M. A. Blazquez

Growth arrest is a DNA damage protection strategy in plants

This study shows that plants can grow under limited water without compromising stress tolerance, but continuous cell division under stress causes DNA damage and cell death.

DELLA Proteins Recruit the Mediator Complex Subunit MED15 to Co-activate Transcription in Land Plants

This paper identifies DELLA proteins as co-activators that recruit the Mediator subunit MED15 to facilitate transcription in land plants, showing conservation from Arabidopsis to liverworts.

Genome-wide evidence of the role of Paf1C in transcription elongation and histone H2B monoubiquitination in Arabidopsis

This study shows Paf1C promotes transcription elongation and H2B monoubiquitination in Arabidopsis by analyzing subunit occupancy and RNAPII dynamics.

DELLA proteins regulate spore germination and reproductive development in Physcomitrium patens.

This study shows that DELLA proteins in the moss Physcomitrium patens regulate spore germination and reproductive development, but differ in regulation and function compared to flowering plant DELLAs.

Coordination between growth and stress responses by DELLA in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

This study shows that DELLA in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha coordinates growth and stress responses, similar to vascular plants, and interacts with MpPIF to promote oxidative stress tolerance.

A genetic approach to dissect the role of prefoldins in Arabidopsis

This study uses Arabidopsis mutants to determine the role of prefoldin complex in growth, development, and environmental responses, finding that the complex is required for flowering delay, seed germination, and salt stress response, while some functions are redundant.

A role for prefoldins in H2A.Z deposition in Arabidopsis

The paper investigates the role of prefoldins in nuclear processes, particularly in H2A.Z deposition, through interactome analysis and functional studies in Arabidopsis.

COP1 destabilizes DELLA proteins in Arabidopsis

This paper shows that COP1 destabilizes DELLA proteins in Arabidopsis through ubiquitination, independent of gibberellin signaling, and this process is relevant for growth responses to shade and warm temperature.

Identification of transgene-free CRISPR edited plants of rice and tomato by monitoring DsRED fluorescence in dry seeds

This paper develops a method to identify transgene-free CRISPR-edited rice and tomato plants by monitoring DsRED fluorescence in dry seeds, reducing the need for germination and multiple generations.

Origin of gibberellin-dependent transcriptional regulation by molecular exploitation of a transactivation domain in DELLA proteins

This study investigates the evolutionary origin of DELLA proteins, showing they evolved independently in land plants and were conserved for transcriptional co-activation before exaptation for gibberellin signaling.