Development and efficacy of dsRNA pesticides targeting the Colorado potato beetle with enhanced stability via chitosan formulations.

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB, Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a major pest of solanaceous crops and has developed resistance to many conventional insecticides, highlighting the need for novel, environmentally sustainable control strategies. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of RNA interference (RNAi) targeting the proteasome subunit β5 (PSMB5) gene as a biopesticide approach against CPB larvae. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting PSMB5 (a highly specific dsRNA) and Actin (a less specific dsRNA) dsRNA was synthesized and applied via leaf dip assays, either in naked form or formulated with chitosan nanoparticles.

Identification of a hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA double bond reductase (HDR) affirms multiple pathways for dihydrochalcone formation in apple.

Dihydrochalcones are secondary metabolites with manifold dietary and pharmaceutical properties, but with a yet unclear function in plants. The abundance of dihydrochalcones, particularly phloridzin, makes Malus ssp. unique in the plant kingdom.

Lupins in the genome editing era: advances in plant cell culture, double haploid technology and genetic transformation for crop improvement.

The global trend towards plant-based protein sources as an alternative to animal-derived protein has surged due to health benefits, rising adoption of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles. This shift promotes sustainable agriculture by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and safeguarding biodiversity. Among various plant-based protein sources, legumes have received considerable attention due to their high-protein content, gluten-free nature and nitrogen-fixing capacity, making them indispensable in crop rotation systems.

Proposed EU NGT legislation in light of plant genetic variation.

The European Commission (EC) proposal for New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) of July 2023 specifies that Category 1 NGT (NGT1) plants, which are considered equivalent to conventional plants, that is those obtainable by conventional plant breeding or mutagenesis, may differ from the recipient or parental plant by no more than 20 insertions, which cannot be longer than 20 bp; deletions can be no more than 20 but of any size. Here, we examine the proposed 20/20 NGT1 limit against the background of the theoretical considerations and older data used to frame it and in light of recent data from highly contiguous long-read assemblies for reference genomes and pangenomes. We find that current genomic data indicate that natural variation in germplasm used by breeders is much greater than earlier understood and that both conventional breeding and mutagenesis can introduce genomic changes that are both more extensive in size and more frequent than the NGT Category 1 '20 insertions of maximum 20 bp' limit would allow.

Differentiation of European yellow rust subraces within the 'Warrior(-)' genetic group.

Wheat yellow rust is one of the most destructive and rapidly evolving wheat diseases worldwide, particularly in Europe. In 2011, the previously clonal European yellow rust races were replaced by a presumably sexually derived population, characterized as the new race called 'Warrior'. This race acquired additional virulence, leading to the emergence of 'Warrior(-)' in 2013.

SEOR2 in Arabidopsis mediates Ca dependent defense against phytoplasmas and reduction of plant growth.

The Arabidopsis seor1ko line, which expresses the protein AtSEOR2 free of its bond with AtSEOR1, exhibits a lower phytoplasma titre as compared to wild type plants. In search for mechanism(s) underlying potential SEOR2-mediated defense responses the transcriptome of healthy wild type and Atseor1ko plants was disclosed by RNA sequencing. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed 1036 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 893 up- and 143 down-regulated) between the Atseor1ko line and the wild type.

Studies on the Japanese soil-borne wheat mosaic virus movement protein highlight its ability to bind plant RNA.

Background: Plant viral movement protein (MP) function is decisive for virus cell-to-cell movement. Often, MPs also induce membrane alterations, which are believed to play a role for the establishment of viral replication compartments. Despite these central roles in virus infection, knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms by which MPs cause changes in plasmodesmata (PD) size exclusion limit and contribute to the formation of viral replication compartments remain far from being complete.

Plant species richness promotes the decoupling of leaf and root defence traits while species-specific responses in physical and chemical defences are rare.

The increased positive impact of plant diversity on ecosystem functioning is often attributed to the accumulation of mutualists and dilution of antagonists in diverse plant communities. While increased plant diversity alters traits related to resource acquisition, it remains unclear whether it reduces defence allocation, whether this reduction differs between roots and leaves, or varies among species. To answer these questions, we assessed the effect of plant species richness, plant species identity and their interaction on the expression of 23 physical and chemical leaf and fine root defence traits of 16 plant species in a 19-yr-old biodiversity experiment.

Invertebrate Decline Has Minimal Effects on Oak-Associated Microbiomes.

Recently, biomass of invertebrates has declined substantially at many locations with the implications of this biodiversity loss for ecosystems yet unknown. Through multitrophic interactions, plant- and soil-associated microbiomes might be altered, causing a cascade of changes on diverse ecosystem processes. We simulated aboveground invertebrate decline in grassland ecosystems with two levels of invertebrate biomass (36% and 100% of current ambient conditions), plus a control with no invertebrates present.

Plant Species Richness and the Root Economics Space Drive Soil Fungal Communities.

Trait-based approaches have been increasingly used to relate plants to soil microbial communities. Using the recently described root economics space as an approach to explain the structure of soil-borne fungal communities, our study in a grassland diversity experiment reveals distinct root trait strategies at the plant community level. In addition to significant effects of plant species richness, we show that the collaboration and conservation gradient are strong drivers of the composition of the different guilds of soil fungi.

Bacterial N-Acyl Homoserine Lactone Priming Enhances Leaf-Rust Resistance in Winter Wheat and Some Genomic Regions Are Associated with Priming Efficiency.

Leaf rust () is a common disease that causes significant yield losses in wheat. The most frequently used methods to control leaf rust are the application of fungicides and the cultivation of resistant genotypes. However, high genetic diversity and associated adaptability of pathogen populations hamper achieving durable resistance in wheat.

Improving transient expression in by suppression of the and plant defence response related genes.

Currently transient expression is one of the preferred plant-based technologies for recombinant protein manufacturing, particularly in respect to pharmaceutically relevant products. Modern hybrid transient expression systems combine the features of and viral vectors. However, host plant reaction to Agrobacterium-mediated delivery of gene of interest can negatively affect foreign protein accumulation.

A PLA2 deletion mutant using CRISPR/Cas9 coupled to RNASeq reveals insect immune genes associated with eicosanoid signaling.

Eicosanoids mediate insect immune responses and synthesized by the catalytic activity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2). A uniquely encoded secretory PLA2 (sPLA2) is associated with immune responses of a lepidopteran insect, Spodoptera exigua. Its deletion mutant was generated using a CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology.

Haplotype determination of the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus by Nanopore sequencing and linkage of single nucleotide variants.

Naturally occurring isolates of baculoviruses, such as the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), usually consist of numerous genetically different haplotypes. Deciphering the different haplotypes of such isolates is hampered by the large size of the dsDNA genome, as well as the short read length of next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques that are widely applied for baculovirus isolate characterization. In this study, we addressed this challenge by combining the accuracy of NGS to determine single nucleotide variants (SNVs) as genetic markers with the long read length of Nanopore sequencing technique.

The structure of the tetraploid sour cherry 'Schattenmorelle' ( L.) genome reveals insights into its segmental allopolyploid nature.

Sour cherry ( L.) is an important allotetraploid cherry species that evolved in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea regions from a hybridization of the tetraploid ground cherry ( Pall.) and an unreduced pollen of the diploid sweet cherry ( L.

From Petri Dish to Field: Plant Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering of Oats for Improved Agricultural Outcomes.

Oats () hold immense economic and nutritional value as a versatile crop. They have long been recognized as an exceptional choice for human consumption and animal feed. Oats' unique components, including proteins, starches, and β-glucans, have led to its widespread use in various food products such as bread, noodles, flakes, and milk.

Identification of Markers Associated with Wheat Dwarf Virus (WDV) Tolerance/Resistance in Barley ( ssp. ) Using Genome-Wide Association Studies.

Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) causes an important vector transmitted virus disease, which leads to significant yield losses in barley production. Due to the fact that, at the moment, no plant protection products are approved to combat the vector , and this disease cannot be controlled by chemical means, the use of WDV-resistant or -tolerant genotypes is the most efficient method to control and reduce the negative effects of WDV on barley growth and production. In this study, a set of 480 barley genotypes were screened to identify genotypic differences in response to WDV, and five traits were assessed under infected and noninfected conditions.

Finding needles in a haystack: identification of inter-specific introgressions in wheat genebank collections using low-coverage sequencing data.

Recently, entire genebank collections of wheat have been extensively characterized with sequencing data. We have identified introgressions using these genotyping-by-sequencing and whole-genome sequencing data. On the basis of our results, we provide information about predicted introgressions at 1-Mb resolution for 9,172 wheat samples as a resource for breeders and scientists.

A comparison of three different delivery methods for achieving CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing in L.

Root chicory ( L. var. ) is used to extract inulin, a fructose polymer used as a natural sweetener and prebiotic.

The Australasian dingo archetype: de novo chromosome-length genome assembly, DNA methylome, and cranial morphology.

Background: One difficulty in testing the hypothesis that the Australasian dingo is a functional intermediate between wild wolves and domesticated breed dogs is that there is no reference specimen. Here we link a high-quality de novo long-read chromosomal assembly with epigenetic footprints and morphology to describe the Alpine dingo female named Cooinda. It was critical to establish an Alpine dingo reference because this ecotype occurs throughout coastal eastern Australia where the first drawings and descriptions were completed.

Targeted gene deletion with SpCas9 and multiple guide RNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana: four are better than two.

Background: In plant genome editing, RNA-guided nucleases such as Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9) predominantly induce small insertions or deletions at target sites. This can be used for inactivation of protein-coding genes by frame shift mutations. However, in some cases, it may be advantageous to delete larger chromosomal segments.

SNP Diversity and Genetic Structure of "Rogosija", an Old Western Balkan Durum Wheat Collection.

Durum wheat landraces represent a genetic resource for the identification and isolation of new valuable genes and alleles, useful to increase the crop adaptability to climate change. Several durum wheat landraces, all denominated "Rogosija", were extensively cultivated in the Western Balkan Peninsula until the first half of the 20th century. Within the conservation program of the Montenegro Plant Gene Bank, these landraces were collected, but without being characterized.