A Viral RNA Silencing Suppressor Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species Levels to Induce the Autophagic Degradation of Dicer-Like and Argonaute-Like Proteins.

Mounting evidence indicates that viruses exploit elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels to promote replication and pathogenesis, yet the mechanistic underpinnings of this viral strategy remain elusive for many viral systems. This study uncovers a sophisticated viral counter-defense mechanism in the Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV1)-Fusarium graminearum system, where the viral p29 protein subverts host redox homeostasis to overcome antiviral responses. That p29 directly interacts with and inhibits the enzymatic activity of fungal NAD(P)H-dependent FMN reductase 1 (FMR1), leading to increased ROS accumulation and subsequent autophagy activation is demonstrated.

Haplotype shifts in the lipid-related OsGELP gene family underpin rice adaptation to high latitudes.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) originated in tropical regions but has successfully adapted to higher latitudes, largely through modifications in photoperiod sensitivity and cold tolerance mechanisms. Lipid metabolism, particularly involving membrane-associated enzymes, plays a key role in environmental sensing and response.

Duganella hordei sp. nov., Duganella caerulea sp. nov., and Duganella rhizosphaerae sp. nov., isolated from barley rhizosphere.

Duganella sp. strains R1, R57, and R64, isolated from barley roots in Japan, are Gram-stain-negative, motile, rod-shaped bacteria. Duganella species abundantly colonized barley roots.

ABA Receptor Isoforms Differently Regulate Stomatal Movements and Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species in ABA Signaling in Arabidopsis Guard Cells.

Abscisic acid (ABA) signaling in stomatal guard cells is crucial for plants to cope with abiotic stress condition. Pyrabactin is a synthetic agonist of ABA that has a selective affinity to limited isoforms of ABA receptors. Here we investigated the differential utilization of downstream signaling events in guard cell ABA signaling under specific receptor isoforms taking advantage of pyrabactin affinity.

Thylakostasis: Key Factors in Thylakoid Membrane Organization with Emphasis on Biogenesis and Remodeling Proteins in Vascular Plants.

The thylakoid membrane (TM), a defining feature for almost all oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms, serves as the structural foundation for light-driven energy conversion. In vascular plants, the TM evolved into a complex architecture composed of single-layered stroma thylakoids and stacked grana thylakoids, enabling the spatial organization of two photosystems (PSII and PSI) to optimize light capture and energy transfer. In addition, two membrane regions, one connecting these two compartments (grana margin) and the other corresponding to the curvature domain in grana, function in dissipating excess energy, balancing electron transfer, and maintaining functional PSII.

VESICLE-INDUCING PROTEIN IN PLASTIDS 1 from thylakoid-lacking Gloeobacter promotes thylakoid formation in Arabidopsis.

The thylakoid membrane (TM) is a specialized structure present in most oxygen-evolving photosynthetic cyanobacteria and chloroplasts. VESICLE-INDUCING PROTEINS IN PLASTIDS 1 (VIPP1) is a key protein involved in TM biogenesis, shaping, and maintenance. VIPP1 originated from PspA and over time has specialized to the TM, which likely coevolved with the emergence of the C-terminal tail (Vc) present in VIPP1 but not in PspA.

Structural insights into a citrate transporter that mediates aluminum tolerance in barley.

is a major aluminum (Al)-tolerance gene in barley, encoding a citrate transporter that belongs to the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family. This transporter facilitates citrate secretion from the roots, thereby detoxifying external Al ions-a major constraint of crop production on acidic soils. In this study, we present the outward-facing crystal structure of HvAACT1, providing insights into a citrate transport mechanism.

Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses from the Plant Viruses Subcommittee, 2025.

In March 2025, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote, newly proposed taxa were added to those under the mandate of the Plant Viruses Subcommittee. In brief, 1 new order, 3 new families, 6 new genera, 2 new subgenera and 206 new species were created. Some taxa were reorganized.

Virus taxonomy proposal summaries: a searchable and citable resource to disseminate virus taxonomy advances.

Taxonomic classification of cellular organisms requires the publication of descriptions and proposed names of species and the deposition of specimens. Virus taxonomy is developed through a different system of annual submission of formal taxonomy proposals (TPs) that can be submitted by anyone but are typically prepared by a study group appointed by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) and consisting of experts on a particular group of viruses. These are initially evaluated by an expert subcommittee and by the executive committee (EC) of the ICTV.

Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) from the Animal dsRNA and ssRNA(-) Viruses Subcommittee, 2025.

RNA viruses are ubiquitous in the environment and are important pathogens of humans, animals and plants. In 2024, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses Animal dsRNA and ssRNA(-) Viruses Subcommittee submitted 18 taxonomic proposals for consideration. These proposals expanded the known virosphere by classifying 9 new genera and 88 species for newly detected virus genomes.

Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) from the Fungal and Protist Viruses Subcommittee, 2025.

The Fungal and Protist Viruses Subcommittee (SC) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) has received a total of eight taxonomic proposals for the 2024 annual cycle. The extent of proposed changes varied, including nomenclatural updates, creation of new taxa and reorganization of established taxa. Following the ICTV procedures, all proposals were reviewed and voted upon by the members of the Executive Committee with ratification in March 2025.

Comparative Transcriptome Reveals ART1-Dependent Regulatory Pathways for Fe Toxicity Response in Rice Roots.

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for plants, but an excess supply can have detrimental effects. Fe toxicity induces complex physiological and genetic responses, and due to this complexity, the knowledge of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms under Fe toxicity is very limited. Previous studies suggested that plant responses to excess Fe involve oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which itself causes transcriptional changes.

CNGC2 Negatively Regulates Stomatal Closure and Is Not Required for flg22- and HO-Induced Guard Cell [Ca] Elevation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

In guard cells, cytosolic Ca acts as a second messenger that mediates abscisic acid (ABA)- and pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-induced stomatal closure. It was reported that Arabidopsis cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel 2 (CNGC2) functions as hydrogen peroxide (HO)- and PAMP-activated Ca-permeable channels at the plasma membrane of mesophyll cells and mediates Ca-dependent PAMP-triggered immunity. In this study, we examined the role of CNGC2 in the regulation of stomatal movement because CNGC2 is also expressed in guard cells.

Dual roles of suberin deposition at endodermal Casparian strip in manganese uptake of rice.

Rice roots are characterized by having two Casparian strips (CS) at the exodermis and endodermis, where transporters for mineral nutrients are expressed. However, the exact role of CS in expression of the transporters and subsequent nutrient uptake is poorly understood. Here, we first investigated the role of CS in manganese (Mn) uptake by using a rice mutant (oscasp1) defective in formation of endodermal CS.

Bush Basil Companion Plants Act as Plant Defense Potentiators for Cultivated Plants.

Interplant interactions mediated by plant-emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) occur with heterospecific neighboring plants, making VOC-emitting companion plants a practical tool for pest management. In this study, we investigated the cocultivation of common bean ( L.) with bush basil ( L.

Methanol chemoreceptor MtpA- and flagellin protein FliC-dependent methylotaxis contributes to the spatial colonization of PPFM in the phyllosphere.

Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) capable of growth on methanol are dominant and versatile phyllosphere bacteria that provide positive effects on plant growth through symbiosis. However, the spatial behavior of PPFMs on plant surfaces and its molecular basis are unknown. Here, we show that sp.

Insights into plastocyanin-cytochrome b6f complex formation: The role of plastocyanin phosphorylation.

Plastocyanin (PC) is a copper-containing protein that acts as a mobile electron carrier in plants during photosynthesis. In this work, we investigated the role of PC phosphorylation in photosynthetic electron transfer, focusing on interactions with both cytochrome b6f (Cytb6f) and photosystem I (PSI) in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. While the binding and electron transfer between PC and PSI are well characterized, the interaction between PC and Cytf remains less clear.

The hidden cation-selective pore in ion-conducting aquaporin OsPIP2;4 from rice.

Ion-conducting aquaporins (icAQPs) transport ions as well as water. Although the molecular mechanism of how AQPs establish selective permeability for water molecules is well understood, the ion-transporting mechanism in icAQPs has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of cation transport in OsPIP2;4, an icAQP in rice, by homology modeling and the electrophysiological analysis using Xenopus laevis oocytes.

Reference-based chromosome-scale assembly of Japanese barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare) cultivar Hayakiso 2.

Current advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and assembling programs permit construct chromosome-level genome assemblies in various plants. In contrast to resequencing, the genome sequences provide comprehensive annotation data useful for plant genetics and breeding. Herein, we constructed a reference-based genome assembly of winter barley (H.

Pancentromere analysis of Allium species reveals diverse centromere positions in onion and gigantic centromeres in garlic.

In eukaryotes, centromeres interact with the kinetochore for distribution of genetic information in cell division, yet their sequence and size are diverse among species. However, their position on chromosomes is considered to be conserved within a species. In this study, we analyzed the centromeres of 3 Allium species, namely, Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum), onion (Allium cepa), and garlic (Allium sativum) via pancentromere analysis and repetitive sequence analysis of centromeres and their neighborhoods and revealed their mobility, sequence organization, and size.

OsNIP3;1 mediates diurnal boron oscillation at rice vasculature tip.

Plant apoplast represents an essential compartment for the proper function of certain mineral solutes, and vasculature acts as a long-distance system to distribute them between different parts of the continuous apoplast. Guttation occurs at the distal end of the vasculature, but how it adds to ion homeostasis has received scant attention. Through genomic-scale ionomic profiling of apoplast fluids, guttation fluid, and xylem sap from 184 core accessions of paddy-grown rice, we identified novel ionomic constitution and dynamics.

Sulfur dioxide-induced guard cell death and stomatal closure are attenuated in nitrate/proton antiporter AtCLCa mutants.

Guard cells surrounding the stomata play a crucial role in regulating the entrance of hazardous gases such as SO2 into leaves. Stomatal closure could be a plant response to mitigate SO2 damage, although the mechanism for SO2-induced closure remains controversial. Proposed mediators for SO2-induced stomatal closure include phytohormones, reactive oxygen species, gasotransmitters, and cytosolic acidification.

Amino Acid Substitutions in Loop C of Arabidopsis PIP2 Aquaporins Alters the Permeability of CO.

The transport of CO across biomembranes in plant cells is essential for efficient photosynthesis. Some aquaporins capable of CO transport, referred to as 'COOporins', are postulated to play a crucial role in leaf CO diffusion. However, the structural basis of CO permeation through aquaporins remains largely unknown.