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Nitrogen deficiency can lead to severe senescence and harvest losses. The regulatory mechanism depends on the NAC-domain-containing transcription factor ORE1. Now researchers have elucidated the critical post-translational pathway that regulates the protein levels of ORE1.
The supramolecular organization of photosystem I (PSI) in the moss Physcomitrella patens is elucidated by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, showing its structural organization is different from either Chlamydomonas reinhardtii or Arabidopsis thaliana.
The organization of photosystem I from the moss P. patens was studied under different light and carbon supply conditions. Different supercomplexes are formed under these conditions controlled by the light-harvesting complex LHCB9 protein subunit.
RNA polymerase II (Pol II) catalyses the transcription of DNA in the nucleus eukaryotic cells. Now two approaches, global run-on and native elongating transcript sequencing (initially developed for mammalian cells), are used to determine the transcriptional landscape of Pol II in Arabidopsis. The similarities and differences of Pol II dynamics among various eukaryotes are also analysed.
Primitive, wild and cultivated citrus have different abilities in synthesizing anthocyanins. The subfunctionalization of the Ruby2–Ruby1 cluster contributes to the variation and evolution of the anthocyanin biosynthesis regulation in citrus.
The vulnerability of barley production and beer supply to future weather extremes remains unknown. A study using modelling finds that weather extremes associated with climate change would threaten the availability and economic accessibility of beer.
Iron (Fe) is one of the essential micronutrients for plant growth, but overload of Fe causes toxicity. Now researchers have identified a new family of small peptides that regulate Fe homeostasis by acting as phloem-mobile signals in flowering plants.
Rhizobium symbiosis with legumes is inhibited when the soil contains enough available nitrogen. The authors show in Medicago that the NIN and NLP1 transcription factors are necessary for this signalling to occur.
Water-soluble chlorophyll protein forms a tetrameric complex with only four identical chlorophyll-binding sites. Mutational and structural analysis identify the basis of selectivity between a and b forms of chlorophyll.
A study developed genomic resources and efficient transformation in the orphan crop groundcherry, and managed to improve productivity traits by editing the orthologues of tomato domestication and improvement genes using CRISPR–Cas9.
A bioinformatic analysis shows that the variance in resistance gene content in recently published Brassicaceae genome annotations is partially caused by repeat masking, providing implications for plant breeding.
The authors report the non-canonical crystal structure of the DNA binding domain from BIL1/BZR1, a transcription factor involved in brassinosteroid signalling, in complex with its target DNA fragment.
Plant primary and secondary cell walls have distinct features and functions. Now, scientists have successfully replaced the secondary cell wall in Arabidopsis xylem fibres with a thick primary cell wall by specifically overexpressing AP2/ERF transcription factors.
Rubisco, which catalyses a major rate-limiting reaction in photosynthesis, is an important target for ‘improvement’. This study shows that rather than specifically engineering Rubisco’s properties, overexpression alone can increase the photosynthetic performance of transgenic maize plants.
An analysis of the fruitENCODE data consisting of multiple transcriptome, accessible chromatin, histone and DNA methylation profiles from 11 fleshy fruits reveals three types of transcriptional feedback circuits controlling fruit ripening.
NPR1 is a highly conserved key regulator of SA-mediated immunity. Here, the authors show that it also plays an essential role in a previously unknown pathway that allows plants to adapt and acclimatize to cold temperatures.
The usual light conditions used in laboratories fail to mimic natural conditions. Here, by slightly modifying red/far-red ratios and temperature dynamics, the authors are able to faithfully reproduce natural spring flowering times and variation of the FT gene.
N-linked glycosylation is processed in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi for eukaryotic proteins. Now, a single Golgi-localized UDP-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine transporter was identified to be essential for the processing of protein N-glycosylation and the synthesis of GlcNAc-containing sphingolipids.
FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is a central floral repressor in Arabidopsis, whose expression is vernalization-responsive and controlled by a plant-specific scaffold protein FRIGIDA (FRI). Now, the detailed mechanism of FRI-controlled FLC transcription is elucidated.
Vegetable oils are used in cooking, manufacturing and supplying biofuel. Now, researchers have identified two new fatty acids in the seed oil of a Brassicaceae species whose biosynthesis involves an unprecedented fatty acid hydroxylation pathway.