How do plants find a place they can call home?
How do plants occupy niches within their communities? New research shows key roles for two features: habitat filtering and limiting similarity. More
August 2019
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How kelp protects coasts
Some protection from waves crashing on the shore could be found in what lies beneath the surface. More
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Why do some columbines make life harder for their pollinators?
The flowers of Aquilegia eximia, the serpentine columbine, face downward, but the hummingbirds that pollinate it prefer horizontal flowers, so why do the flowers face the wrong way? More
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Role of extensin arabinosylation in root defence
Extensins are hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins thought to strengthen the plant cell wall, one of the first barriers against pathogens, through intra- and intermolecular cross-links. The glycan moiety of extensins is believed to confer the correct structural conformation to the glycoprotein, leading to self-assembly within the cell wall that helps limit microbial adherence and invasion. However, this […] More
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NF-Y transcription factor complex regulates plant defence
The nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor complex is important in plant growth, development and stress response. Information regarding this transcription factor complex is limited in cassava (Manihot esculenta). In this study, 15 MeNF-YAs, 21 MeNF-YBs and 15 MeNF-YCs were comprehensively characterized during plant defence. The regulation of MeNF-Ys in response to Xam indicated their […] More
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How diverse can rare species be on the margins of genera distribution?
Many rare or narrowly distributed species show low levels of genetic diversity, whilst species with larger geographic ranges show increased diversity. Species that inhabit the border of the distribution of their respective genera usually have smaller and more fragmented populations and can have fixed locally adapted alleles. Different genetic patterns have been demonstrated for these […] More
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Drying out defenses: drought reduces tree defense system
Drought stress is becoming increasingly common with climate change, with negative impacts on tree growth and survival. The mechanisms of drought mortality in trees are often attributed to carbon starvation or hydraulic failure, however disease and herbivory could also cause mortality under drought. For this to happen, tree defense systems against pathogens and herbivores would […] More
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How arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi talk to plants before colonisation
Plant roots do not sit alone in the soil. In the earth you will also find various microbes. Lurking in the dirt is Rhizophagus irregularis, an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus that colonises wheat. In a new study Hui Tian and colleagues investigated if what happened before a fungus makes contact with the wheat roots. There are […] More
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Species interactions change the response of saltmarsh plants to flooding
A coastal plant’s ability to cope with temporary flooding isn’t just due to its own traits. Neighbours can make a flood more, or less, tolerable. More
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What experience has had the biggest impact on your career? (Part Two)
We asked the members of the in silico Plants editorial board about the experience that has had the biggest impact on their career. This is what they said: In 1977, while doing my undergraduate study at Stellenbosch University, the crop physiology lecturer, Dr George Craven, asked his students to write a computer program to […] More
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Plant invasion success varies with latitude
It was thought that herbivory was more likely to aid plant invasions closer to the equator. New research shows that reality is a bit more complicated. More
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Islands in the desert and a refuge against a changing climate
If you’re looking for biodiversity, one good place to start is an unexpectedly harsh environment. More
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