Paralogs, copies of a gene, form an important basis for novelty during evolution. Analysis of such gene duplications is important to understand the emergence of novel traits during evolution. DupyliCa...

Kang et al. show that coronatine hijacks the ABA hydroxylase CYP707A1 in A. thaliana to override stomatal defense. While CYP707A1 also enables rapid light-induced stomatal opening, C. rubella and E. s...

Microbe interaction not only plays an integral role in plant growth and adaptation, but also may lead to genetic integration. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from microbes occurs in all major plant groups and appears to be frequent in charophytes and bryophytes. Horizontally acquired microbial genes have contributed to major physiological and structural innovations in land plants. This paper discusses microbial interactions and genetic integration, with a particular focus on recent data regarding the role of horizontally acquired microbial genes in land plant evolution. We suggest that microbes are essential resources for plants, both as an ecological component and as a source of novel genetic material, and that plant colonization of land and further diversification represent a process of exploitation of microbial resources.

An iridoid glycoside, rhododeoside C (1), and a pyridine derivative, rhododeodine A (2), both previously undescribed, were isolated from the flowers of Rhododendron decorum. The structures were elu...

Stellenausschreibungen in der Botanik und den Pflanzenwissenschaften

We investigated how maize root bacteria—alone or in community—tolerate and metabolize antimicrobial compounds of their host plant. We found that the capacity to metabolize such a compound impacts bact...

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

Plant performance depends on the soil microbiome. While microbiome feedbacks are well documented, the mechanisms by which plants perceive and mediate these feedbacks remain unclear. We established a f...

Plant performance depends on the soil microbiome. While microbiome feedbacks are well documented, the mechanisms by which plants perceive and mediate these feedbacks remain unclear. We established a f...

Identifying the metabolic and genetic changes that confer evolutionary novelty is essential for understanding the factors facilitating or constraining the occurrence of traits. We show that dimethyl d...

Phytohormone cross-talk balances growth and insect defense across growth stages.

This study reports that herbivory-induced volatiles can trigger plant–soil feedbacks that boost performance and yields of cereals in the field.