Gene variation makes apple trees 'weep,' improving orchards

Plant geneticists have identified a mutation in a gene that causes the "weeping" architecture—branches growing downwards—in apple trees, a finding that could improve orchard fruit production.

Study unveils mysterious nature of RNA editing in plants

RNA (ribonucleic acid) editing is an important process for maintaining essential functions of encoded proteins at the RNA level. Recent studies show that RNA editing is a widespread phenomenon that occurs in various land ...

Deceptive daisy's ability to create fake flies explained

A male fly approaches a flower, lands on top of what he thinks is a female fly, and jiggles around. He's trying to mate, but it isn't quite working. He has another go. Eventually he gives up and buzzes off, unsuccessful. ...

Reconstructing the evolutionary history of detoxifying enzymes

Our body produces lots of enzymes that break down toxic substances. One class of such enzymes are the flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs), which are present in all tetrapods. Humans have five different FMO genes, of which ...

Agave gene delays poplar dormancy, study finds

A team of scientists led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered the gene in agave that governs when the plant goes dormant and used it to create poplar trees that nearly doubled in size, increasing biomass yield for ...

How grasses avoid inbreeding

Corn, rice, wheat, sugar cane—the grass family contains a number of species that are important food sources for humans and have been bred and cultivated for millennia. Wild and farm animals, too, depend heavily on grasses ...

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