Special Issues

Improving Photosynthesis

Resource Allocation & Growth/
Roots & Rhizosphere Processes

Pathways & Fluxes

Organellar Signalling

Exploiting the Engine of C4 Photosynthesis

Plant Membrane Biology

Plant Reproduction Development

Special Issues Archive

Top 100 Journals

JXB named one of the top 100 most influential journals in Biology and Medicine over the last 100 years (view full article at DBIO100)

 

Welcome to the Journal of Experimental Botany editorial page!
JXB aims to publish high quality manuscripts that provide substantial new insights of broad interest in plant biology. We welcome manuscripts that identify fundamental mechanisms including those underpinning the improvements of plant for the sustainable production of food, fuel, and renewable materials. Our emphasis is on molecular physiology, molecular genetics, and environmental physiology, and we also encourage integrative approaches employing cutting-edge technologies, systems biology, and synthetic biology.

  • Impact Factor 2011: 5.364
  • No page charges
  • Free colour in print for members of the Society of Experimental Biology
  • Free Open Access publication for corresponding authors of primary papers whose institution has a full subscription to JXB

 

Coming soon:

Photo-oxidative stress in emerging and senescing leaves: a mirror image? M Juvany, M Müller, and S Munné-Bosch

This review focuses on the role of photo-oxidative stress both at early stages of leaf growth and during leaf senescence. We consider early leaf growth to be the stages at which the leaf is photosynthetically active but still depends on imported photoassimilates for net growth. During leaf senescence, we focus on the processes involved in the initiation, re-organization and terminal phases. Furthermore, we aim at characterizing such processes beyond the information gathered in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and include recent literature on the topic obtained in perennials.

Shrinking the hammer: micromechanical approaches to morphogenesis P Milani, SA Braybrook & A Boudaoud

Shape is imposed by the structural elements of the organism, and the translation of cellular activity into morphogenesis must go through these elements. Many methods have been recently developed to quantify at cellular resolution the properties of the main structural element in plants, the cell wall. As plant cell growth is restrained by the cell wall and powered by turgor pressure. These different micromechanical approaches are reviewed here, with a critical assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, and a discussion of how they can help us understand the regulation of growth and morphogenesis.

On the role of stress anisotropy in the growth of stems TI Baskin & OE Jensen

Efforts to quantify stress anisotropy in the stem have found that it is predominantly axial, and large enough in principle to explain the elongation of the epidermis despite its axial microfibrils. That the epidermis experiences a stress deriving from the inner tissue, the so-called “tissue stress”, has been widely recognized; however, the origin of the dominant axial direction remains obscure. We suggest that understanding the role of stress anisotropy in plant growth requires a deeper understanding of the nature of stress in hierarchical, organic structures.

Emerging roles of microRNAs in the mediation of drought stress response in plants Y Ding, Y Tao, and C Zhu

Drought is a major environmental stress factor that limits agricultural production worldwide. This review summarizes recent molecular studies on the miRNAs involved in the regulation of drought-responsive genes, with emphasis on miRNA-associated regulatory networks involved in drought stress response.

Lateral root initiation is a probabilistic event whose frequency is set by fluctuating levels of auxin response MJ Laskoswski

This review assesses the sequence of molecular events that lead to lateral root formation in relation to the locations in which they occur, addresses how nutrients regulate the response generally though not exclusively by altering sensitivity to auxin, and finally considers the factors that control auxin levels.

Evidence of oxidative attenuation of auxin signalling WA Peer, Y Chen & AS Murphy

This report summarizes previously published data and show additional data regarding oxIAA is generation in planta, oxIAA as a substrate in transport assays, and oxIAA as a signalling molecule in auxin-mediate responses. It then examine the relationship between IAA and ROS generation, and oxIAA levels in ROS scavenging mutants.

The role of auxin in shaping shoot architecture A Gallavotti

Recent advances in deciphering the molecular mechanisms that regulate auxin function have produced several tools to investigate how auxin affects the establishment and plasticity of plant morphology. Here the extensive evidence that connects auxin and its biology with the determination of plant shoot architecture is reviewed, with particular emphasis on the most recent discoveries in two well-studied model plant systems, the dicotyledonous Arabidopsis and the monocot maize.

Tuning the auxin transcriptional response Pierre-Jerome, Moss & Nemhauser

How does auxin provoke such a diverse array of responses? We review what is currently known about differences between family members of the components that make up the auxin response complex, as well as areas of potential differences in their interactions outside of the core module

 

Special Issues, Focus Collections & Reviews 2013

IMPROVING PHOTOSYNTHESIS

ROOTS & PRODUCTIVITY

INDUCED RESISTANCE TO BIOTIC STRESS

NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE PLANT NUCLEAR ENVELOPE

AUXIN

PLANT BIOMECHANICS

TECHNIQUES FOR ECOPHYSIOLOGY

EVOLUTION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

PEPTIDE SIGNALLING IN PLANTS

REVIEWS 2013

Collections 2012

NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY IN PLANTS

GM CROPS: from basic research to application

FOOD SECURITY

REVIEWS 2012

 

Advance Access: Review papers

Auxin - simply complicated M Sauer, S Robert, & J Kleine-Vehn

Auxin is a plant hormone involved in an extraordinarily broad variety of biological mechanisms. These range from basic cellular processes, such as endocytosis, cell polarity and cell cycle control over localized responses like cell elongation and differential growth, to macroscopic phenomena such as embryogenesis, tissue patterning and de novo formation of organs. This review gives an overview of these rather recent and emerging areas of auxin research, and tries to formulate some of the open questions.

The solar rhythm in the regulation of photoperiodic flowering of long-day and short-day plants Hoong-Yeet Yeang

This report proposes a role of the plant's solar rhythm in promoting seasonal flowering. The interaction between rhythmic genes entrained to the solar clock and those entrained to the circadian clock form the basis of an Internal Coincidence model that explains both long day and short day flowering equally well.

Thermography to explore plant-environment interactions Costa et al.

This review presents and discusses the advantages of thermal imaging applications to plant science, agriculture, and ecology, as well as its limitations and possible approaches to minimize them, by highlighting examples from previous and ongoing research.

Auxin biosynthesis and storage forms DA Korasick, TA Enders, and LC Strader

We discuss the many ways auxin levels are regulated through biosynthesis, storage forms, and inactivation and the potential roles modified auxins play in regulating the bioactive pool of auxin to affect plant growth and development

Auxin and the Arabidopsis thaliana gynoecium E Larsson, RG Franks & E Sundberg

This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of how auxin biosynthesis, transport and responses together generate specific gynoecial domains. We also highlight areas where future research endeavors are likely to provide additional insight into the homeostatic molecular mechanisms by which auxin regulates gynoecium development

Auxin and self-organization at the shoot apical meristem Sassi and Vernoux

This review discusses both the experimental and theoretical evidence for the implication of auxin in the control of organogenesis and self organization of the shoot apical meristem.

Will C3 crops enhanced with the C4-CCM live up to their full potential (yield)? Driever & Kromdijk

In this review, we assess possible positive or negative effects of the introduction of a carbon concentrating mechanism in C3 crop species on crop potential productivity and yield robustness.

Measurement of the matric potential of soil water in the rhizosphere Whalley, Ober & Jenkins

In this review, the relationship between matric potential and soil water content is explored. It is shown that for any given soil type, this relationship is not unique and therefore both soil water content and matric potential need to be measured for the soil water status to be fully described.

News

Video talks from UK PlantSci 2013 meeting will be available to watch here soon!

Food security: some issues impacting on future food availability. 'This volume provides a stimulating synopsis of many current thoughts and issues, largely beyond the limitations of industrial, patentable solutions'. ... 'As well as highlighting the variety of research work in food security, the volume does convey the importance of researchers and strategists working together.' D Skydmore. Full review

NEW! Interested in flowering research? we invite you to subscribe to Flowering Highlights, a new development of the Flowering Newsletter. With Flowering Highlights we hope to bring you interesting news, papers, reports, and updates in all aspects of flowering research

After thirty years working with the JXB as Tecnical Editor, Pam Rogers, has retired. We thank Pam for all her contribution and wish her a very happy retirement

Watch the UK PlantSci 2012 meeting Video talks: Sir J Beddington, J Hibberd, I Donison, A Smith, G Bryan, R Summers, B Davies, C Paton, G Oldroyd, N Ostle, C Mcclellan, P Wigge, S Kendall, P Borril, M Chase, J Hulsmans, R Mott, S Knapp, M Williams, G Page & C Knight

Press release March 13, 2012: Wheat Protein has Biotechnology Potential. Read the article: Characterization of the wheat gene encoding a grain-specific lipid transfer protein TdPR61, and promoter activity in wheat, barley and rice

GARNet 2011 Video Lectures in colaboration with JXB: David Baulcombe, Caroline Dean, Vincent Colot, Jong-Myong Kim, Matthew Jones, Malcolm Bennett, Katherine Denby, Jan Traas, John Runions, Richard Morris, Jiri Friml, Jesper Grønlund, and Claire Grierson

CBE for 'more crop per drop' scientist: JXB Former Associate Editor & Editor in Chief, Bill Davies, has been awarded a CBE for service to science

A plant's Eye View: researchers study the effects of shade avoidance in crops. Read the full article: A novel high throughput in vivo molecular screen for shade avoidance mutants identifies a novel phyA mutation

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current issue

Vol 64.8: current issue

Chloroplast-localized 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase is critical for maize endosperm starch accumulation Bloeme et al.

Differential freezing resistance and photoprotection in C3 and C4 eudicots and grasses Liu & Osborne

Transgenic wheat expressing Thinopyrum intermedium MYB transcription factor TiMYB2R-1 shows enhanced resistance to the take-all disease Liu et al.

Salicylic acid improves salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis by restoring membrane potential and preventing salt-induced K+ loss via a GORK channel Jayakannan et al.

Variation in canopy duration in the perennial biofuel crop Miscanthus reveals complex associations with yield Robson et al.

Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) overexpression affects growth and cell wall mechanics in etiolated Arabidopsis hypocotyls Miedes et al.

Polyamines and ethylene interact in rice grains in response to soil drying during grain filling Chen et al.

Cover illustration: (Top) Transverse section of a sugarcane axillary bud. (Middle) Sugarcane axillary bud outgrowth. Sugarcane hybrid SP80-3280 main stem containing developing buds at 2 (upper panel) and 5 (lower panel) days after planting. (Bottom) Aerial view of a sugarcane field in São Paulo, Brazil. See Ortiz-Morea et al.

View Full Table of Contents

SEB Meeting @ Valencia 2013

The Society for Experimental Biology is pleased to announce that the 2013 Annual Main Meeting will be hosted in the city of Valencia (Spain). The meeting will take place from the 3rd to 6th of July 2013.

Topics of the Plant Sessions will be:

  • Plant and algal cell walls: origin and evolution. Organised by ZA Popper
  • Exploiting genetic diversity for cereal breeding. Organised by C Uauy
  • Nutrient sensing and signalling. Organised by F Maathuis & F Theodoulou
  • Root biology: modelling across the scales into the rhizosphere. Organised by S Kepinsky & M Bennett
  • Fruit development and ripening. Organised by T Granell & G Seymour
  • Calcium in green and other kingdoms; an evolutionary perspective. Organised by M Pullen & M Knight
  • Epigenetics and chromatin. Organised by L Hennig
  • Protein versatility. Organised by M Hooks, A Murphy & W Peer

For more information please go to SEB 2013SEB 2013 Annual Meeting