Submerged aquatic vegetation or “SAV” includes both flowering and non-flowering plants that grow completely underwater. In the Chesapeake Bay region, the term “SAV” usually refers to various rooted aquatic angiosperms or “underwater grasses” found growing in shallow areas ranging from high salinity to freshwater tidal environments. Approximately 20 species are commonly found throughout Chesapea...

Field studies were performed during 2005 and 2006 to determine bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), larval behavior on conventional non-transgenic cotton plants (Coker 312), and on transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) plants expressing the Vip3A protein or a combination of Vip3A + Cry 1Ab proteins (VipCot). Plants representing each of the...

Submerged aquatic vegetation or “SAV” includes both flowering and non-flowering plants that grow completely underwater. In the Chesapeake Bay region, the term “SAV” usually refers to various rooted aquatic angiosperms or “underwater grasses” found growing in shallow areas ranging from high salinity to freshwater tidal environments. Approximately 20 species are commonly found throughout Chesapea...

MicroProteins are short, single domain proteins that act by sequestering larger, multi-domain proteins into non-functional complexes. MicroProteins have been identified in plants and animals, where they are mostly involved in the regulation of developmental processes. Here we show that two Arabidopsis thaliana microProteins, miP1a and miP1b, physically interact with CONSTANS (CO) a potent regul...

Flowering of many plants is induced by environmental signals, but these responses can depend on the age of the plant. Exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana to vernalization (winter temperatures) at germination induces flowering, whereas a close perennial relative Arabis alpina only responds if exposed when at least 5 weeks old. We show that vernalization of these older A. alpina plants reduces expre...

The majority of pollinating insects are generalists whose lifetimes overlap flowering periods of many potentially suitable plant species. Such generality is instrumental in allowing exotic plant species to invade pollination networks. The particulars of how existing networks change in response to an invasive plant over the course of its phenology are not well characterized, but may shed light o...

Flowering phenology and synchrony with biotic and abiotic resources are crucial traits determining the reproductive success in insect-pollinated plants. In seasonal climates, plants flowering for long periods should assure reproductive success when resources are more predictable. In this work, we evaluated the relationship between flowering phenology and synchrony and reproductive success in Hy...

Endogenous 24 nt short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), derived mostly from intergenic and repetitive genomic regions, constitute a major class of endogenous small RNAs in flowering plants. Accumulation of Arabidopsis thaliana 24 nt siRNAs requires the Dicer family member DCL3, and clear homologs of DCL3 exist in both flowering and non-flowering plants. However, the absence of a conspicuous 24 nt pea...

Plants synchronise their flowering with the seasons to maximise reproductive fitness. While plants sense environmental conditions largely through the leaves, the developmental decision to flower occurs in the shoot apex, requiring the transmission of flowering information, sometimes over quite long distances. Interestingly, despite the enormous diversity of reproductive strategies and lifestyle...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Populations of dioecious flowering plants commonly exhibit heterogeneity in sex ratios and deviations from the equilibrium expectation of equal numbers of females and males. Yet the role of ecological and demographic factors in contributing towards biased sex ratios is currently not well understood. METHODS Species-level studies from the literature were analysed to investi...