COVER An Arabidopsis seedling with weakened cell adhesion is treated with an inhibitor of the growth hormone brassinosteroid. Brassinosteroid inhibition slows epidermal growth, which constrains growth of internal tissue, causing mechanical stresses and opening cracks as epidermal cells are pulled apart. Similar stresses produce internal contortions of carnivorous plant, Utricularia gibba, illustrating how mechanical connectivity between cells coordinates growth between cell layers. See page 1275.
PCE:浙大发现一个参与西瓜氮素利用效率的激酶
氮素利用效率低是限制植物生长发育的一个重要因素。本研究通过全基因组关联分析发现了一个serine/threonine protein kinase ClSIK1参与了植物对低氮的响应过程。过表达ClSIK1可以显著提高根系表面积、总生物量、氮素利用效率以及对低氮的耐受性。
同时作者通过转录组测序进行了机制分析。通过对不同品系西瓜的分析，发现与低氮耐受相关的该基因亚型 ClSIK1HapC仅存在于它的一个野生株系中，并在西瓜的驯化过程中被逐渐丢失。
小结：本研究揭示了 ClSIK1提高氮素利用效率的机制。
原文：Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies the Serine/Threonine Kinase ClSIK1 for Low Nitrogen Tolerance in Watermelon Species
