John C. Cushman
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View article: Exploring the phenotypic diversity of Eragrostis tef for biomass and grain production under optimum growth conditions
Exploring the phenotypic diversity of Eragrostis tef for biomass and grain production under optimum growth conditions Open
Introduction Tef or Teff [ Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter)] is a C 4 photosynthesis tropical grass species within the Poaceae valued for its high-quality forage, fodder, and highly nutritious, gluten-free grain while showing great potentia…
View article: The Nitrogen Preference of Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica): A Sand Culture Snapshot
The Nitrogen Preference of Cactus Pear (Opuntia ficus-indica): A Sand Culture Snapshot Open
Cactus pear (Opuntia-ficus indica (L.) Mill.) is an important agricultural crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species used as a source of food, forage, fodder, and secondary products and as a biofuel feedstock. However, the preferred sourc…
View article: Comprehensive expression profiling analysis to investigate salt and drought responding genes in wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum L.)
Comprehensive expression profiling analysis to investigate salt and drought responding genes in wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum L.) Open
Drought and salinity are among the most affecting abiotic stress factors that limit the productivity in economically important plants. Understanding drought and salt tolerance mechanism is pivotal for developing drought and salt tolerant c…
View article: Multiple mechanisms explain loss of anthocyanins from betalain‐pigmented Caryophyllales, including repeated wholesale loss of a key anthocyanidin synthesis enzyme
Multiple mechanisms explain loss of anthocyanins from betalain‐pigmented Caryophyllales, including repeated wholesale loss of a key anthocyanidin synthesis enzyme Open
Summary In this study, we investigate the genetic mechanisms responsible for the loss of anthocyanins in betalain‐pigmented Caryophyllales, considering our hypothesis of multiple transitions to betalain pigmentation. Utilizing transcriptom…
View article: Epidermal bladder cells as a herbivore defense mechanism
Epidermal bladder cells as a herbivore defense mechanism Open
The aerial surfaces of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) and common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) are covered with a layer of epidermal bladder cells (EBCs), which are modified non-glandular trichomes previously considered to be key …
View article: Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) at the crossroads: a special issue to honour 50 years of CAM research by Klaus Winter
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) at the crossroads: a special issue to honour 50 years of CAM research by Klaus Winter Open
A spectacular feature of the botanical world is the succulent flora, which presents a diversity of life forms from the fascinating to the strange (Figs 123).Succulence describes fleshy tissue with high water content, yet as a character sta…
View article: Humboldt Review: Tissue succulence in plants: Carrying water for climate change
Humboldt Review: Tissue succulence in plants: Carrying water for climate change Open
Tissue succulence in plants involves the storage of water in one or more organs or tissues to assist in maintaining water potentials on daily or seasonal time scales. This drought-avoidance or drought-resistance strategy allows plants to o…
View article: Expression Profiling of Salt- And Drought-Stress Responsive Genes in Wild Barley (Hordeum spontaneum L.)
Expression Profiling of Salt- And Drought-Stress Responsive Genes in Wild Barley (Hordeum spontaneum L.) Open
Drought and salinity are among the most important abiotic stress factors that limit the productivity in economically important plants. Although genes from wild relatives or unadapted germplasm have often been used for stress tolerance bree…
View article: Developmental dynamics of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in <i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i>
Developmental dynamics of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in <i>Opuntia ficus-indica</i> Open
Background and Aims The relative contributions of C3 photosynthesis and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) during the earliest stages of development were investigated to assess how much each might contribute to cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-i…
View article: Engineering crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) pathways in plants
Engineering crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) pathways in plants Open
Disclosed herein are method of altering CAM pathways in plants. In some examples, a disclosed method includes overexpressing one or more genes encoding one or more enzymes that carry out the basic biochemical sequence of nocturnal CO2 fixa…
View article: Methods of engineered tissue succulence in plants
Methods of engineered tissue succulence in plants Open
Disclosed herein are methods of altering tissue succulence in plants. In some examples, a disclosed method includes overexpressing a modified helix-loop-helix transcription factor CEB1 in a plant cell, thereby altering plant succulence. Th…
View article: The starch-deficient plastidic <i>PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE</i> mutant of the constitutive crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species <i>Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi</i> impacts diel regulation and timing of stomatal CO2 responsiveness
The starch-deficient plastidic <i>PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE</i> mutant of the constitutive crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species <i>Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi</i> impacts diel regulation and timing of stomatal CO2 responsiveness Open
Background and Aims Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is a specialized type of photosynthesis characterized by a diel pattern of stomatal opening at night and closure during the day, which increases water-use efficiency. Starch degradatio…
View article: Epidermal Bladder Cells as a Herbivore Defence Mechanism
Epidermal Bladder Cells as a Herbivore Defence Mechanism Open
View article: Evolutionary blocks to anthocyanin accumulation and the loss of an anthocyanin carrier protein in betalain-pigmented Caryophyllales
Evolutionary blocks to anthocyanin accumulation and the loss of an anthocyanin carrier protein in betalain-pigmented Caryophyllales Open
SUMMARY ◻ The order Caryophyllales exhibits complex pigment evolution, with mutual exclusion of anthocyanin and betalain pigments. Given recent evidence for multiple shifts to betalain pigmentation, we re-evaluated potential mechanisms und…
View article: The final piece of the Triangle of U: Evolution of the tetraploid <i>Brassica carinata</i> genome
The final piece of the Triangle of U: Evolution of the tetraploid <i>Brassica carinata</i> genome Open
Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) is an ancient crop with remarkable stress resilience and a desirable seed fatty acid profile for biofuel uses. Brassica carinata is one of six Brassica species that share three major genomes from three…
View article: Realizing the Potential of Camelina sativa as a Bioenergy Crop for a Changing Global Climate
Realizing the Potential of Camelina sativa as a Bioenergy Crop for a Changing Global Climate Open
Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz. is an annual oilseed crop within the Brassicaceae family. C. sativa has been grown since as early as 4000 BCE. In recent years, C. sativa received increased attention as a climate-resilient oilseed, seed meal, …
View article: The last missing piece of the <i>Triangle of U</i>: the evolution of the tetraploid <i>Brassica carinata</i> genome
The last missing piece of the <i>Triangle of U</i>: the evolution of the tetraploid <i>Brassica carinata</i> genome Open
Ethiopian mustard ( Brassica carinata ) is an ancient crop with significant potential for expanded cultivation as a biodiesel feedstock. The remarkable stress resilience of B. carinata and desirable seed fatty acid profile addresses the on…
View article: Multiscale Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of <i>Grindelia</i> Reveals Opportunities for Generating Low Oxygen Content Bio-Oils from Drought Tolerant Biomass
Multiscale Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of <i>Grindelia</i> Reveals Opportunities for Generating Low Oxygen Content Bio-Oils from Drought Tolerant Biomass Open
Grindelia squarrosa (curlycup gumweed) biomass possesses unique biochemistry, cell wall composition, and leaf architecture tailored for prolific growth in arid and semiarid climates. Most notably, this plant has developed high levels of ex…
View article: Grain mineral nutrient profiling and iron bioavailability of an ancient crop tef (Eragrostis tef)
Grain mineral nutrient profiling and iron bioavailability of an ancient crop tef (Eragrostis tef) Open
Tef (Eragrostis tef) is an underutilized food crop rich in minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. However, mineral profiling of diverse tef accessions, and estimation of bioavailable iron from tef has been lacking. In this study, we analyzed…
View article: Characterization of a microbial consortium with potential for biological degradation of cactus pear biomass for biofuel production
Characterization of a microbial consortium with potential for biological degradation of cactus pear biomass for biofuel production Open
View article: Membrane Profiling by Free Flow Electrophoresis and SWATH-MS to Characterize Subcellular Compartment Proteomes in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
Membrane Profiling by Free Flow Electrophoresis and SWATH-MS to Characterize Subcellular Compartment Proteomes in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum Open
The study of subcellular membrane structure and function facilitates investigations into how biological processes are divided within the cell. However, work in this area has been hampered by the limited techniques available to fractionate …
View article: Five‐year field trial of the biomass productivity and water input response of cactus pear (<i>Opuntia</i> spp.) as a bioenergy feedstock for arid lands
Five‐year field trial of the biomass productivity and water input response of cactus pear (<i>Opuntia</i> spp.) as a bioenergy feedstock for arid lands Open
Climate‐resilient and highly water‐use efficient crops are needed to meet the future food, feed, fiber, and fuel demands of a growing human population. Cactus pear ( Opuntia spp.) are highly productive yet have crop water demands that are …
View article: Genomic adaptations of the green alga Dunaliella salina to life under high salinity
Genomic adaptations of the green alga Dunaliella salina to life under high salinity Open
View article: Biology and chemistry of an Umbravirus like 2989 bp single stranded RNA as a possible causal agent for Opuntia stunting disease (engrosamiento de cladodios) - A Review
Biology and chemistry of an Umbravirus like 2989 bp single stranded RNA as a possible causal agent for Opuntia stunting disease (engrosamiento de cladodios) - A Review Open
Perhaps the most economically important disease of Opuntia ficus indica fruit cacti in Mexicois the “engrosamiento de cladodios” or macho disease. The symptoms of this disease, whichhas been suggested to be caused by a phytoplasma, are sev…
View article: Disentangling Sources of Gene Tree Discordance in Phylogenomic Data Sets: Testing Ancient Hybridizations in Amaranthaceae s.l
Disentangling Sources of Gene Tree Discordance in Phylogenomic Data Sets: Testing Ancient Hybridizations in Amaranthaceae s.l Open
Gene tree discordance in large genomic data sets can be caused by evolutionary processes such as incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization, as well as model violation, and errors in data processing, orthology inference, and gene tree es…
View article: Plant tissue succulence engineering improves water‐use efficiency, water‐deficit stress attenuation and salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis
Plant tissue succulence engineering improves water‐use efficiency, water‐deficit stress attenuation and salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis Open
SUMMARY Tissue succulence (ratio of tissue water/leaf area or dry mass) or the ability to store water within living tissues is among the most successful adaptations to drought in the plant kingdom. This taxonomically widespread adaptation …
View article: Five-Year Field Trial of Eight Camelina sativa Cultivars for Biomass to be Used in Biofuel under Irrigated Conditions in a Semi-Arid Climate
Five-Year Field Trial of Eight Camelina sativa Cultivars for Biomass to be Used in Biofuel under Irrigated Conditions in a Semi-Arid Climate Open
Camelina sativa is a promising oilseed crop used for dietary oil and as a biofuel feedstock. C. sativa is a highly adaptable, cool season crop that can be grown on marginal lands with minimal inputs, making it potentially suitable for grow…
View article: Editorial: Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology in Relation to Drought Tolerance or Avoidance in Plants
Editorial: Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology in Relation to Drought Tolerance or Avoidance in Plants Open
Drought stress has been a long-time limitation to crop production that is being exacerbated by climate change and associated reductions in the availability of blue water resources for agriculture. Most existing food and industrial crops ar…
View article: An<i>Agrobacterium</i>-mediated transformation via organogenesis regeneration of a facultative CAM plant, the common ice plant<i>Mesembryanthemum crystallinum</i>L
An<i>Agrobacterium</i>-mediated transformation via organogenesis regeneration of a facultative CAM plant, the common ice plant<i>Mesembryanthemum crystallinum</i>L Open
The common ice plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. provides a useful model for the study of environmentally induced photosynthetic conversion and abiotic stresses tolerance. However, a procedure for the production of transgenic ice pla…
View article: Light-responsive expression atlas reveals the effects of light quality and intensity in <i>Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi</i>, a plant with crassulacean acid metabolism
Light-responsive expression atlas reveals the effects of light quality and intensity in <i>Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi</i>, a plant with crassulacean acid metabolism Open
Background Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a specialized mode of photosynthesis, enables plant adaptation to water-limited environments and improves photosynthetic efficiency via an inorganic carbon-concentrating mechanism. Kalanchoë f…