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Results for “plant biology”

Search indexed bioRxiv preprints in genomics, neuroscience, cell biology and bioinformatics. Read source abstracts and check manuscript versions; preprints are not peer reviewed.

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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

A one-tube method for rapid and reliable plant genomic DNA isolation for PCR analysis

BackgroundConsistent isolation of high quality plant genomic DNA is a prerequisite for successful PCR analysis. Time consumption, ease of operation and procedure cost are important secondary considerations for selecting an effective DNA extraction method. The simple, reliable and rapid DNA extraction method developed by Edwards and colleagues in 1991 [1] has proven to be the gold standard. ResultsThrough modification of the Edwards method of extraction, we have developed a one-tube protocol that greatly improves the efficiency of plant DNA extraction and reduces the potential for sample contamination while simultaneously yielding high quality DNA suitable for PCR analysis. We further show that DNA extracts prepared with this method are stable at room temperature for at least three months. ConclusionThe one-tube extraction method yields high quality plant DNA with improved efficiency while greatly minimizing the potential for cross contamination. This low-cost and environment-friendly method is widely applicable for plant molecular biology research.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Virtual staining from bright-field microscopy for label-free quantitative analysis of plant cell structures

The applicability of a deep learning model for the virtual staining of plant cell structures using bright-field microscopy was investigated. The training dataset consisted of microscopy images of tobacco BY-2 cells with the plasma membrane stained with the fluorescent dye PlasMem Bright Green and the cell nucleus labeled with Histone-red fluorescent protein. The trained models successfully detected the expansion of cell nuclei upon aphidicolin treatment and a decrease in the cell aspect ratio upon propyzamide treatment, demonstrating its utility in cell morphometry. The model also accurately documented the shape of Arabidopsis pavement cells in both wild type and the bpp125 triple mutant, which has an altered pavement cell phenotype. Metrics such as cell area, circularity, and solidity obtained from virtual staining analyses were highly correlated with those obtained by manual measurements of cell features from microscopy images. Furthermore, the versatility of virtual staining was highlighted by its application to track chloroplast movement in Egeria densa. The method was also effective for classifying live and dead BY-2 cells using texture-based machine learning, suggesting that virtual staining can be applied beyond typical segmentation tasks. Although this method still has some limitations, its non-invasive nature and efficiency make it highly suitable for label-free, dynamic, and high-throughput analyses in quantitative plant cell biology.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Supplemental LED lighting improves plant growth without affecting biological control in a tri-trophic greenhouse system

Artificial lighting, including light-emitting diode (LED) illumination, is increasingly being optimized in protected agricultural systems to maximize plant yield and quality. However, it may also cause other top-down and bottom-up effects in these relatively simple ecological communities that also include insect pests and their natural enemies. While some effects of LED lighting on insects have been demonstrated to date, it is not known how they influence biological control of insect pests in practice. To examine potential top-down and bottom-up impacts of LED illumination on greenhouse biological control with parasitoids, we studied the effects of artificially lengthened days on a tri-trophic system in cages and in a greenhouse. We grew plants under a 12-hour photoperiod of white-supplemented light with 6 hours of additional 1) white light or 2) red and blue light, or 3) with no additional light. We exposed the plants to the pest aphid Myzus persicae (Hemiptera : Aphididae) with or without its parasitoid wasp Aphidius matricariae (Hymenoptera : Braconidae), or to no insects. The 18-hour light treatments increased mean plant dry mass by 127% compared with the 12-hour control without affecting the aphids population density or the parasitoids biological control efficacy under relatively low light conditions. This suggests that insect communities in protected agriculture can be resilient to even drastic changes in their light environment, and that adjusting crop lighting in a manner that affects plant growth does not necessarily compromise biological controls effectiveness.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

The role of genus and life span in predicting seed and vegetative trait variation and correlation in Lathyrus, Phaseolus, and Vicia (Fabaceae)

PREMISE OF THE STUDYAnnual and perennial life history transitions are abundant among angiosperms, and understanding the phenotypic variation underlying life span shifts is a key endeavor of plant evolutionary biology. Comparative analyses of trait variation and correlation networks among annual and perennial plants is increasingly important as new perennial crops are being developed in a predominately annual-based agricultural setting. However, it remains unclear how seed to vegetative growth trait relationships may correlate with life span. METHODSWe measured 29 annual and perennial congeneric species of three herbaceous legume genera (Lathyrus, Phaseolus, and Vicia) for seed size and shape, germination proportion, and early vegetative height and leaf growth over three months in order to assess relative roles of genus and life span in predicting phenotypic variation and correlation. KEY RESULTSGenus was the greatest predictor of seed size and shape variation, while life span consistently predicted static vegetative growth traits. Correlation networks revealed that annual species had significant associations between seed traits and vegetative traits, while perennials had no significant seed-vegetative associations. Each genus also differed in the extent of integration between seed and vegetative traits, as well as within-vegetative trait correlation patterns. CONCLUSIONSGenus and life span were important for predicting aspects of early life stage phenotypic variation and trait relationships. Differences in phenotypic correlation may indicate selection on seed size traits will impact vegetative growth differently depending on life span, which has important implications for nascent perennial breeding programs.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Heritability of the structures and 13C fractionation in tomato leaf wax alkanes: a genetic model system to inform paleoenvironmental reconstructions

Leaf wax n-alkanes are broadly used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental information. However, the utility of the n-alkane paleoclimate proxy is modulated by the extent to which genetic as well as environmental factors influence the structural and isotopic variability of leaf waxes. In paleoclimate applications, there is an implicit assumption that most variation of leaf wax traits through a time series can be attributed to environmental change and that biological sources of variability within plant communities are small. For example, changes in hydrology affect the {delta}2 H of waxes though rainwater and the {delta}13C of leaf waxes by changing plant communities (i.e., C3 versus C4 input). Here we test the assumption of little genetic control over 5 C variation of leaf wax by presenting the results of an experimental greenhouse growth study in which we estimate the role of genetic variability on structural and isotopic leaf wax traits in a set of 76 introgression lines (ILs) between two interfertile Solanum (tomato) species: S. lycopersicum cv M82 (hereafter cv M82) and S. pennellii. We found that the leaves of S. pennellii, a wild desert tomato relative, produces significantly more iso-alkanes than cv M82, a domesticated tomato cultivar adapted to water-replete conditions; we introduce a methylation index to summarize the ratio of branched (iso- and anteiso-) to total alkanes. Between S. pennellii and cv M82, the iso-alkanes were found to be enriched in 13C by 1.2-1.4%o over n-alkanes. By modeling our results from the ILs, we report the broad-sense heritability values (H2) of leaf wax traits to describe the degree to which genetic variation contributes to variation of these traits. Individual carbon isotope values of alkanes are of low heritability (H2 = 0.13-0.19), suggesting that {delta}13C of leaf waxes from this study are strongly influenced by environmental variance, which supports the interpretation that variation in the 5 C of wax compounds recorded in sediments reflects paleohydrological changes. Average chain length (ACL) values of n-alkanes are of intermediate heritability (H2 = 0.30), suggesting that ACL values are strongly influenced by genetic cues.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2019

DEK influences the trade-off between growth and arrest via H2A.Z-nucleosomes in Arabidopsis

The decision of whether to grow and proliferate or to restrict growth and develop resilience to stress is a key biological trade-off. In plants, constitutive growth results in increased sensitivity to environmental stress1,2. The underlying mechanisms controlling this decision are however not well understood. We used temperature as a cue to discover regulators of this process in plants, as it both enhances growth and development rates within a specific range and is also a stress at extremes. We found that the conserved chromatin-associated protein DEK plays a central role in balancing the response between growth and arrest in Arabidopsis, and it does this via H2A.Z-nucleosomes. DEK target genes show two distinct categories of chromatin architecture based on the distribution of H2A.Z in +1 nucleosome and gene body, and these predict induction or repression by DEK. We show that these chromatin signatures of DEK target genes are conserved in human cells, suggesting that DEK may act through an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to control the balance between growth and arrest in plants and animals.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2026

SirenScan reveals the conserved presence of siren RNAs and their evolutionary diversification across angiosperms

O_LISiren RNAs are exceptionally abundant reproductive small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), yet whether they represent a conserved feature of angiosperm reproduction has remained unclear because siren loci lack a standardized definition and identification strategy. C_LIO_LIWe developed SirenScan, a computational framework that integrates cumulation-based and density-based analyses to identify siren loci from small RNA sequencing data. Using SirenScan, we systematically compared ovule and vegetative tissues across representative angiosperm lineages, including the early-diverging angiosperm Nymphaea colorata. C_LIO_LIWe demonstrate that the presence of siren RNAs is a conserved feature of angiosperm ovules, although the degree of expression dominance varies substantially among species. Siren loci are consistently enriched within transposable elements (TEs), while the associated TE superfamilies and cis-regulatory motifs exhibit lineage-specific diversification. In Brassicaceae, siren loci share conserved CLASSY3-associated sequence motifs, whereas other angiosperm lineages display distinct motif compositions, suggesting evolutionary diversification of Polymerase IV targeting mechanisms. C_LIO_LIOur findings establish siren RNAs as a conserved component of the angiosperm reproductive small RNA landscape and support a model in which conserved RNA-directed DNA methylation machinery is coupled with lineage-specific regulatory mechanisms and transposon landscapes to shape siren locus evolution. SirenScan provides a robust and standardized framework for comparative studies of siren RNA biology and reproductive epigenomics across plant species. C_LI

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

A data-driven evaluation of Arabidopsis-centric research and the model species concept

The selection of Arabidopsis as a model organism played a pivotal role in advancing genomic science, firmly establishing the cornerstone of today s plant molecular biology. Competing frameworks to select an agricultural- or ecological-based model species, or to decentralize plant science and study a multitude of diverse species, were selected against in favor of building core knowledge in a species that would facilitate genome-enabled research that could assumedly be transferred to other plants. Here, we examine the ability of models based on Arabidopsis gene expression data to predict tissue identity in other flowering plant species. Comparing different machine learning algorithms, models trained and tested on Arabidopsis data achieved near perfect precision and recall values using the K-Nearest Neighbor method, whereas when tissue identity is predicted across the flowering plants using models trained on Arabidopsis data, precision values range from 0.69 to 0.74 and recall from 0.54 to 0.64, depending on the algorithm used. Below-ground tissue is more predictable than other tissue types, and the ability to predict tissue identity is not correlated with phylogenetic distance from Arabidopsis. This suggests that gene expression signatures rather than marker genes are more valuable to create models for tissue and cell type prediction in plants. Our data-driven results highlight that, in hindsight, the assertion that knowledge from Arabidopsis is translatable to other plants is not always true. Considering the current landscape of abundant sequencing data and computational resources, it may be prudent to reevaluate the scientific emphasis on Arabidopsis and to prioritize the exploration of plant diversity.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Probing the in-situ volumes of Arabidopsis leaf plastids using 3D confocal and scanning electron microscopy

Leaf plastids harbor a plethora of biochemical reactions including photosynthesis, one of the most important metabolic pathways on earth. Scientists are eager to unveil the physiological processes within the organelle but also their interconnection with the rest of the plant cell. An increasingly important feature of this venture is to use experimental data in the design of metabolic models. A remaining obstacle has been the limited in situ volume information of plastids and other cell organelles. To fill this gap for chloroplasts, we established three microscopy protocols delivering in situ volumes based on: 1) chlorophyll fluorescence emerging from the thylakoid membrane, 2) a CFP marker embedded in the envelope, and 3) calculations from serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBFSEM). The obtained data were corroborated by comparing wild-type data with two mutant lines affected in the plastid division machinery known to produce small and large mesophyll chloroplasts, respectively. Furthermore, we also determined the volume of the much smaller guard cell plastids. Interestingly, their volume is not governed by the same components of the division machinery which defines mesophyll plastid size. Based on our three approaches the average volume of a mature Col-0 wild-type mesophyll chloroplasts is 93 {micro}m3. Wild-type guard cell plastids are approximately 18 {micro}m3. Lastly, our comparative analysis shows that the chlorophyll fluorescence analysis can accurately determine chloroplast volumes, providing an important tool to research groups without access to transgenic marker lines expressing genetically encoded fluorescence proteins or costly SBFSEM equipment. Significance statement -sentence summaryThis work describes and compares three different strategies to obtain accurate volumes of leaf plastids from Arabidopsis, the most widely used model plant. We hope our contribution will support quantitative metabolic flux modeling and spark other projects aimed at a more metric-driven plant cell biology.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Mapping the landscape of transcription factor promoter activity during vegetative development in Marchantia

Transcription factors (TFs) are essential for the regulation of gene expression and cell fate determination. Characterising the transcriptional activity of TF genes in space and time is a critical step towards understanding complex biological systems. The vegetative gametophyte meristems of bryophytes share some characteristics with the shoot-apical meristems of flowering plants. However, the identity and expression profiles of TFs associated with gametophyte organization are largely unknown. With only [~]450 TF genes, Marchantia polymorpha is an outstanding model system for plant systems biology. We have generated a near-complete collection of promoter elements derived from Marchantia TF genes. We experimentally tested in planta reporter fusions for all the TF promoters in the collection and systematically analysed expression patterns in Marchantia gemmae. This allowed us to build a map of precise expression domains and identify a unique set of TFs expressed in the stem-cell zone, providing new insight into the dynamic regulation of the gametophytic meristem and its evolution. In addition, we provide an online database of expression patterns for all promoters in the collection. We expect that the promoter elements characterised here will be useful for cell-type specific expression, synthetic biology applications, and functional genomics.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Bioactivity-driven high throughput screening of microbiomes of medicinal plants for discovering new biological control agents

In a preliminary DNA-based microbiome studies, diverse culturable and unculturable bacterial taxa were identified in the roots and rhizospheres of different medicinal plants. In this report, culturable endophytic bacteria were isolated from four economically important medicinal plants Dodonaea viscosa, Fagonia indica, Caralluma tuberculata and Calendula arvensis. On the basis of initial antimicrobial screening, nine bacterial species in seven different genera, Streptomyces, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Bacillus, Pantoea, Pseudarthrobacter and Delftia, were selected for further analyses. These bacteria were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Antimicrobial assays of these selected bacteria revealed that Pseudomonas taiwanensis has strong anti-Phytophthora activity. Volatiles produced by P. taiwanensis inhibited growth of P. parasitica more than 80%. Ethyl acetate extracts of S. alboniger MOSEL-RD3, P. taiwanensis MOSEL-RD23, E. hormaechei MOSEL-FLS1 and B. tequilensis MOSEL-FLS3 and D. lacustris MB322 also displayed high potency against P. parasitica. All these bacterial extracts showed strong inhibition against P. parasitica at different concentrations (4 {micro}g/mL - 400 {micro}g/mL). Bacterial extracts showing higher bioactivity (>80% inhibition in vitro) were selected for detached-leaf assay against P. parasitica on tobacco. In detached-leaf assay, application of 1% ethyl acetate bacterial extract of MOSE L-RD3, MOSEL-RD23, MOSEL-FLS1, MOSEL-FLS3 and MB322 reduced lesion sizes and lesion frequencies caused by P. parasitica by 68 to 81%. Over all P. taiwenensis MOSEL-RD23 showed positive activities for all the assays. Analysing the potential of bacterial endophytes as biological control agents can potentially lead to the formulation of broad-spectrum biopesticides for sustainable production of crops.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Microgravity enhances the phenotype of Arabidopsis zigzag-1 and reduces the Wortmannin-induced vacuole fusion in root cells

The spaceflight environment of the International Space Station poses a multitude of stresses on plant growth including reduced gravity. Plants exposed to microgravity and other conditions on the ISS display root skewing, changes in gene expression and protein abundance that may result in changes in cell wall composition, antioxidant accumulation and modification of growth anisotropy. Systematic studies that address the effects of microgravity on cellular organelles are lacking but altered numbers and sizes of vacuoles have been detected in previous flights. The prominent size of plant vacuoles makes them ideal models to study organelle dynamics in space. Here, we used Arabidopsis zigzag1 (zig-1) as a sensitized genotype to study the effect of microgravity on plant vacuole fusion. Wortmannin was used to induce vacuole fusion in seedlings and a formaldehyde-based fixation protocol was developed to visualize plant vacuole morphology after sample return, using confocal microscopy. Our results indicate that microgravity enhances the zig-1 phenotype by reducing hypocotyl growth and vacuole fusion in some cells. This study demonstrates the feasibility of chemical inhibitor treatments for plant cell biology experiments in space.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Intraspecies variability in plant and soil chemical properties in a common garden plantation of the energy crop Populus

Optimizing crops for synergistic soil carbon (C) sequestration represents a frontier approach toward CO2 removal in food and bioenergy production systems. While the central roles of plants in biological C capture and storage belowground in soils is well known, we lack an understanding of how intraspecies variation in bioenergy plants affects soil biogeochemistry. This knowledge gap is exacerbated by spatial heterogeneity in soil and plant systems, and by the difficulty of characterizing belowground plant traits. Here, we sought to obtain first insights on the spatial variation of C and nutrients in soil and plant tissues from a common garden field site of diverse, natural variant, Populus trichocarpa genotypes--grown and characterized previously for aboveground biomass-to-biofuels research. Such field sites represent a potential resource for evaluating genotype-specific effects on soil C, but this usage may be complicated due to dense plantings of intermixed genotypes. Thus, we sampled soils at the scale of individual trees to determine whether it is feasible to detect soil property variation with different plant genotypes in this system. We additionally sampled stem and root tissues to evaluate the potential for inferring important belowground traits based on aboveground-belowground correlations. We found that substantial variation in soil properties could be explained at the scale of individual trees, suggesting that genetically diverse plantations can be used to assess plant-soil correlations. Though we did not observe genotype-specific patterns in soil C, other properties such as soil acid-base chemistry (soil pH and base cations) and bulk density showed genotype-specific correlations. Stem and root nutrient levels were generally not correlated, suggesting that belowground traits should be measured directly. In conclusion, our pilot study suggests that long-term common gardens of genome-wide association study populations represent useful resources for understanding plant genotypic relationships with soil properties in Populus field study test plots. These resources could be used to develop verified plant species, geographic region-specific standardized sampling methods, and baseline data. Such context-specific, empirically verified data and models will be necessary for informing applied research strategies in selecting high aboveground productivity genotypes for enhanced soil C storage in managed, commercial scale, woody bioenergy crop plantation systems.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Unfolded protein response and scaffold independent pheromone MAP kinase signalling control Verticillium dahliae growth, development and plant pathogenesis

O_LIDevelopment and virulence of the vascular plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae are connected and depend on a complex interplay between the unfolded protein response, a Ham5 independent pheromone MAP kinase module and formation of precursors for oxylipin signal molecules. C_LIO_LIGenes coding for the unfolded protein response regulator Hac1, the Ham5 MAPK scaffold protein, and the oleate {Delta}12-fatty acid desaturase Ode1 were deleted and their functions in growth, differentiation, and virulence on plants were studied using genetic, cell biology, and plant infection experiments. C_LIO_LIThe unfolded protein response transcription factor Hac1 is required for initial root colonization, fungal conidiation and propagation inside the host and is essential for resting structure formation. Microsclerotia development, growth and virulence require the pheromone response MAPK pathway, but without the Ham5 scaffold function. Single ER-associated enzymes for linoleic acid production make important contributions to fungal growth but have only a minor impact on the pathogenicity of V. dahliae. C_LIO_LIFungal growth, sporulation, dormant structure formation and plant infection require a network of the Hac1-regulated unfolded protein response, a scaffold-independent pheromone response MAPK pathway and formation of precursors for signalling. This network includes interesting targets for disease management of the vascular pathogen V. dahliae. C_LI

genetics↗

bioRxiv2021

Dynamic Gene-Based Ecophysiological Models to Predict Phenotype from Genotype and Environment Data

Predicting the phenotype from the genotype is one of the major contemporary challenges in biology. This challenge is greater in plants because their development occurs mostly post-embryonically under diurnal and seasonal environmental fluctuations. Current phenotype prediction models do not adequately capture all of these fluctuations or effectively use genotype information. Instead, we have developed a dynamic modular approach that captures the genotype, environment, and Genotype-by-Environment effects to express the time-to-flowering phenotype in real time in Phaseolus vulgaris. The module we describe can be applied to different plant processes and can gradually replace processes in existing crop models. Our model can enable accelerated progress in diverse breeding programs, particularly with the prospects of climate change. Finally, a gene-based simulation model can assist policy decision makers in matters pertaining to prediction of food supplies.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Study of the hepatotoxicity of trans-coric acid isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis in in vivo experiments

Biologically active supplements (BAS) based on plant material, possessing a wide range of beneficial properties (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, etc.), are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Such supplements are readily available and can be used without consulting a healthcare professional. Consequently, the extent of their use is underestimated by doctors. Plant hepatotoxicity is not uncommon, but the frequency and manifestation are not sufficiently characterized. This study is dedicated to investigating the hepatotoxicity of trans-coric acid isolated from the root culture of Scutellaria baicalensis in in vivo experiments. This work aims to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of trans-coric acid on male rats at doses of 50.0 and 100.0 mg/kg. During the experiment, it was found that trans-coric acid, isolated from the root culture extract of Scutellaria baicalensis, does not induce hepatotoxicity in the presented doses in model animals with 14-day intragastric administration. Thus, this study demonstrates that trans-coric acid can be safely used as a component of BAS for the prevention of chronic diseases, thereby promoting healthy aging.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Effects of Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Early Growth of Brassica rapa var. rapa

Extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields are known to interact with biological systems, but their effects on plant development remain incompletely characterized. This study examined the influence of weak ELF electromagnetic fields on the early growth of Brassica rapa var. rapa (turnip greens). Seeds were germinated under controlled environmental conditions and exposed for 60 minutes per day over five consecutive days to alternating electromagnetic fields at 7.83 Hz or 528 Hz, generated by solenoidal coils. Germination rates were not significantly affected by either treatment. However, seedlings exposed to both frequencies exhibited significantly greater shoot elongation compared with unexposed controls. These findings indicate that weak ELF electromagnetic fields can promote early vegetative development in B. rapa var. rapa. without altering germination success. Further studies involving multiple species, improved field characterization, and molecular assays are warranted to clarify the mechanisms underlying these effects.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Cytokinin activity of N6-benzyladenine derivatives assayed by interaction with the receptors in planta, in vitro, and in silico

Biological effects of hormones in both plants and animals are based on high-affrnity interaction with cognate receptors resulting in their activation. The signal of cytokinins, classical plant hormones, is perceived in Arabidopsis by three homologous membrane receptors: AHK2, AHK3, and CRE1/AHK4. To study the cytokinin-receptor interaction, we used 25 derivatives of potent cytokinin N6-benzyladenine (BA) with substituents in the purine heterocycle and/or in the side chain. The study was focused primarily on individual cytokinin receptors from Arabidopsis. The main in planta assay system was based on Arabidopsis double mutants retaining only one isoform of cytokinin receptors and harboring cytokinin-sensitive reporter gene. Classical cytokinin biotest with Amaranthus seedlings was used as an additional biotest. In parallel, the binding of ligands to individual cytokinin receptors was assessed in the in vitro test system. Quantitative comparison of results of different assays confirmed the partial similarity of ligand-binding properties of receptor isoforms. Substituents at positions 8 and 9 of adenine moiety, elongated linker up to 4 methylene units, replacement of N6 by sulfur or oxygen, resulted in suppression of cytokinin activity of the derivative towards all receptors. Introduction of a halogen into position 2 of adenine moiety, on the contrary, often increased the ligand activity, especially toward AHK3. Features both common and distinctive of cytokinin receptors in Arabidopsis and Amaranthus were revealed, highlighting species specificity of the cytokinin perception apparatus. Correlations between extent of compound binding to a receptor in vitro and its ability to activate the same receptor in planta were evaluated for each AHK protein. Interaction patterns between individual receptors and ligands were rationalized by structure analysis and molecular docking in sensory modules of AHK receptors. The best correlation between docking scores and specific binding was observed for AHK3. In addition, receptor-specific ligands have been discovered with unique properties to predominantly activate or block distinct cytokinin receptors. These ligands are promising for practical application and as molecular tools in the study of the cytokinin perception by plant cells.\n\nGraphical abstract\n\nO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=177 HEIGHT=200 SRC=\"FIGDIR/small/241281_ufig1.gif\" ALT=\"Figure 1\">\nView larger version (85K):\norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1fef3f9org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@143a10eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@102d62corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@13b1db1_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Individual cytokinin receptors from Arabidopsis were assayed in planta, in vitro and in silico with 25 different 6-benzyladenine derivatives, new receptor-specific cytokinins were revealed.

plant biology↗