All articles tagged with #plantbiology
Squirting cucumbers, a unique plant species, have a fascinating seed dispersal mechanism where they explosively eject their seeds, likened to botanical bombardiers, to spread them over a wide area.
Researchers at UC Davis have discovered that tomato plants produce a water-repellent polymer called suberin in their roots' exodermal cells to cope with drought. This substance helps to prevent water loss by blocking its flow towards the leaves. The study identified genes essential for suberin production, which, when mutated, resulted in plants less capable of handling water stress. This finding could lead to the development of drought-resistant crops, and further field tests are planned to assess suberin's effectiveness in real-world conditions.
Researchers have discovered that a suberized exodermis, a layer of cells with a protective barrier made of suberin, is crucial for tomato plants' drought tolerance. By profiling the tomato exodermis at a cellular level and characterizing suberin accumulation in response to drought and the plant hormone ABA, they identified key genes involved in suberin production. Mutations in these genes, including a MYB transcription factor and a feruloyl transferase, led to reduced drought tolerance, indicating the importance of suberin in helping tomato plants manage water deficit conditions. This study enhances our understanding of plant drought responses and could inform future agricultural practices for developing drought-resistant crops.
The walking palm (Socratea exorrhiza), a tree rumored to move through the rainforests of Central and South America, does not actually walk. Despite tales of its ability to chase sunlight by moving up to 20 meters a year, studies by tropical ecologist Gerardo Avalos and others have debunked this myth, showing that while the tree can grow new roots to stabilize itself, it remains fixed to its place of germination. The long stilt roots of the walking palm are thought to help the tree exploit light gaps in the dense rainforest canopy, rather than for locomotion.