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Plant growth promotion by the interaction of a novel synthetic small molecule with GA‐DELLA function (2022)
Journal Article
Sukiran, N. A., Pollastri, S., Steel, P. G., & Knight, M. R. (2022). Plant growth promotion by the interaction of a novel synthetic small molecule with GA‐DELLA function. Plant Direct, 6(4), Article e398. https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.398

Synthesized small molecules are useful as tools to investigate hormonal signaling involved in plant growth and development. They are also important as agrochemicals to promote beneficial properties of crops in the field. We describe here the synthesi... Read More about Plant growth promotion by the interaction of a novel synthetic small molecule with GA‐DELLA function.

Basal stomatal aperture is regulated by GA-DELLAs in Arabidopsis (2020)
Journal Article
Sukiran, N. A., Steel, P. G., & Knight, M. R. (2020). Basal stomatal aperture is regulated by GA-DELLAs in Arabidopsis. Journal of Plant Physiology, 250, Article 153182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2020.153182

Stomatal aperture is tightly regulated in order to achieve the best compromise between gas exchange and water conservation. Steady-state (basal) stomatal aperture is therefore understandably a key component in plant fitness. It has been shown previou... Read More about Basal stomatal aperture is regulated by GA-DELLAs in Arabidopsis.

Design principles for decoding calcium signals to generate specific gene expression via transcription (2019)
Journal Article
Liu, J., Lenzoni, G., & Knight, M. R. (2020). Design principles for decoding calcium signals to generate specific gene expression via transcription. Plant Physiology, 182(4), 1743-1761. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.19.01003

The second messenger calcium plays a key role in conveying specificity of signalling pathways in plant cells. Specific calcium signatures are decoded to generate correct gene expression responses and amplification of calcium signatures is vital to th... Read More about Design principles for decoding calcium signals to generate specific gene expression via transcription.

MUR1-mediated cell-wall fucosylation is required for freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana (2019)
Journal Article
Panter, P. E., Kent, O., Dale, M., Smith, S. J., Skipsey, M., Thorlby, G., Cummins, I., Ramsay, N., Begum, R. A., Sanhueza, D., Fry, S. C., Knight, M. R., & Knight, H. (2019). MUR1-mediated cell-wall fucosylation is required for freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. New Phytologist, 224(4), 1518-1531. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16209

1.Forward genetic screens play a key role in the identification of genes contributing to plant stress tolerance. Using a screen for freezing sensitivity, we have identified a novel freezing tolerance gene, SENSITIVE TO FREEZING8, in Arabidopsis thali... Read More about MUR1-mediated cell-wall fucosylation is required for freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The identification of small molecule inhibitors of the plant inositol phosphorylceramide synthase which demonstrate herbicidal activity (2019)
Journal Article
Pinneh, E., Mina, J., Stark, M., Lindell, S., Luemmen, P., Knight, M., Steel, P., & Denny, P. (2019). The identification of small molecule inhibitors of the plant inositol phosphorylceramide synthase which demonstrate herbicidal activity. Scientific Reports, 9, Article 8083. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44544-1

Resistance to 157 different herbicides and 88% of known sites of action has been observed, with many weeds resistant to two or more modes. Coupled with tighter environmental regulation, this demonstrates the need to identify new modes of action and n... Read More about The identification of small molecule inhibitors of the plant inositol phosphorylceramide synthase which demonstrate herbicidal activity.

Expression levels of inositol phosphorylceramide synthase modulate plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress in Arabidopsis thaliana (2019)
Journal Article
Pinneh, E., Stoppel, R., Knight, H., Knight, M., Steel, P., & Denny, P. (2019). Expression levels of inositol phosphorylceramide synthase modulate plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS ONE, 14(5), Article e0217087. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217087

This research was undertaken to investigate the global role of the plant inositol phosphorylceramide synthase (IPCS), a non-mammalian enzyme previously shown to be associated with the pathogen response. RNA-Seq analyses demonstrated that over-express... Read More about Expression levels of inositol phosphorylceramide synthase modulate plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Increases in absolute temperature stimulate free calcium concentration elevations in the chloroplast (2018)
Journal Article
Lenzoni, G., & Knight, M. (2019). Increases in absolute temperature stimulate free calcium concentration elevations in the chloroplast. Plant & Cell Physiology, 60(3), 538-548. https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcy227

Plants need to sense increases in temperature to be able to adapt their physiology and development to survive; however, the mechanisms of heat perception are currently relatively poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that in response to elevated tem... Read More about Increases in absolute temperature stimulate free calcium concentration elevations in the chloroplast.

OXI1 kinase plays a key role in resistance of Arabidopsis towards aphids (Myzus persicae) (2018)
Journal Article
Shoala, T., Edwards, M. G., Knight, M. R., & Gatehouse, A. M. (2018). OXI1 kinase plays a key role in resistance of Arabidopsis towards aphids (Myzus persicae). Transgenic Research, 27(4), 355-366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-018-0078-x

Plants have co-evolved with a diverse array of pathogens and insect herbivores and so have evolved an extensive repertoire of constitutive and induced defence mechanisms activated through complex signalling pathways. OXI1 kinase is required for activ... Read More about OXI1 kinase plays a key role in resistance of Arabidopsis towards aphids (Myzus persicae).

Predicting plant immunity gene expression by identifying the decoding mechanism of calcium signatures (2017)
Journal Article
Lenzoni, G., Liu, J., & Knight, M. (2018). Predicting plant immunity gene expression by identifying the decoding mechanism of calcium signatures. New Phytologist, 217(4), 1598-1609. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14924

Calcium plays a key role in determining the specificity of a vast array of signalling pathways in plants. Cellular calcium elevations with different characteristics (calcium signatures) carry information on the identity of the primary stimulus, ensur... Read More about Predicting plant immunity gene expression by identifying the decoding mechanism of calcium signatures.

Transcriptomic analysis comparing stay-green and senescent Sorghum bicolor lines identifies a role for proline biosynthesis in the stay-green trait (2015)
Journal Article
Johnson, S. M., Cummins, I., Lim, F. L., Slabas, A. R., & Knight, M. R. (2015). Transcriptomic analysis comparing stay-green and senescent Sorghum bicolor lines identifies a role for proline biosynthesis in the stay-green trait. Journal of Experimental Botany, 66(22), 7061-7073. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erv405

Sorghum bicolor is an important cereal crop grown on the arid and semi-arid regions of >98 different countries. These regions are such that this crop is often subjected to low water conditions, which can compromise yields. Stay-green sorghum plants a... Read More about Transcriptomic analysis comparing stay-green and senescent Sorghum bicolor lines identifies a role for proline biosynthesis in the stay-green trait.

The Potato Nucleotide-Binding Leucine-Rich Repeat (NLR) Immune Receptor Rx1 is a Pathogen Dependent DNA-Deforming Protein (2015)
Journal Article
Fenyk, S., Townsend, P. D., Dixon, C. H., Spies, G. B., de San Eustaquio Campillo, A., Slootweg, E. J., …Cann, M. J. (2015). The Potato Nucleotide-Binding Leucine-Rich Repeat (NLR) Immune Receptor Rx1 is a Pathogen Dependent DNA-Deforming Protein. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 290(41), 24945-24960. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m115.672121

Plant NLR proteins enable cells to respond to pathogen attack. Several NLRs act in the nucleus, however, conserved nuclear targets that support their role in immunity are unknown. Previously we noted a structural homology between the NB domain of NLR... Read More about The Potato Nucleotide-Binding Leucine-Rich Repeat (NLR) Immune Receptor Rx1 is a Pathogen Dependent DNA-Deforming Protein.

Combining modelling and experimental approaches to explain how calcium signatures are decoded by calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) to produce specific gene expression responses (2015)
Journal Article
Liu, J., Whalley, H., & Knight, M. (2015). Combining modelling and experimental approaches to explain how calcium signatures are decoded by calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) to produce specific gene expression responses. New Phytologist, 208(1), 174-187. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13428

Experimental data show that Arabidopsis thaliana is able to decode different calcium signatures to produce specific gene expression responses. It is also known that calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) have calmodulin (CaM)-binding do... Read More about Combining modelling and experimental approaches to explain how calcium signatures are decoded by calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) to produce specific gene expression responses.

Transcriptomic analysis of Sorghum bicolor responding to combined heat and drought stress (2014)
Journal Article
Johnson, S., Lim, F., Finkler, A., Fromm, H., Slabas, A., & Knight, M. (2014). Transcriptomic analysis of Sorghum bicolor responding to combined heat and drought stress. BMC Genomics, 15, https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-15-456

Background: Abiotic stresses which include drought and heat are amongst the main limiting factors for plant growth and crop productivity. In the field, these stress types are rarely presented individually and plants are often subjected to a combinati... Read More about Transcriptomic analysis of Sorghum bicolor responding to combined heat and drought stress.

A C-Repeat Binding Factor Transcriptional Activator (CBF/DREB1) from European Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) Induces Freezing Tolerance When Expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana (2013)
Journal Article
Oakenfull, R. J., Baxter, R., & Knight, M. R. (2013). A C-Repeat Binding Factor Transcriptional Activator (CBF/DREB1) from European Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) Induces Freezing Tolerance When Expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS ONE, 8(1), Article e54119. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0054119

Freezing stress affects all plants from temperate zones to the poles. Global climate change means such freezing events are becoming less predictable. This in turn reduces the ability of plants to predict the approaching low temperatures and cold accl... Read More about A C-Repeat Binding Factor Transcriptional Activator (CBF/DREB1) from European Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) Induces Freezing Tolerance When Expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana.