals three major compounds with high biological activity, cercoscosporin (1), isocercosporin (2) and the new compound 3-(sec-butyl)-6-ethyl-4,5-dihydroxy-2-methoxy-6-methylcyclohex-2-enone (3). …

The Role Of Co-Opted Escrt Proteins And Lipid Factors In Protection Of Tombusviral Double-Stranded Rna Replication Intermediate Against Reconstituted Rnai In Yeast, Nikolay Kovalev, Jun-Ichi Inaba, Zhenghe Li, Peter D. Nagy

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Reconstituted antiviral defense pathway in surrogate host yeast is used as an intracellular probe to further our understanding of virus-host interactions and the role of co-opted host factors in formation of membrane-bound viral replicase complexes in protection of the viral RNA against ribonucleases. The inhibitory effect of the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery of S. castellii, which only consists of the two-component DCR1 and AGO1 genes, was measured against tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) in wild type and mutant yeasts. We show that deletion of the co-opted ESCRT-I (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport I) or ESCRT-III factors makes …

Range-Wide Prevalence And Impacts Of Pseudocercosporella Inconspicua On Lilium Grayi And An Assessment Of L. Superbum And L. Michauxii As Reservoirs, Cindy L. Barrett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lilium grayi (Gray’s Lily), a southern Appalachian endemic species, is threatened by a Lilium-specific fungal pathogen, Pseudocercosporella inconspicua. The disease is characterized by tan lesions that can cause early senescence, while also lowering seed production and viability. This project tested for P. inconspicua conidia and accessed health at nine locations. The disease was present and ubiquitous across the range of L. grayi. Through identification of P. inconspicua conidia in the field, L. superbum (Turk’s Cap Lily) was identified as an additional host, while L. michauxii (Michaux’s Lily) was disease-free. However, infection was inducible in both species. With …

Photosynthetic Bacterium Rhodopseudomonas Palustris Gj-22 Induces Systemic Resistance Against Viruses, Pin Su, Xinqiu Tan, Chenggang Li, Deyong Zhang, Ju’E Cheng, Songbai Zhang, Xuguo Zhou, Qingpin Yan, Jing Peng, Zhuo Zhang, Yong Liu, Xiangyang Lu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) have been extensively used in agriculture to promote plant growth and to improve crop quality. Their potential application in plant disease management, however, is largely overlooked. In this study, the PSB strain Rhodopseudomonas palustris GJ-22 was investigated for its ability to induce resistance against a plant virus while promoting plant growth. In the field, a foliar spray of GJ-22 suspension protected tobacco plants against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Under axenic conditions, GJ-22 colonized the plant phyllosphere and induced resistance against TMV. Additionally, GJ-22 produced two phytohormones, indole-3-acetic acid and 5-aminolevulinic acid, which promote growth and germination in …

Surviving Catastrophe: Resource Allocation And Plant Interactions Among The Mosses Of Mount St. Helens Volcano, Trevor David Williams

Dissertations and Theses

Mosses are some of the first colonizers to disturbed sites, yet their roles in early plant community structuring are not well understood. The primary succession zones of volcanoes provide opportunities to conduct natural experiments into how mosses contribute to early plant community formation, as well as how the unique environments found in such zones affect plant traits, particularly those associated with stress tolerance. Though plant community changes have been well-documented since Mount St. Helens (MSH) volcano erupted in 1980, the volcano's moss assemblages, their influence on other plants, and their potential roles in chemical-mediated competition and biogeochemical cycling have garnered …

A Preliminary Study On The Role Of Enhancer Of Flavonoid Production (Efp) In Flavonoid Biosynthesis, Jia Guo

Honors Scholar Theses

Flavonoids are involved in a variety of biological roles ranging from pathogen protection, pigment intensity, antioxidant effects, and even prevention from cancer or cardiovascular diseases. Because of the diverse and beneficial functions that flavonoids have, the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway has been well studied. Recently, a gene called the Enhancer of Flavonoid Production (EFP) was discovered when mutations in this gene caused the Japanese morning glory flowers to exhibit a pale-colored phenotype. Although EFP is known to increase flavonoid production, the direct mechanism to how EFP enhances enzymes in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway has yet to be discovered. It …