In this Perspective, Mascher et al. look back on 30 years of genetic and genomic research in cereal crops. Genome sequences have revealed common evolutionary patterns as well as differences between species and will support applications in breeding.

BZR/BES transcription factors are widely recognized as mediators of brassinosteroid (BR)-responsive gene expression in seed plants, but details of how they act in species that lack BR perception are unclear. A study now uncovers an ancient mission of a BZR/BES transcription factor in sexual organ development in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha.

Compartmentalization of specialized compounds in glandular trichomes is essential for plant protection against stresses and attraction of pollinators. This compartmentalization is achieved by the establishment of a lignin-based apoplastic barrier named ‘neck strip’, which is present in trichomes of diverse plant species.

A triplet repeat expansion in Arabidopsis induces gene silencing that results in a severe growth defect. We show that an interplay between a SUMO protease and histone readers of active and inactive marks is required for this gene silencing, which highlights the importance of post-translational modifiers in chromatin remodelling.

In this Perspective, Vincent Merckx and colleagues discuss an important but overlooked aspect of mycorrhizal interactions, mycoheterotrophy, in the context of recent arguments about the importance of these interactions to forest functioning.

Repeat expansions can induce gene silencing exemplified by growth defects in plants to genetic diseases in humans. This paper shows key roles for post-translational modifiers, histone readers and the polycomb repressive complex in this gene silencing.

Plant species diversity declines from tropical to temperate latitudes. Local neighbourhood interactions among species that favour heterospecifics over conspecifics may have a role in shaping this latitudinal diversity gradient, but perhaps not as traditionally thought.

In global drylands, soils tend to be more fertile beneath tree, shrub and grass islands. Soil fertility was greater beneath taller and wider plants but was unaffected by either grazing pressure or the type of herbivore.

BZR/BES transcription factors are widely recognized as mediators of brassinosteroid (BR)-responsive gene expression in seed plants, but details of how they act in species that lack BR perception are unclear. A study now uncovers an ancient mission of a BZR/BES transcription factor in sexual organ development in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha.

The carbon fixation machinery α-carboxysome of the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is composed of an icosahedral-like proteinaceous shell that encapsulates the enzymes RuBisCO and carbonic anhydrase. Our cryo-EM structure reveals how thousands of protein components self-assemble into the α-carboxysome and characterizes the multivalent interactions by which the scaffolding protein CsoS2 crosslinks the shell with internal RuBisCO molecules.