Strigolactones optimise plant water usage by modulating vessel formation.

Wood formation is crucial for plant growth, enabling water and nutrient transport through vessel elements, derived from cambium stem cells (CSCs). CSCs produce vascular cell types in a bidirectional manner, but their regulation and cell fate trajectories remain unclear. Here, using single-cell transcriptome analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana, we reveal that the strigolactone (SL) signalling pathway negatively regulates vessel element formation, impacting plant water usage.

Analysis of Xylem Cells by Nucleus-Based Transcriptomics and Chromatin Profiling.

Nuclei contain essential information for cell states, including chromatin and RNA profiles - features which are nowadays accessible using high-throughput sequencing applications. Here, we describe analytical pipelines including nucleus isolation from differentiated xylem tissues by fluorescence-activated nucleus sorting (FANS), as well as subsequent SMART-seq2-based transcriptome profiling and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (ATAC)-seq-based chromatin analysis. Combined with tissue-specific expression of nuclear fluorescent reporters, these pipelines allow obtaining tissue-specific data on gene expression and on chromatin structure and are applicable for a large spectrum of cell types, tissues, and organs.

OBERON3 and SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1-LIKE proteins form a regulatory module driving phloem development.

Spatial specificity of cell fate decisions is central for organismal development. The phloem tissue mediates long-distance transport of energy metabolites along plant bodies and is characterized by an exceptional degree of cellular specialization. How a phloem-specific developmental program is implemented is, however, unknown.

Are Peach Cultivars Used in Conventional Long Food Supply Chains Suitable for the High-Quality Short Markets?

Peaches are climacteric and highly perishable fruits, with a short shelf life, and are prone to rapid deterioration after harvest. In this study, the chemical proprieties, aroma profile and a sensory evaluation were conducted to: (1) characterize and compare fruits of 13 different peach and nectarine cultivars, harvested at physiological maturation; and (2) assess the suitability of these cultivars, that are successfully used in long food supply chains (LFSCs), for their use in short food supply chains (SFSCs). Through statistical analysis clear differences were found among the studied cultivars, and in particular between cultivars suited to SFSCs compared to those suited for LFSCs.