Rho/Rac of plant (ROP) GTPases are a plant-specific proteins that function as molecular switches, activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and inactivated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). The bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha contains single copies of ROP (MpROP), GEFs (ROPGEF and SPIKE (SPK)), and GAPs (ROPGAP and ROP ENHANCER (REN)). MpROP regulates the development of various tissues and organs such as rhizoids, gemmae, and air chambers. While the ROPGEF, KARAPPO (MpKAR) is essential for gemma initiation, the functions of other ROP regulatory factors are less understood. This study focused on two GAPs: MpROPGAP and MpREN. Mpren single mutants showed defects in thallus growth, rhizoid tip growth, gemma development, and air chamber formation, whereas Mpropgap mutants showed no visible abnormalities. However, Mpropgap Mpren double mutants had more severe phenotypes than the Mpren single mutants, suggesting backup roles of MpROPGAP in MpREN-involving processes. Overexpression of MpROPGAP, MpREN resulted in similar gametophyte defects, highlighting the importance of MpROP activation/inactivation cycling (or balancing). Thus, MpREN predominantly, and MpROPGAP as a backup, regulate gametophyte development, most likely by controlling MpROP activation in M. polymorpha.
Regulation of ROP GTPase cycling between active/inactive states is essential for vegetative organogenesis in Marchantia polymorpha
Pathway to Independence Programme: our 2024 PI fellows
Following a successful pilot year in 2023 with a fantastic set of postdocs, we are delighted to announce our second cohort of Pathway to Independence (PI) fellows, who we will be supporting with training, mentoring and networking opportunities over the coming years.
Development presents…
Development is excited to host a webinar series showcasing the latest developmental biology and stem cell research. The webinars are chaired each month by a different Development Editor, who invites talks from authors of exciting new papers and preprints. Visit Development presents... on the Node to see which topics are coming up and to catch up on recordings of past webinars.
40 years of the homeobox
2024 marks the 40th year since the discovery of the homeobox in 1984, a landmark that fundamentally impacted several fields including genetics, developmental biology, neuroscience and evolution. To celebrate this anniversary, Development has commissioned a series of articles from leaders in the field demonstrating the impact of the homeobox discovery on different disciplines.
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025
We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register your interest to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
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