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Light microscopy has been experiencing explosive innovation and development. In this Review, the biological applications of light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) are synthesized to provide a reference for perspective users in plant research.
Plants are amazing chemical factories. Within the plant kingdom, more than 450 distinct fatty acid structures have been described. Two new C24 dihydroxy fatty acids have now been discovered that are synthesized by an unprecedented biosynthetic route termed ‘discontinuous elongation’.
Ploidy differences in sex-linked genes typically produce gene expression imbalances between the sexes. A two-sex plant offers a solution for the early stages of resolution of this gene expression imbalance, very much reminiscent of a model proposed for mammals 50 years ago.
Self-compatible diploid potatoes have been developed by knocking out the self-incompatibility gene S-RNase using CRISPR–Cas9 editing, opening new avenues for diploid potato breeding.
Cell walls made mainly of polysaccharides are a distinguishing feature of plants. They play key roles in adaptation today and during pivotal evolutionary events, such as colonization of dry land and development of a water-conducting vascular system. A critical enzyme involved in cell wall biosynthesis has now been identified.
A Review summarizes up-to-date understandings of the duration and demographic history of crop domestication and its effects on extant genomic variations, including structural variations about which we currently lack sufficient knowledge.
This Review summarizes our understanding of plant chromatin organization and positioning beyond the nucleosomal level, advanced by up-to-date chromatin conformation capture methods and visualization techniques, as well as discusses future directions.
The reference genomes of two fern species shed light on fern genome evolution and fern-cyanobacterial symbiosis, paving the way for understanding the unique and interesting biology of ferns.
In autogamous plants, self-pollination is ensured by a timely opening of anthers (dehiscence) and release of mature pollen grains. Auxin plays a paramount role in controlling the correct timing of anther dehiscence. Now, a molecular switch that allows the timely change in auxin level in rice anthers has been unveiled.
The canonical auxin receptor complex mediates gene expression, but it is also necessary for responses far too rapid to be mediated by transcription. An innovative setup that uses advanced microscopy and microfluidics can record auxin-induced changes within 30 seconds during root growth.
The publication of two high-quality rose reference genomes opens new possibilities for a better understanding of the rise of the phenotypic diversity behind domestication.
Seeds are products of successful fertilization involving the merging of maternal and paternal gametes. Interspecific pollination can often produce viable seeds but, on germination, these unwanted offspring are generally rejected by an epigenetic barrier, mediated by the endosperm.
Plants cannot escape from their enemies so they must rely on innate defences to fight off pests and pathogens. Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant hormone that regulates immunity. A new model for perception of the SA signal has been proposed, and could be of paramount importance in developing effective crop protection strategies.
The stigma has a tightly regulated functional lifespan and is therefore a key determinant for floral receptivity. New evidence reveals how two transcription factors play a pivotal role in controlling stigma lifespan by regulating developmental programmed cell death in this tissue to terminate pollen receptivity.
The emergence of vascular plants requires tightly regulated mechanisms to control the photosynthate transporting system. For phloem establishment and carbon allocation to sink tissues, a novel translational regulatory network involving a zinc-finger protein and RNA G-quadruplex is now revealed for the first time.
Trade-offs in clearing forests for rubber plantations depend on calculations of opportunity costs. Such costs are not just a matter of economic calculations but also the politics of the forests and those who live in them
Metabolon-formation governs the biosynthetic efficiency of natural plant products. Identification of membrane-anchored proteins has now led to discovery of the metabolic channelling mechanism of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.
New radiocarbon dates of wheat remains from the lower Yellow River valley suggest that the west crop had been introduced to east China around 2600 bce (Before Common Era), rewriting the history of the spread of wheat into China.
This Review highlights current understanding of how polyploidization affects plant genome evolution by focusing on the post-polyploidization events, including gene retention, fractionation and subgenome dominance, and their implications on future research.
