# phyto: weird, jazzy Nature, the 'transference of sexuality', 'some sexual consequences of being a plant'.

<< Plants have characteristic features that affect the expression of sexual function, notably the existence of a haploid organism in the life cycle, and in their development, which is modular, iterative and environmentally reactive. For instance, primary selection (the first filtering of the products of meiosis) is via gametes in diplontic animals, but via gametophyte organisms in plants. Intragametophytic selfing produces double haploid sporophytes which is in effect a form of clonal reproduction mediated by sexual mechanisms. In homosporous plants, the diploid sporophyte is sexless, sex being only expressed in the haploid gametophyte. However, in seed plants, the timing and location of gamete production is determined by the sporophyte, which therefore has a sexual role, and in dioecious plants has genetic sex, while the seed plant gametophyte has lost genetic sex. This evolutionary transition is one that E.J.H. Corner called ‘the transference of sexuality’. The iterative development characteristic of plants can lead to a wide variety of patterns in the distribution of sexual function, and in dioecious plants poor canalization of reproductive development can lead to intrasexual mating and the production of YY supermales or WW superfemales. Finally, plant modes of asexual reproduction (agamospermy/apogamy) are also distinctive by subverting gametophytic processes. >>

Quentin Cronk. Some sexual consequences of being a plant. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. doi: 10.1098/ rstb.2021.0213. Mar 21, 2022. 

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2021.0213

Also

keyword 'phyto' | 'plant' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=phyto

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=plant

keywords: evol, evolution, phyto, plant, sex, sexuality

# phyto: the fussy pollination scheme of the Joshua tree

<<  the plants commonly known as Joshua trees include two distinct, sister-species of plant: Yucca brevifolia Engelm. and Yucca jaegeriana McKelvey, each pollinated by two sister-species of yucca moth Tegeticula synthetica Riley and Tegeticula antithetica Pellmyr, respectively. A number of studies have argued that the moths have coevolved with their hosts, producing a pattern of phenotype matching between moth ovipositor length and floral style length. >>

W.S. Cole, Jr. A.S. James, C.I. Smith. First recorded observations of pollination and oviposition behavior in Tegeticula antithetica (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae) suggest a functional basis for coevolution with Joshua tree (Yucca) hosts. Annals of the Entomological Society of America.  Vol.  110, July 2017, p. 390. doi: 10.1093/aesa/sax037.

https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/110/4/390/3072239

<< To me [the flowers] smell kind of like mushrooms or ripe cantaloupe, >> Christopher Irwin Smith

Susan Milius. Shutdown aside, Joshua trees live an odd life. In the U.S. southwest, Joshua trees evolved a rare, fussy pollination scheme. Feb 6, 2019.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/shutdown-aside-joshua-trees-live-odd-life

Also

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=%23+phyto

# rmx-s-phyto: Dionaea muscipula, with precision

<< Carnivorous plants stir the imagination. You can find the results in science fiction novels (“The Day of the Triffids”), Broadway plays(“Little Shop of Horrors”) and in recent research that concludes that the Venus flytrap can count. Not out loud, of course. And no one is claiming that the plants are aware that they are counting. But even so, this is the first time someone has demonstrated counting in a plant >>

James Gorman. The Venus Flytrap, a Plant That Can Count. nyt-sciencetake, Feb. 1, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/science/the-venus-flytrap-a-plant-that-can-count.html

Sönke Scherzer, Elzbieta Krol, et al. The Venus Flytrap Dionaea muscipula Counts Prey-Induced Action Potentials to Induce Sodium Uptake. Current Biology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.057

http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(15)01501-8

# s-phyto: they may selectively kill part of the self

<< Plants adopt different strategies to survive the changing temperatures of their natural environments. This is most evident in temperate regions where forest trees shed their leaves to conserve energy during the cold season. In a new study, a team of plant biologists found that some plants may selectively kill part of their roots to survive under cold weather conditions >>

Plants sacrifice “daughters” to survive chilly weather. 23 June 2017

http://news.nus.edu.sg/press-releases/plants-sacrifice-survive-chilly-weather

Jing Han Hong, Maria Savina, et al. A Sacrifice-for-Survival Mechanism Protects Root Stem Cell Niche from Chilling Stress. Cell 2017; doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.06.002 Publ. June 22, 2017

http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(17)30643-8

FonT: una sorta di "Novacula Occami" ...

https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasoio_di_Occam

# s-phyto: mRNA instability may facilitate rapid recovery of plants after stressful events

<< Stress recovery may prove to be a promising approach to increase plant performance, and theoretically, mRNA instability may facilitate faster recovery.   Transcriptome (RNA-seq, qPCR, sRNA-seq, PARE) and methylome profiling during repeated excess-light stress and recovery was performed at intervals as short as three minutes >>

AA << demonstrate that 87% of the stress-upregulated mRNAs analysed exhibit very rapid recovery >>

Peter Alexander Crisp, Diep Ganguly, et al.  Rapid recovery gene downregulation during excess-light stress and recovery in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell Publ. July 2017 doi: 10.1105/tpc.16.00828

http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2017/07/13/tpc.16.00828

# gst: elastic instabilities, a morphing model to quickly trap anything (in 100msec), the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

<< The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) takes only 100 milliseconds to trap its prey. Once their leaves, which have been transformed into snap traps, have closed, insects can no longer escape. >>

<< the trap of the carnivorous plant is under mechanical prestress. In addition, its three tissue layers of each lobe have to deform according to a special pattern. >>

<< In order to close correctly, the traps also had to consist of three layers of tissue: an inner which constricts, an outer which expands, and a neutral middle layer. >>

Albert Ludwigs. Biomechanical analyses and computer simulations reveal the Venus flytrap snapping mechanisms. University of Freiburg. Jun 23, 2020.

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-biomechanical-analyses-simulations-reveal-venus.html

Renate Sachse, Anna Westermeier, et al. Snapping mechanics of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). PNAS. doi: 10.1073/ pnas.2002707117. Jun 22, 2020. 

https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/19/2002707117

Also

Dionaea muscipula, with precision. FonT. Feb 2, 2016. 

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/2016/02/rmx-s-phyto-dionaea-muscipula-with.html

# s-phyto-behav: Pea (Pisum sativum), a gambler plant

<< pea plants can demonstrate sensitivity to risk - namely, that they can make adaptive choices that take into account environmental variance, an ability previously unknown outside the animal kingdom >>

<< Alex Kacelnik (..) said: "To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of an adaptive response to risk in an organism without a nervous system. We do not conclude that plants are intelligent in the sense used for humans or other animals, but rather that complex and interesting behaviours can theoretically be predicted as biological adaptations - and executed by organisms - on the basis of processes evolved to exploit natural opportunities efficiently >>

Pea  plants  demonstrate  ability  to  'gamble'—a  first in  plants. June  30,  2016

http://m.phys.org/news/2016-06-pea-ability-gamblea.html

Efrat Dener, Alex Kacelnik, Hagai Shemesh. Pea Plants Show Risk Sensitivity. In Press. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.05.008

http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(16)30459-6

# s-phyto: the three ways of the plastoquinone inside the photosystem II complex

<< The surprise in this process was the seemingly uncoordinated way in which it happens. 'The idea in the field was that there were two channels through which plastoquinone could pass - one would be the entrance, the other the exit', says Marrink [Siewert J.  Marrink]. As it turned out, there were three channels which could all be used to enter or leave the complex. >>

<< Any plastoquinone molecules in the membrane would quickly enter the photosystem II (PSII) complex, but might leave it again without electrons, or hover around inside the complex for a while before finally binding in the exchange cavity, where it could accept electrons. Marrink: 'It is all very much dominated by entropy.' >>

University of Groningen. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal chaos in electron transport. ScienceDaily. 10 May 2017.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170510075547.htm

Floris J. Van Eerden, Manuel N. Melo, et al. Exchange pathways of plastoquinone and plastoquinol in the photosystem II complex. Nature Communications 8, Article number: 15214 (2017) doi: 10.1038/ncomms15214

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15214

FonT

<< Nature turned out to be less orderly than we had assumed >> afferma Siewert J.  Marrink. Percio' anche il classico vasetto della nonna contenente la classica piantina talvolta perfino stitichella, sarebbe testimonianza, per un aspetto decisamente peculiare,  fondamentale della sua normale fisiologia (la fotosintesi clorofilliana), di pulsatile motore caotico ...

# phyto: feel sounds to spot water

AA << used the model plant Pisum sativum to investigate the mechanism by which roots sense and locate water >>

AA << found that roots were able to locate a water source by sensing the vibrations generated by water moving inside pipes, even in the absence of substrate moisture. When both moisture and acoustic cues were available, roots preferentially used moisture in the soil over acoustic vibrations, suggesting that acoustic gradients enable roots to broadly detect a water source at a distance, while moisture gradients help them to reach their target more accurately >>

AA << results also showed that the presence of noise affected the abilities of roots to perceive and respond correctly to the surrounding soundscape >>

Monica Gagliano, Mavra Grimonprez, et al. Tuned in: plant roots use sound to locate water. Oecologia. Volume 184, Issue 1, pp 151–160. May 2017

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00442-017-3862-z

# s-phyto: versatile SERK1, in shedding and growing ...

<< During  their  life,  plants  constantly  renew  themselves.  They  sprout  new  leaves  in  the  spring  and shed  them  in  the  fall.  >>

<< When  it  is time  to  shed  an  organ,  a  small  hormone  binds  to  this  membrane  receptor  and,  together  with  a helper  protein,  the  abscission  process  is  initiated. >>

<< To  fully  initiate  the abscission  process,  another  player  is  needed:  the  helper  protein  SERK1. >>

<< The  fascinating  thing  about  SERK1  is  that  it  not  only  plays  a  role  in  the  shedding  mechanism  of plant  organs,  but  also  acts  together  with  other  membrane  receptors  that  regulate  totally  different aspects  of  plant  development >>

<< Indeed,  SERK1  is  a versatile  helper  protein  shared  between  different  signaling  pathways.  When  bound  to  another protein  receptor,  it  can  also  for  example  signal  the  plant  to  grow. >>

Unveiling the withering process. April 14, 2016

http://scienmag.com/unveiling-the-withering-process/

Julia Santiago, Benjamin Brandt, et al.
Mechanistic insight into a peptide hormone signaling complex mediating floral organ abscission. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15075. Published April 8, 2016. eLife 2016;10.7554/eLife.15075

http://elifesciences.org/content/5/e15075v1

# s-phyto: the plastic mimicry of the 'palatable' small toropapa (Alseuosmia pusilla)

<< It has long been assumed that A. pusilla might avoid being eaten by insect or avian herbivores by mimicking the unpalatable P. colorata [Pseudowintera colorata]; until now, however, this assumption has lacked empirical evidence >>

New  research  uses  novel  approach  to  study  plant mimicry. June  13,  2016.

http://www.cdnsciencepub.com/news-and-events/press-releases/PR-CJB-2016-0049.aspx

<< 90% of leaf shape variation in the two species varied similarly across an altitudinal gradient >>

Karl G. Yager, H. Martin Schaefer, Kevin S. Gould. The significance of shared leaf shape in Alseuosmia pusilla and Pseudowintera colorata. Botany, 10.1139/cjb-2016-0049

http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2016-0049

# gst phyto: an evidence for alternative transient states

AA << have discovered that plant communities follow different trajectories when they adapt to dryer conditions than when they adapt to more frequently flooded conditions. Further, in two side studies in the same experiment they found that flooding history of the vegetation alter the response of germinating seeds and of litter decomposition to the current conditions. >>

<< This is one of the most direct experimental evidence to date for alternative transient states, >> Judith Sarneel.

Plant communities do not take the same route from A to B as from B to A. Umea University. Feb 25, 2019.

https://m.phys.org/news/2019-02-route.html

Judith M. Sarneel  Maria Dolores Bejarano, et al. Local flooding history affects plant recruitment in riparian zones. Journal of Vegetation Science.
doi: 10.1111/jvs.12731 Feb 3, 2019

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jvs.12731

# phyto: the benefits of being a plant in a patch (among Moricandia moricandioides)

<< Pollinators tend to be preferentially attracted to large floral displays that may comprise more than one plant in a patch. Attracting pollinators thus not only benefits individuals investing in advertising, but also other plants in a patch through a 'magnet' effect.  >>

Ruben Torices, Jose M. Gomez, John R. Pannell. Kin discrimination allows plants to modify investment towards pollinator attraction. Nature Comm.Volume 9, Article number 2018. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04378-3. May 22, 2018.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04378-3   

The social networks of flowers. CORDIS. Dec 11, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-12-social-networks.html 

# phyto: a molecular compass to coordinate growth

<< Using this protein [protein BASL: Breaking of Asymmetry in the Stomatal Lineage] to detect the polarity field is like switching a light on in each cell across the tissue. It allows us to see that these cells all have a compass, pointing in the same direction across the leaf >>

<< In this way we will find out if, as we suspect, this molecular compass is a conserved mechanism in the development of plant shapes across the plant kingdom which could be co-opted in different ways by different branches of evolution. >> Catherine Mansfield.

Adrian Galvin. Leaves possess a molecular compass. John Innes Centre. Aug 21, 2018

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-08-molecular-compass.html 

Catherine Mansfield, Jacob L. Newman, et al. Ectopic BASL Reveals Tissue Cell Polarity throughout Leaf Development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Current Biology. 28 (16): 2638-46.E4 Aug 20, 2018 doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.019

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)30810-8

# evol: the hypothesis of quasi-stochastic 'jazzy' metamechanics of biological evolution (in Arabidopsis thaliana)

<< Mutations occur when DNA is damaged and left unrepaired, creating a new variation. The scientists wanted to know if mutation was purely random or something deeper. What they found was unexpected. >>️

<< We always thought of mutation as basically random across the genome, (..) It turns out that mutation is very non-random and it's non-random in a way that benefits the plant. It's a totally new way of thinking about mutation. >> Grey Monroe. ️

Study challenges evolutionary theory that DNA mutations are random. UC Davis. Jan 12, 2022.

https://phys.org/news/2022-01-evolutionary-theory-dna-mutations-random.html

Monroe JG, Srikant T, et al. Mutation bias reflects natural selection in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nature. doi: 10.1038/ s41586-021-04269-6. Jan 12, 2022.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04269-6

FonT 

for a long time I have developed the suspicion that the small plant cared for by grandmother on the windowsill could be a not trivial image of (r)evolution ... 

The three ways of the plastoquinone inside the photosystem II complex. May 23, 2017.

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/2017/05/s-phyto-three-ways-of-plastoquinone.html

Also

keyword 'evolution'  in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=evolution

keyword 'evolution' | 'evoluzione'  in Notes (quasi-stochastic poetry)

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=evolution

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=evoluzione

keyword 'jazz' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=jazz

keyword 'jazz' in Notes (quasi-stochastic poetry):

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=jazz

keywords: evol, dna, mutations, randomness, quasi-stochasticity, jazz

# gst phyto: how cheaters are favored

<< Our data show that natural selection favors cheating rhizobia, and support predictions that rhizobia can often subvert plant defenses and evolve to exploit hosts, >> Joel Sachs.

<< The study (..) is the first to uncover cheater strains in natural populations and show how natural selection favors them. >>

Study finds natural selection favors cheaters. University of California - Riverside. Mar 19, 2019.

https://m.phys.org/news/2019-03-natural-favors-cheaters.html

<< Legumes have mechanisms to defend against rhizobia that fail to fix sufficient nitrogen, but these data support predictions that rhizobia can subvert plant defenses and evolve to exploit hosts. >>

Kelsey A. Gano‐Cohen, Camille E. Wendlandt, et al. Interspecific conflict and the evolution of ineffective rhizobia. Ecology Letters. Mar 18, 2019 doi: 10.1111/ele.13247

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ele.13247

# phyto: photosynthesis also occurs through far-red light

AA << studied photosystem complexes from cyanobacteria grown in the presence of far-red light. >>

<< Kinetic measurements demonstrated that far-red light is capable of directly driving water oxidation, despite having less energy than the red light used by most photosynthetic organisms. >>

Dennis J. Nurnberg, Jennifer Morton, et al.  Photochemistry beyond the red limit in chlorophyll f - containing photosystems. Science. Jun 15, 2018: 360 (6394): 1210-3. doi: 10.1126/science.aar8313

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6394/1210

Hayley Dunning. New type of photosynthesis discovered. Imperial College London. Jun 14, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-06-photosynthesis.html