An elite RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE3 allele enhances preharvest sprouting resistance in rice.

A new elite allele conferring enhanced preharvest sprouting resistance via hormonal pathways is a valuable target for molecular design breeding to improve seed quality and production stability.

Manipulation of the Expression of Tryptophan Decarboxylase Boosts Grain Functional Quality and Stress Resilience Capacity of Wheat.

Tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), the rate-limiting enzyme of tryptophan metabolism in plants, is essential for the production of a series of bioactive molecules, such as serotonin, melatonin and the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid and therefore plays crucial roles in various aspects of growth and development. However, its roles in determining wheat grain quality and stress resilience capacity remain unknown, limiting its utilisation in wheat improvement. In this study, we found that overexpression of AevTDC1 (AevTDC1-OX) of Aegilops variabilis, a wheat relative, did not significantly impair yield-related traits of wheat, but remarkably elevated the content of tryptamine, serotonin, melatonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid in the grains.

TsCYP94B1 regulates male fertility in androdioecious Tapiscia sinensis via jasmonic acid metabolism.

Tapiscia sinensis Oliv. (Tapisciaceae), a functionally androdioecious species, displays male individuals with higher pollen viability compared to hermaphrodites. This study elucidates the molecular basis underlying reduced pollen viability and abnormal tapetum development in hermaphroditic flowers.

Genomic and Cis-Regulatory Basis of a Plastic C-C Photosynthesis in Eleocharis Baldwinii.

C photosynthesis is a crucial trait for efficient carbon fixation; however, the genomic basis and environmental influences on its formation remain under explored. Here, we examined Eleocharis baldwinii, a sedge that exhibits photosynthetic plasticity with C-like traits underwater and C-like traits on land, to expand knowledge of C photosynthesis. A gap-free allopolyploid genome was assembled and a cellular expression atlas is reconstructed by applying single-nucleus RNA-seq.

Functional Characterization of PcUGT73BF6 from and the Facilitation of Emodin Catalysis via Site-Directed Mutagenesis.

Emodin (Emo) glycosides are significant bioactive constituents of , a well-known dietary plant in China and Japan. However, the role of uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases (UGTs) in Emo glycoside biosynthesis in remains elusive, which greatly hampers their industrial production. Here, first, we successfully identified an Emo glycosyltransferase, PcUGT73BF6, capable of regioselectively forming Emo 6--glucoside, and exhibited sugar donor promiscuity with a preference for UDP-Glc.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses unveil TaASMT3-mediated wheat resistance against stripe rust by promoting melatonin biosynthesis.

Plants have evolved a series of complicated defense mechanisms to counteract pathogen invasions. Although many studies have provided molecular evidence of resistance proteins and downstream signal transduction networks, the mechanisms by which plants resist pathogens remain poorly understood at the metabolite level. Here, we performed transcriptomic analyses of wheat leaves infected with Puccinia striiformis f.

Resistance to Striga parasitism through reduction of strigolactone exudation.

Parasitism with Striga poses a major threat to global food production. Striga germination and growth rely on strigolactones (SLs) exuded by crop roots under phosphate (Pi)-deficient conditions, although the mechanism of this host-parasite interaction remains elusive. In this study, transcriptomic and functional analyses of sorghum treated with Pi deficiency or the SL GR24 identify two ABC transporter G (ABCG) transporters of SL, Sorghum biocolor strigolactones transporter 1 (SbSLT1) and SbSLT2.

A pathogen effector HaRxL10 hijacks the circadian clock component CHE to perturb both plant development and immunity.

The intertwining between the life cycle of plants and their pathogens made the plant circadian clock an integral constituent of the plant immune system. Reciprocally, pathogens were also found to perturb the expression pattern of certain clock genes. However, how pathogens influence clock components remains largely unknown.

Tomato CYP94C1 inactivates bioactive JA-Ile to attenuate jasmonate-mediated defense during fruit ripening.

As the master regulators of the ET signaling pathway, EIL transcription factors directly activate the expression of CYP94C1 to inactivate bioactive JA-Ile, thereby attenuating JA-mediated defense during fruit ripening. Knockout of CYP94C1 improves tomato fruit resistance to necrotrophs without compromising fruit quality.

Structural insights into a novel nonheme iron-dependent oxygenase in selenoneine biosynthesis.

Selenoneine (SEN) is a natural histidine derivative with radical-scavenging activity and shows higher antioxidant potential than its sulfur-containing isolog ergothioneine (EGT). Recently, the SEN biosynthetic pathway in Variovorax paradoxus was reported. Resembling EGT biosynthesis, the committed step of SEN synthesis is catalyzed by a nonheme Fe-dependent oxygenase termed SenA.

Remodeling the polymer-binding cavity to improve the efficacy of PBAT-degrading enzyme.

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is among the most widely applied synthetic polyesters that are utilized in the packaging and agricultural industries, but the accumulation of PBAT wastes has posed a great burden to ecosystems. Using renewable enzymes to decompose PBAT is an eco-friendly solution to tackle this problem. Recently, we demonstrated that cutinase is the most effective PBAT-degrading enzyme and that an engineered cutinase termed TfCut-DM could completely decompose PBAT film to terephthalate (TPA).

Jasmonates regulate apical hook development by repressing brassinosteroid biosynthesis and signaling.

An apical hook is a special structure formed during skotomorphogenesis in dicotyledonous plant species. It is critical for protecting the shoot apical meristem from mechanical damage during seed germination and hypocotyl elongation in soil. Brassinosteroid (BR) and jasmonate (JA) phytohormones antagonistically regulate apical hook formation.

Brassinosteroid coordinates cell layer interactions in plants via cell wall and tissue mechanics.

Growth coordination between cell layers is essential for development of most multicellular organisms. Coordination may be mediated by molecular signaling and/or mechanical connectivity between cells, but how genes modify mechanical interactions between layers is unknown. Here we show that genes driving brassinosteroid synthesis promote growth of internal tissue, at least in part, by reducing mechanical epidermal constraint.

Knock out of amino acid transporter gene OsLHT1 accelerates leaf senescence and enhances resistance to rice blast fungus.

Plant amino acid transporters regulate not only long-distance transport and reallocation of nitrogen (N) from source to sink organs, but also the amount of amino acids in leaves hijacked by invading pathogens. However, the function of amino acid transporters in plant defense responses to pathogen infection remains unknown. In this study, we found that the rice amino acid transporter gene OsLHT1 was expressed in leaves and up-regulated by maturation, N starvation, and inoculation of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

SnoRNP is essential for thermospermine-mediated development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Polyamines have been discovered for hundreds of years and once considered as a class of phytohormones. Polyamines play critical roles in a range of developmental processes. However, the molecular mechanisms of polyamine signaling pathways remain poorly understood.

The photomorphogenic repressors BBX28 and BBX29 integrate light and brassinosteroid signaling to inhibit seedling development in Arabidopsis.

B-box containing proteins (BBXs) integrate light and various hormonal signals to regulate plant growth and development. Here, we demonstrate that the photomorphogenic repressors BBX28 and BBX29 positively regulate brassinosteroid (BR) signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Treatment with the BR brassinolide stabilized BBX28 and BBX29, which partially depended on BR INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) and BIN2.

Creation of fragrant sorghum by CRISPR/Cas9.

Sorghum, the fifth largest cereal crop, has high value as a staple food and raw material for liquor and vinegar brewing. Due to its high biomass and quality, it is also used as the second most planted silage resource. No fragrant sorghums are currently on the market.

A Tailored High-Efficiency Sample Pretreatment Method for Simultaneous Quantification of 10 Classes of Known Endogenous Phytohormones.

One of the hottest topics in plant hormone biology is the crosstalk mechanisms, whereby multiple classes of phytohormones interplay with each other through signaling networks. To better understand the roles of hormonal crosstalks in their complex regulatory networks, it is of high significance to investigate the spatial and temporal distributions of multiple -phytohormones simultaneously from one plant tissue sample. In this study, we develop a high-sensitivity and high-throughput method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of 44 phytohormone compounds, covering currently known 10 major classes of phytohormones (strigolactones, brassinosteroids, gibberellins, auxin, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, cytokinins, ethylene, and polypeptide hormones [e.

An Arabidopsis Secondary Metabolite Directly Targets Expression of the Bacterial Type III Secretion System to Inhibit Bacterial Virulence.

Plants deploy a variety of secondary metabolites to fend off pathogen attack. Although defense compounds are generally considered toxic to microbes, the exact mechanisms are often unknown. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis defense compound sulforaphane (SFN) functions primarily by inhibiting Pseudomonas syringae type III secretion system (TTSS) genes, which are essential for pathogenesis.