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The mechanism for T-DNA integration, a critical step of Agrobacterium-mediated transgenesis, remains elusive. Now, a study shows that polymerase θ controls T-DNA integration and generates the error-prone sequences at the sites of integration.
By assembling the genome of Cardamine hirsuta and conducting comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses, a study reveals the prevalent role of transcription factors and gene duplication in morphological evolution.
The legume–Rhizobium symbiosis allows nitrogen fixation. Development of nodules is a finely regulated developmental process that involves a DNA demethylase called DEMETER, linking epigenetic regulation and symbiosis.
Plants can regenerate tissues after injury. The heterodimeric transcription factor complex ERF115–PAT1 is activated by the cell death of neighbouring cells, and is crucial for stem cell replenishment and the high regenerative potential of plants.
The Arabidopsis ROS1 is the first characterized DNA demethylase in eukaryotes. Now, an epigenomic study has revealed the features of ROS1-targeted genomic loci and identified a new class of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) targets.
Many plants exhibit iridescence but no link has been demonstrated between this phenomenon and photosynthesis. This study shows the epidermal chloroplasts of Begonia to have photonic properties that increase both light capture and quantum yield.
The authors identify novel NEGATIVE GRAVITROPIC RESPONSE OF ROOTS genes in Medicago and Arabidopsis. Mutants display a spectacular phenotype: gravity is still perceived, but the direction of growth is reversed: roots always grow upwards.
C4 photosynthesis has evolved independently in over 60 plant lineages. This study shows expression of key C4 enzymes being controlled by light and the chloroplast in C3 leaves, potentially facilitating repeated evolution of C4 traits.
Scientific investigation is often a reductive process involving precise experiments in artificial environments. Perhaps some advice from a romantic poet will help to avoid the pitfalls of too narrow a view of plant research.
A new sequencing study in Arabidopsis lyrata permits comparison of imprinted genes with the closely related A. thaliana and furthers our understanding of both the proximate and ultimate causes of genomic imprinting.
A population genomics study reveals a high similarity between a New World landrace of African rice and an Ivory Coast landrace. Together with diaries from captains of slave ships, the evidence presented traces the ancestry of the New World rice to its African origin.
A proof-of-concept study developed and validated a high-accuracy model to predict traits based on genotypes using data from a set of sorghum accessions, demonstrating a global strategy to assess and utilize the valuable germplasms in gene banks.
Fungi are the most prevalent class of plant pathogens, causing many diseases in crops. The authors show that in order to fight against them, plants produce and export miRNAs to silence important fungal genes, reducing the pathogen's virulence.