Karina Medina-Jiménez

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

High-throughput phenotyping (HTP) allows automation of fast and precise acquisition and analysis of digital images for the detection of key traits in real time. HTP improves characterization of the growth and development of plants in controlled environments in a nondestructive fashion. Marchantia polymorpha has emerged as a very attractive model fo...

Mating has profound physiological and behavioral consequences for female insects. During copulation, female insects typically receive not only sperm, but a complex ejaculate containing hundreds of proteins and other molecules from male reproductive tissues, primarily the reproductive accessory glands. The post-mating phenotypes affected by male acc...

Biosynthesis of l -ascorbate (AsA) in plants is carried out by a complex metabolic network, which involves d -mannose/ l -galactose, d -galacturonate, l -gulose, and myo -inositol as main precursors. Arabidopsis lines over-expressing enzymes in the myo -inositol pathway have elevated AsA, accumulate more biomass of both aerial and root tissues, and...

Medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years and nowadays are extensively employed to treat diverse illnesses. The increasing consumption of medicinal plants and its derivative products has led to an increase of adulterant material during the manufacturing process. The quality of the medicinal active products could be affected by reducing...

Myo‐inositol oxygenase (MIOX) is the first enzyme in the inositol route to ascorbate (L‐ascorbic acid, AsA, vitamin C). We have previously shown that Arabidopsis plants constitutively expressing MIOX have elevated foliar AsA content and displayed enhanced growth rate, biomass accumulation, and increased tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. In th...

Galphimia glauca is a plant that is endemic to Mexico and has been commonly used since pre-Hispanic times to treat various illnesses, including central nervous system disorders and inflammation. The first studies investigating a natural population of G. glauca in Mexico showed that the plant has anxiolytic and sedative activities in mice and humans...

Myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) is the first enzyme in the inositol route to ascorbate (L-ascorbic acid, AsA, vitamin C). We have previously shown that Arabidopsis plants constitutively expressing MIOX have elevated foliar AsA content and displayed enhanced growth rate, biomass accumulation, and increased tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. In th...

In plants, l-ascorbic acid (AsA) is a functional enzyme cofactor, a major antioxidant, and a modulator of several biological processes including photosynthesis, photo-protection, cell wall growth and expansion, tolerance to environmental stresses, and synthesis of other molecules. One of the major roles of AsA in plants is detoxifying reactive oxyg...