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Professor Heather Knight's Outputs (37)

Understanding pectin cross-linking in plant cell walls (2025)
Journal Article
Obomighie, I., Prentice, I. J., Lewin-Jones, P., Bachtiger, F., Ramsay, N., Kishi-Itakura, C., Goldberg, M. W., Hawkins, T. J., Sprittles, J. E., Knight, H., & Sosso, G. C. (2025). Understanding pectin cross-linking in plant cell walls. Communications Biology, 8(1), Article 72. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07495-0

Pectin is a major component of plant cells walls. The extent to which pectin chains crosslink with one another determines crucial properties including cell wall strength, porosity, and the ability of small, biologically significant molecules to acces... Read More about Understanding pectin cross-linking in plant cell walls.

Low-temperature and circadian signals are integrated by the sigma factor SIG5 (2023)
Journal Article
Cano-Ramirez, D. L., Panter, P. E., Takemura, T., de Fraine, T. S., de Barros Dantas, L. L., Dekeya, R., …Dodd, A. N. (2023). Low-temperature and circadian signals are integrated by the sigma factor SIG5. Nature Plants, 9(4), 661-672. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-023-01377-1

Chloroplasts are a common feature of plant cells and aspects of their metabolism, including photosynthesis, are influenced by low-temperature conditions. Chloroplasts contain a small circular genome that encodes essential components of the photosynth... Read More about Low-temperature and circadian signals are integrated by the sigma factor SIG5.

Cell-wall fucosylation in Arabidopsis influences control of leaf water loss and alters stomatal development and mechanical properties (2023)
Journal Article
Panter, P. E., Seifert, J., Dale, M., Pridgeon, A. J., Hulme, R., Ramsay, N., Contera, S., & Knight, H. (2023). Cell-wall fucosylation in Arabidopsis influences control of leaf water loss and alters stomatal development and mechanical properties. Journal of Experimental Botany, 74(8), 2680-2691. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erad039

The Arabidopsis sensitive-to-freezing8 (sfr8) mutant exhibits reduced cell-wall (CW) fucose levels and compromised freezing tolerance. To examine whether CW fucosylation affects the response to desiccation also, we tested the effect of leaf excision... Read More about Cell-wall fucosylation in Arabidopsis influences control of leaf water loss and alters stomatal development and mechanical properties.

Mediator Subunits MED16, MED14, and MED2 Are Required for Activation of ABRE-Dependent Transcription in Arabidopsis (2021)
Journal Article
Lee, M., Dominguez-Ferreras, A., Kaliyadasa, E., Huang, W.-J., Antony, E., Stevenson, T., Lehmann, S., Schäfer, P., Knight, M. R., Ntoukakis, V., & Knight, H. (2021). Mediator Subunits MED16, MED14, and MED2 Are Required for Activation of ABRE-Dependent Transcription in Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12, Article 649720. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.649720

The Mediator complex controls transcription of most eukaryotic genes with individual subunits required for the control of particular gene regulons in response to various perturbations. In this study, we reveal the roles of the plant Mediator subunits... Read More about Mediator Subunits MED16, MED14, and MED2 Are Required for Activation of ABRE-Dependent Transcription in Arabidopsis.

The calcium transporter ANNEXIN1 mediates cold‐induced calcium signaling and freezing tolerance in plants (2020)
Journal Article
Liu, Q., Ding, Y., Shi, Y., Ma, L., Wang, Y., Song, C., Wilkins, K. A., Davies, J. M., Knight, H., Knight, M. R., Gong, Z., Guo, Y., & Yang, S. (2021). The calcium transporter ANNEXIN1 mediates cold‐induced calcium signaling and freezing tolerance in plants. The EMBO Journal, 40(2), Article e104559. https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2020104559

The transient elevation of cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) induced by cold stress is a well-established phenomenon; however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report that the Ca2+-permeable transporter ANNEXIN1 (AtAN... Read More about The calcium transporter ANNEXIN1 mediates cold‐induced calcium signaling and freezing tolerance in plants.

Impact of Cell‐wall Structure and Composition on Plant Freezing Tolerance (2020)
Book Chapter
Panter, P. E., Panter, J. R., & Knight, H. (2020). Impact of Cell‐wall Structure and Composition on Plant Freezing Tolerance. In Annual Plant Reviews online. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119312994.apr0746

Many plants experience freezing temperatures that can be damaging and even lethal. Current climate projections suggest that freezing events are likely to increase in early autumn and late spring, at times when plants are unprepared to deal with them.... Read More about Impact of Cell‐wall Structure and Composition on Plant Freezing Tolerance.

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.

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.

Rapid and Dynamic Alternative Splicing Impacts the Arabidopsis Cold Response Transcriptome (2018)
Journal Article
Calixto, C. P., Guo, W., James, A. B., Tzioutziou, N. A., Entizne, J. C., Panter, P. E., …Brown, J. W. (2018). Rapid and Dynamic Alternative Splicing Impacts the Arabidopsis Cold Response Transcriptome. The Plant Cell, 30, 1424-1444. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.18.00177

Plants have adapted to tolerate and survive constantly changing environmental conditions by reprogramming gene expression The dynamics of the contribution of alternative splicing (AS) to stress responses are unknown. RNA-sequencing of a time-series o... Read More about Rapid and Dynamic Alternative Splicing Impacts the Arabidopsis Cold Response Transcriptome.

Identification of MEDIATOR16 as the Arabidopsis COBRA suppressor, MONGOOSE1 (2015)
Journal Article
Sorek, N., Szemenyei, H., Sorek, H., Landers, A., Knight, H., Bauer, S., …Somerville, D. (2015). Identification of MEDIATOR16 as the Arabidopsis COBRA suppressor, MONGOOSE1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(52), 16048-16053. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1521675112

We performed a screen for genetic suppressors of cobra, an Arabidopsis mutant with defects in cellulose formation and an increased ratio of unesterified/esterified pectin. We identified a suppressor named mongoose1 (mon1) that suppressed the growth d... Read More about Identification of MEDIATOR16 as the Arabidopsis COBRA suppressor, MONGOOSE1.

The Arabidopsis Mediator complex subunits MED16, MED14 and MED2 regulate Mediator and RNA polymerase II recruitment to CBF-responsive cold-regulated genes (2014)
Journal Article
Hemsley, P., Hurst, C., Kaliyadasa, E., Lamb, R., Knight, M., De Cothi, E., …Knight, H. (2014). The Arabidopsis Mediator complex subunits MED16, MED14 and MED2 regulate Mediator and RNA polymerase II recruitment to CBF-responsive cold-regulated genes. The Plant Cell, 26(1), 465-484. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.113.117796

The Mediator16 (MED16; formerly termed SENSITIVE TO FREEZING6 [SFR6]) subunit of the plant Mediator transcriptional coactivator complex regulates cold-responsive gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana, acting downstream of the C-repeat binding facto... Read More about The Arabidopsis Mediator complex subunits MED16, MED14 and MED2 regulate Mediator and RNA polymerase II recruitment to CBF-responsive cold-regulated genes.

ERF5 and ERF6 Play Redundant Roles as Positive Regulators of JA/Et-Mediated Defense against Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis (2012)
Journal Article
Moffat, C. S., Ingle, R. A., Wathugala, D. L., Saunders, N. J., Knight, H., & Knight, M. R. (2012). ERF5 and ERF6 Play Redundant Roles as Positive Regulators of JA/Et-Mediated Defense against Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE, 7(4), Article e35995. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035995

The ethylene response factor (ERF) family in Arabidopsis thaliana comprises 122 members in 12 groups, yet the biological functions of the majority remain unknown. Of the group IX ERFs, the IXc subgroup has been studied the most, and includes ERF1, ER... Read More about ERF5 and ERF6 Play Redundant Roles as Positive Regulators of JA/Et-Mediated Defense against Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis.

OsSFR6 is a functional rice orthologue of SENSITIVE TO FREEZING-6 and can act as a regulator of COR gene expression, osmotic stress and freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis (2011)
Journal Article
Wathugala, D., Richards, S., Knight, H., & Knight, M. (2011). OsSFR6 is a functional rice orthologue of SENSITIVE TO FREEZING-6 and can act as a regulator of COR gene expression, osmotic stress and freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis. New Phytologist, 191(4), 984-995. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03759.x

The Arabidopsis protein SENSITIVE TO FREEZING-6 (AtSFR6) is required for cold- and drought-inducible expression of COLD-ON REGULATED (COR) genes and, as a consequence, AtSFR6 is essential for osmotic stress and freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis. Ther... Read More about OsSFR6 is a functional rice orthologue of SENSITIVE TO FREEZING-6 and can act as a regulator of COR gene expression, osmotic stress and freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Identification of SFR6, a key component in cold acclimation acting post-translationally on CBF function (2009)
Journal Article
Knight, H., Mugford Nee Garton, S., Ulker, B., Gao, D., Thorlby, G., & Knight, M. (2009). Identification of SFR6, a key component in cold acclimation acting post-translationally on CBF function. The Plant Journal, 58(1), 97-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-313x.2008.03763.x

The sfr6 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana was identified previously, on the basis of its failure to undergo acclimation to freezing temperatures following exposure to low positive temperatures. This failure is attributed to a defect in the pathway lead... Read More about Identification of SFR6, a key component in cold acclimation acting post-translationally on CBF function.

SENSITIVE TO FREEZING6 Integrates Cellular and Environmental Inputs to the Plant Circadian Clock (2008)
Journal Article
Knight, H., Thomson, A., & McWatters, H. (2008). SENSITIVE TO FREEZING6 Integrates Cellular and Environmental Inputs to the Plant Circadian Clock. Plant Physiology, 148(1), 293-303. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.108.123901

The sensitive to freezing6 (sfr6) mutant of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is late flowering in long days due to reduced expression of components in the photoperiodic flowering pathway in long-day photoperiods. Microarray analysis of gene express... Read More about SENSITIVE TO FREEZING6 Integrates Cellular and Environmental Inputs to the Plant Circadian Clock.