February 7, 2023

🌻The Week in Botany February 6, 2023

Sorry for the delay this week. I’d gone to Wales to see my parents and set this up to come out on schedule. I hadn’t noticed that the email hadn’t come out as I was catching up with all the email I’d missed over the weekend. Here is the email that should have gone out.

Here’s another collection of links you’re sharing on Twitter and Mastodon this week. There has been a lot of coverage of an Annals paper this week, so I’ve won an argument. Next time someone tells me a paper featuring carnivorous plants and poo won’t get public interest, I’ll try to get them to stake some cash.

It’s not just me who’d like some more money. Twitter is looking increasingly desperate to meet its bills and this week will shut off free access to its API, the way machines talk to each other. I don’t think this will kill the systems I use for collating these links, but I can’t be certain. That means there is a small chance that next week’s issue will be the last for a while. It will certainly kill tools for copying a list of people you follow from Twitter to Mastodon, so if you are thinking of doing that, do it before Wednesday.

Next week, I’m hoping I get to spend more time concentrating on Botany than other things. Whatever happens, there will be a collection of at least some of the links you’re sharing at the same time next week. Until then, take care.

Alun (webmaster@botany.one)

News & Views

Plant toxin hailed as ‘new weapon’ in antibiotic war against bacteria
Scientists say albicidin has allowed them to take a giant step forward to creating a powerful new range of antibacterial drugs.

This Common Aquatic Plant Could Produce Buckets of Biofuel
Engineered duckweed could be a prolific “green” oil producer.

Unbeleafable! How the world’s largest waterlily went unnoticed for decades in plain sight
When it comes to nature records, it is typically never-before-documented species discovered in the depths of the jungle or ocean that steal the limelight…

UK’s Overseas Territories at ongoing risk from wide range of invasive species
A new study has for the first time predicted which invasive species could pose a future threat to the UK’s ecologically unique Overseas Territories.

Why Did These Carnivorous Plants Switch Their Diet From Bugs To Poop?
Carnivorous plants that evolved to feed on animal droppings have a more nutritious diet than their insect-eating cousins.

Planting more trees in cities could cut deaths from summer heat, says study
European research finds that increasing urban tree coverage to 30% can lower temperatures by 0.4C.

Sacred Groves: How the Spiritual Connection Helps Protect Nature
From Ethiopia’s highlands to Siberia to the Australian rainforest, there are thousands of sacred forests that have survived thanks to traditional religious and spiritual beliefs. Experts say these places, many now under threat, have ecological importance and must be saved.

Sixteenth-century tomatoes entered Europe in a wide range of colors and shapes
The discovery of a sixteenth-century tomato in the top collection of Naturalis elicited many different questions. Was this really the oldest preserved specimen of a tomato? Where did it come from? Could the DNA of this ‘wild ancestral tomato’ tell us something about the original taste and the resistance to pests and diseases, which has been lost in modern tomatoes?

Scientists Issue “Warning to Humanity” that Tree Species Extinction Could Bring Economic as well as Ecosystem Crisis
Scientists who revealed ⅓ of tree species are facing extinction call on leaders to do more to protect threatened species, as new research reveals the impact of extinction on humanity and planet.

RHS asks gardeners to find interesting ‘weeds’ that may be rare plants
People urged to submit specimens to an app as private gardens may be fresh source of scientific discovery.

Scientific Papers

Analyzing anatomy over three dimensions unpacks the differences in mesophyll diffusive area between sun and shade Vitis vinifera leaves
Théroux-Rancourt et al. set out to disentangle the mesophyll surface area available for diffusion per leaf area (Sm,LA) into underlying one-, two-, and three-dimensional components. This allowed them to estimate the contribution of each component to Sm,LA, a whole-leaf trait known to link structure and function. They introduce the novel concept of a “stomatal vaporshed,” i.e. the intercellular airspace unit most closely connected to a single stoma, and use it to describe the stomata-to-diffusive-surface pathway.

Improving cassava bacterial blight resistance by editing the epigenome
Veley et al. methylation to the TAL20 effector binding element within the MeSWEET10a promoter using a synthetic zinc-finger DNA binding domain fused to a component of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway. They demonstrate that this methylation prevents TAL20 binding, blocks transcriptional activation of MeSWEET10a in vivo and that these plants display decreased CBB symptoms while maintaining normal growth and development.

Chromosome-level genomes of multicellular algal sisters to land plants illuminate signaling network evolution
The filamentous and unicellular algae of the class Zygnematophyceae are the closest algal relatives of land plants. Inferring the properties of the last common ancestor shared by these algae and land plants allows us to identify decisive traits that enabled the conquest of land by plants. Feng et al. sequenced four genomes of filamentous Zygnematophyceae (three strains of Zygnema circumcarinatum and one strain of Z. cylindricum) and generated chromosome-scale assemblies for all strains of the emerging model system Z. circumcarinatum.

Biotic and Abiotic Stress Factors Induce Microbiome Shifts and Enrichment of Distinct Beneficial Bacteria in Tomato Roots
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of individual and combined abiotic (ionic and osmotic) and biotic (Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum) stress factors on plant performance and on the bacterial composition of the root endosphere in tomato.

Natural overexpression of CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 4 in tomato alters carotenoid flux
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum.) fruit, especially those of wild species, exhibit a high degree of natural variation in carotenoid and apocarotenoid contents. Using positional cloning and an introgression line (IL) of Solanum habrochaites ‘LA1777’, IL8A, Yoo et al. identified carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 (CCD4) as the factor responsible for controlling the dark orange fruit color. CCD4b expression in ripe fruit of IL8A plants was ∼8000 times greater than that in the wild type, presumably due to 5′ cis-regulatory changes. The ShCCD4b-GFP fusion protein localized in the plastid. Phytoene, ζ-carotene, and neurosporene levels increased in ShCCD4b-overexpressing ripe fruit, whereas trans-lycopene, β-carotene, and lutein levels were reduced, suggestive of feedback regulation in the carotenoid pathway by an unknown apocarotenoid.

Alternative splicing in plants: current knowledge and future directions for assessing the biological relevance of splice variants
Tognacca et al. summarize recent advances and highlight the accumulated knowledge on the biological roles of alternative splicing isoforms that are key for different plant responses and during development. In the latter part of the review, they propose a thorough strategy to analyze, evaluate, and characterize putative functions for alternative splicing isoforms of interest.

U-box E3 Ubiquitin Ligase PUB8 Attenuates Abscisic Acid Responses during Early Seedling Growth
ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3) and ABI5 are two crucial transcription factors in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, and their homeostasis at the protein level plays a decisive role in seed germination and subsequent seedling growth. Li et al. found that PLANT U-BOX 8 (PUB8), a U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase, physically interacts with ABI3 and ABI5 and negatively regulates ABA responses during early Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedling growth.

Distinctly localized lipid phosphate phosphatases mediate endoplasmic reticulum glycerolipid metabolism in Arabidopsis
Inter-organelle communication is an integral subcellular process in cellular homeostasis. In plants, cellular membrane lipids are synthesized in the plastids and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, the crosstalk between these organelles in lipid biosynthesis remains largely unknown. Nguyen & Nakimura show that a pair of lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs) with differential subcellular localizations are required for ER glycerolipid metabolism in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana).

Karyotypic diversity: a neglected trait to explain angiosperm diversification?
Evolutionary changes in karyotype provides genetic support to organisms’ differentiation and adaptation; however, the association between karyotype diversity and species diversification in flowering plants (angiosperms) remains to be fully elucidated. Carta & Escudero sought evidence for this association within a phylogenetic framework using a dataset comprising > 413,000 world-wide chromosome counts of 66,000 angiosperms species. Karyotypic diversity (KD; e.g., number of distinct chromosome numbers) explains species richness and diversification rates at both family and genus levels highlighting that chromosome evolution has probably played, at least, an important role in reinforcing speciation that was already initiated or completed by other geographical or ecological drivers.

Arabidopsis AGAMOUS-LIKE16 and SUPPRESSOR OF CONSTANS 1 collaborate to regulate of genome-wide expression and flowering time
Flowering transition is tightly coordinated by complex gene regulatory networks, in which AGAMOUS-LIKE 16 (AGL16) plays important roles. Dong et al. identified the molecular function and binding properties of AGL16 and demonstrated its partial dependency on SUPPRESSOR OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) function in regulating flowering. AGL16 bound to promoters of more than 2000 genes via CArG-box motifs with high similarity to that of SOC1 in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Careers

Seed Bank Coordinator, Austin, Texas
The Wildflower Center seeks a Seed Bank Coordinator to work towards establishing a Texas Plant Conservation Alliance- an all-new network of conservation groups committed to collecting seeds and protecting rare plants in Texas. The Seed Bank Coordinator will also assist staff at the Wildflower Center to inventory and expand our existing seed collections. For this position, we are seeking an individual who is highly organized, outgoing, and passionate about plant conservation.

Research Assistant (Fixed Term), Cambridge UK
We invite interested graduate scientists to apply for the position of Research Assistant, based at the Crop Science Centre in Cambridge, to work in Professor Uta Paszkowski’s laboratory on a research project led by Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Sarabeth Buckley. The Paszkowski lab focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and functioning of AM symbioses in rice and maize. It aims at developing knowledge to optimize the incorporation of the AM-symbiosis into sustainable yet modern agricultural practices. The role holder will help to cover Dr Buckley’s research project while she is on maternity leave and will report to Professor Paszkowski. The project focuses on essential techniques such as plant establishment and maintenance, fungal quantification, RNA expressions analysis and, after training, the role holder will work on the project independently for the next 4 months with the support of Professor Paszkowski’s lab.

Postdoc Research Associate/Research Group Manager (Fixed Term), Cambridge, UK
A position is open for a postdoctoral researcher to support the research group of Professor Beverley Glover, based in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge. The role-holder will work closely with Professor Glover to support her research group, which studies the evolution and development of flowers. They will co-supervise and mentor PhD students and postdoctoral researchers; help in the management of research projects; provide training in use of laboratory equipment and in troubleshooting experimental progress; and support students and postdocs in preparing papers, thesis chapters and presentations. The role-holder will also take part in the preparation of research papers and funding applications. In addition to this support role, the role-holder will also conduct research as part of one or more of the Glover lab’s current research projects. A specific research programme will be developed to suit the role-holder’s interests and skills.

Associate Specialist / Specialist, Honolulu, Hawaii
The Harold L. Lyon Arboretum at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa invites applicants for a 11-month, tenure-track, full-time Specialist (position number 86151), to begin Spring 2023, pending availability of funds. We are looking for a talented colleague with evidence of strong research capabilities, research proficiency in ex-situ plant germplasm conservation, and demonstrated ability in seed, in vitro and/or cryopreservation germplasm preservation. The ideal colleague has the demonstrated ability to conduct and develop ex situ plant conservation technologies and can work collaboratively with diverse groups of partners such as University of Hawaii colleagues/departments, other academic institutions and botanical gardens, and government and land management institutions. We are especially interested in applicants with expertise in critical, theoretical, and methodological approaches ranging from scientific and conservation perspectives to ex situ plant germplasm technologies.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cannabis Genetics and Geonomics, Vancouver, Canada
The Todesco lab in the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada invites applications for a full time Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, to work on a project on the genetic regulation of flowering time in cannabis. Cannabis is one of the oldest cultivated plants, and has been grown for thousands of years across large parts of the globe, for a variety of different purposes (production of seeds, fibers in hemp-type cannabis; of cannabinoids in drug-type cannabis). The successful candidate will join a project aimed at understanding how diversity at one of the most fundamental developmental and adaptive traits in plants, flowering time, is regulated in cannabis. The candidate will study how genetic control of flowering time differs between lines that have different domestication histories (i.e. drug-type vs. hemp-type), and how variation for this trait affects plant development, yield, and cannabinoid production. This knowledge will help develop cannabis strains that can be grown outdoor at higher latitudes, reducing the enormous carbon footprint associated with current indoor production. The project is part of a long-standing collaboration with the group of Dr. Loren Rieseberg in the Department of Botany at UBC, and with Aurora Cannabis, one of the global leading cannabis companies.

Postdoctoral Researcher, Ecology and Genetics, Oulu, Finland
Our team (https://eskelinenresearch.com/) seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher and/or doctoral researcher to work in Academy of Finland -funded Global Change Effects on Plant Metacommunities project. We examine how global changes affect plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a natural plant metacommunity system and what are the roles of dispersal and spatial context mediating community and ecosystem responses to global changes. We combine spatially replicated global change treatments with plant functional traits (related to dispersal in space and time, resource-use and herbivory) and information about habitat size and connectivity, and integrate these with measuring plant community diversity and composition, ecosystem functions, and pollinator species diversity.