HD-Zip II transcription factors control distal stem cell fate in Arabidopsis roots by linking auxin signaling to the FEZ/SOMBRERO pathway.

In multicellular organisms, specialized tissues are generated by specific populations of stem cells through cycles of asymmetric cell divisions, where one daughter undergoes differentiation and the other maintains proliferative properties. In Arabidopsis thaliana roots, the columella - a gravity-sensing tissue that protects and defines the position of the stem cell niche - represents a typical example of a tissue whose organization is exclusively determined by the balance between proliferation and differentiation. The columella derives from a single layer of stem cells through a binary cell fate switch that is precisely controlled by multiple, independent regulatory inputs.

Mutations overlying the miR172 target site of TOE-type genes are prime candidate variants for the double-flower trait in mei.

Mutations affecting flower shape in many plants have been favored by human selection, and various fruit trees are also grown for ornamental purposes. Mei (Prunus mume) is a dual purpose tree originated in China well known in the Western world for its generous early blooms, often bearing double flowers. Building on the knowledge of its genomic location, a candidate gene approach was used to identify a 49 bp deletion encompassing the miR172 target site of the euAP2 gene pmTOE (PmuVar_Ch1_3490) as a prime variant linked to flower doubleness.

A new wild emmer wheat panel allows to map new loci associated with resistance to stem rust at seedling stage.

Wheat stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), is a major wheat disease worldwide.

A Travel through Landscapes of Seed Dormancy.

Basic features of seed dormancy are illustrated. The seed overall regulatory network governs seed metabolism and development, and it is coordinated by plant hormones. A functional model focused on abscisic acid (ABA), the foremost plant hormone in dormancy, is used as a framework to critically discuss the literature.

In order to lower the antinutritional activity of serine protease inhibitors, we need to understand their role in seed development.

Proteases, including serine proteases, are involved in the entire life cycle of plants. Proteases are controlled by protease inhibitors (PI) to limit any uncontrolled or harmful protease activity. The role of PIs in biotic and abiotic stress tolerance is well documented, however their role in various other plant processes has not been fully elucidated.

QTL mapping for kernel-related traits in a durum wheat x . segregating population.

Durum wheat breeding relies on grain yield improvement to meet its upcoming demand while coping with climate change. Kernel size and shape are the determinants of thousand kernel weight (TKW), which is a key component of grain yield, and the understanding of the genetic control behind these traits supports the progress in yield potential. The present study aimed to dissect the genetic network responsible for kernel size components (length, width, perimeter, and area) and kernel shape traits (width-to-length ratio and formcoefficient) as well as their relationships with kernel weight, plant height, and heading date in durum wheat.

Combining Native and Malted Triticale Flours in Biscuits: Nutritional and Technological Implications.

Triticale-based biscuits were formulated with increasing substitution levels (i.e., 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% /) of malted triticale flour (MTF).

Analysis of >3400 worldwide eggplant accessions reveals two independent domestication events and multiple migration-diversification routes.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is an important Solanaceous crop, widely cultivated and consumed in Asia, the Mediterranean basin, and Southeast Europe. Its domestication centers and migration and diversification routes are still a matter of debate. We report the largest georeferenced and genotyped collection to this date for eggplant and its wild relatives, consisting of 3499 accessions from seven worldwide genebanks, originating from 105 countries in five continents.

Genetic and Phenotypic Analyses of Carpel Development in Arabidopsis.

Carpels are the female reproductive organs of the flower, organized in a gynoecium, which is likely the most complex organ of the plant. The gynoecium provides protection for the ovules, helps to discriminate between male gametophytes, and facilitates successful pollination. After fertilization, it develops into a fruit, a specialized organ for seed protection and dispersal.

Genome-wide analysis of genetic diversity in a germplasm collection including wild relatives and interspecific clones of garden asparagus.

The genus includes approximately 240 species, the most important of which is garden asparagus ( L.), as this is a vegetable crop cultivated worldwide for its edible spear. Along with garden asparagus, other species are also cultivated (e.

Conventional and new genetic resources for an eggplant breeding revolution.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a major vegetable crop with great potential for genetic improvement owing to its large and mostly untapped genetic diversity. It is closely related to over 500 species of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum that belong to its primary, secondary, and tertiary genepools and exhibit a wide range of characteristics useful for eggplant breeding, including traits adaptive to climate change. Germplasm banks worldwide hold more than 19 000 accessions of eggplant and related species, most of which have yet to be evaluated.

Exploring the metabolic and physiological roles of in by gene editing.

The most abundant phenolic compound in Solanaceous plants is chlorogenic acid (CGA), which possesses protective properties such as antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. These properties are particularly relevant when plants are under adverse conditions, such as pathogen attack, excess light, or extreme temperatures that cause oxidative stress. Additionally, CGA has been shown to absorb UV-B light.

Updated guidelines for gene nomenclature in wheat.

Here, we provide an updated set of guidelines for naming genes in wheat that has been endorsed by the wheat research community. The last decade has seen a proliferation in genomic resources for wheat, including reference- and pan-genome assemblies with gene annotations, which provide new opportunities to detect, characterise, and describe genes that influence traits of interest. The expansion of genetic information has supported growth of the wheat research community and catalysed strong interest in the genes that control agronomically important traits, such as yield, pathogen resistance, grain quality, and abiotic stress tolerance.

Hierarchical Effects of Lactic Fermentation and Grain Germination on the Microbial and Metabolomic Profile of Rye Doughs.

A multi-omics approach was adopted to investigate the impact of lactic acid fermentation and seed germination on the composition and physicochemical properties of rye doughs. Doughs were prepared with either native or germinated rye flour and fermented with combined or not with a sourdough starter including , and LAB fermentation significantly increased total titrable acidity and dough rise regardless of the flour used. Targeted metagenomics revealed a strong impact of germination on the bacterial community profile of sprouted rye flour.

Marker-Assisted Pyramiding of Blast-Resistance Genes in a Elite Rice Cultivar through Forward and Background Selection.

Rice blast, caused by , is one of the main rice diseases worldwide. The pyramiding of blast-resistance () genes, coupled to Marker-Assisted BackCrossing (MABC), provides broad-spectrum and potentially durable resistance while limiting the donor genome in the background of an elite cultivar. In this work, MABC coupled to foreground and background selections based on KASP marker assays has been applied to introgress four genes (, and ) in a renowned Italian rice variety, highly susceptible to blast.

Responses to Drought Stress in Poplar: What Do We Know and What Can We Learn?

Poplar ( spp.) is a high-value crop for wood and biomass production and a model organism for tree physiology and genomics. The early release, in 2006, of the complete genome sequence of was followed by a wealth of studies that significantly enriched our knowledge of complex pathways inherent to woody plants, such as lignin biosynthesis and secondary cell wall deposition.

Marker-Assisted Introgression of the Salinity Tolerance Locus Saltol in Temperate Japonica Rice.

Background: Rice is one of the most salt sensitive crops at seedling, early vegetative and reproductive stages. Varieties with salinity tolerance at seedling stage promote an efficient growth at early stages in salt affected soils, leading to healthy vegetative growth that protects crop yield. Saltol major QTL confers capacity to young rice plants growing under salt condition by maintaining a low Na/K molar ratio in the shoots.

Multi-environment genome -wide association mapping of culm morphology traits in barley.

In cereals with hollow internodes, lodging resistance is influenced by morphological characteristics such as internode diameter and culm wall thickness. Despite their relevance, knowledge of the genetic control of these traits and their relationship with lodging is lacking in temperate cereals such as barley. To fill this gap, we developed an image analysis-based protocol to accurately phenotype culm diameters and culm wall thickness across 261 barley accessions.

Heterosis for capsacinoids accumulation in chili pepper hybrids is dependent on parent-of-origin effect.

Heterosis for agronomic traits is a widespread phenomenon that underpins hybrid crop breeding. However, heterosis at the level of cellular metabolites has not yet been fully explored. Some metabolites are highly sought after, like capsaicinoids found in peppers of the Capsicum genus, which confer the characteristic pungent ('hot') flavour of the fruits.

Advanced Breeding for Biotic Stress Resistance in Poplar.

Poplar is one of the most important forest trees because of its high economic value. Thanks to the fast-growing rate, easy vegetative propagation and transformation, and availability of genomic resources, poplar has been considered the model species for forest genetics, genomics, and breeding. Being a field-growing tree, poplar is exposed to environmental threats, including biotic stresses that are becoming more intense and diffused because of global warming.