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Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth. In plants, the synthesis of lignin monomers requires several cytochrome P450 enzymes. Now, two key scaffold proteins are identified to be important for the stability and efficiency of monolignol P450s.
The timing and routes of wheat dispersal into China remain controversial. Now, new evidence from radiocarbon dating and Bayesian chronological modelling suggest that wheat first appeared in the lower Yellow River around 2600 bce and then spread westward.
Stress-induced accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) results in ER stress. Here, the researchers identify a SPL gene that directly controls the transcription of IRE1, the ER stress sensor, thus regulating cell death in rice panicles.
Chloroplasts of plants have ribosomes that are important for translation of core proteins involved in photosynthesis. Here, Perez Boerema et al. report a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the spinach chlororibosome in complex with its accessory factors.
Photosystem I (PSI) mediates light-driven electron transfer to the protein ferredoxin (Fd). The trimeric PSI–Fd complex from a cyanobacterium has one Fd more tightly bound than the other two, suggesting a mechanism for fast electron transfer.
Photosystem II is protected against light damage by thermal dissipation of excess energy. Picosecond fluorescence spectroscopy uncovers a mechanism that is only functional when the reaction centre is closed, that is, when the risk of photodamage is high.
In maize, a small apoplastic peptide named Zip1 is the missing link between papain-like cysteine proteases and salicylic acid (SA) signalling. Zip1 can trigger defence responses similar to SA and affect immunity towards pathogenic fungi.
Plants employing crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) have improved water-use efficiency (WUE). Diel flux balance analysis of leaf metabolic networks shows that engineering CAM into C3 crops should increase WUE without substantial loss of yield.
Examination of wild cereal seed concentration at sites in Saharan Africa, and whether their traits of ‘weediness’ led to use and cultivation by humans from the eighth millennium bc.
In plants, RNA-directed DNA methylation requires non-coding RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase V (Pol V). A modified global nuclear run-on protocol and deep sequencing to capture Pol V nascent transcripts uncovered unique characteristics of Pol V RNAs.
Knowledge of three-dimensional (3D) genome structure and how polyploidization shapes it remains poor. A study now characterizes and compares 3D genomes for diploid and tetraploid cotton, showing how allopolyploidization affects 3D genome architecture and transcriptional regulation.
The evolution and phylogenetic placement of gnetophytes have remained elusive. The draft genome for a gnetophyte, Gnetum montanum, is now reported. Comparative analyses identify genomic features distinguishing gnetophytes from other gymnosperms.
The transition from darkness to light alters thylakoid membrane architecture and the organization of photosynthetic complexes. Structured illumination microscopy shows increased but smaller grana, with consequences for photosynthetic efficiency and quenching.
Plants have remarkable regeneration ability under the control of phytohormones such as auxin and cytokinin. Here, the researchers identify a heterodimer that consists of two key transcription factors mediating the auxin-induced callus formation.
The function of MADS-box genes has been extensively studied in fungi, animals and flowering plants. Now, researchers report their role in non-flowering plants and further explore the evolution of this gene family in land plants.