The Genome of Apera spica-venti: A Major Grass Weed.

Apera spica-venti (loose silky bent, or common windgrass) is a diploid grass-weed endemic to Europe and north Asia that has spread to the United States and Canada. This species has become a major grass weed in winter cereals, especially in eastern Europe mainly through the evolution of target site and nontarget site resistance mechanisms. The scientific community currently lacks genomic resources to understand herbicide resistance evolution in this plant and therefore resistance is hard to diagnose and treat.

Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerases in Plants and Their Human Counterparts: Parallels and Peculiarities.

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a rapid and transient post-translational protein modification that was described first in mammalian cells. Activated by the sensing of DNA strand breaks, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase1 (PARP1) transfers ADP-ribose units onto itself and other target proteins using NAD⁺ as a substrate. Subsequently, DNA damage responses and other cellular responses are initiated.

Farmers' perspective on herbicide-resistant weeds and application of resistance management strategies: results from a German survey.

Background: A herbicide resistance survey was conducted in Germany to determine farmers' awareness of herbicide resistance and experience with resistant weeds, the information sources on herbicide resistance used and the methods employed to confirm resistance. In addition, the application pattern and perception of resistance management strategies by farmers were assessed.

Results: The majority of farmers (88%) were aware of the presence of herbicide resistance cases in Germany and 64% and 50% of farmers reported that resistant weeds had been detected in their county and on their farm, respectively.

A yeast growth assay to characterize plant poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) proteins and inhibitors.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) have been implicated in responses of plants to DNA damage and numerous stresses, whereby the mechanistic basis of the interference is often unclear. Therefore, the identification of specific inhibitors and potential interactors of plant PARPs is desirable. For this purpose, we established an assay based on heterologous expression of PARP genes from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in yeast.

No Silver Bullet - Canonical Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerases (PARPs) Are No Universal Factors of Abiotic and Biotic Stress Resistance of .

Abiotic and biotic stress can have a detrimental impact on plant growth and productivity. Hence, there is a substantial demand for key factors of stress responses to improve yield stability of crops. Members of the poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) protein family, which post-translationally modify (PARylate) nuclear proteins, have been suggested as such universal determinants of plant stress responses.