English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Genomes continue to surprise us with the diversity of mechanisms involved in gene regulation. Sequencing of the Arabidopsis genome 13 y ago revealed transposable elements (TEs) distributed throughout the genome. TEs were characterized nearly 70 y ago by maize geneticist Barbara McClintock, who named them “controlling elements” for their activity in regulating aleurone color genes and chromosomal breakage (1). TEs are rife in plant genomes; their necessary inactivation via heterochromatin formation is an epigenetic phenomenon that can spill over into adjacent chromosomal regions. Although many TEs appear inert, some retain primary or vestigial functions, and others have even been adapted to confer novel functions. In PNAS, Tsuchiya and Eulgem (2) provide a fascinating example of how a retrotransposon has been domesticated to control expression of a plant immune system surveillance gene and highlight a unique mode of action through which TEs can regulate activity of protein-coding genes. This story focuses on the Arabidopsis RPP7 gene [resistance to Hyaloperonsopora arabidopsidis (Hpa), a downy mildew pathogen]. RPP7 is polymorphic, with alleles for resistance and susceptibility in various Arabidopsis accessions. This natural variation is a hallmark of plant disease resistance genes (R genes) that have been exploited for decades in breeding programs. RPP7 (along with most other R genes) encodes an NLR protein comprised of a nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeats (3). The function for NLR proteins is immune surveillance, in which they detect pathogen effector proteins that are secreted into the interior of plant cells and then activate signaling networks that control cellular immune responses. The second important gene in this story is called EDM2, for “enhanced downy mildew susceptibility.” EDM2 was identified in a genetic screen for mutants that suppressed RPP7-dependent resistance (4). Initial characterization of the edm2 mutant indicated that the gene did not appear to have a …

A transposable element is domesticated for service in the plant immune system