Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Plants with loss of function mutations in the MEKK1–MKK1/2–MPK4 MAP kinase pathway show strong autoimmunity phenotypes and dwarfism. Through a suppressor genetic screen, the malectin-like receptor kinase LET1 is identified as a new regulator of immune signalling.
This study reports that DNA strand breaks trigger the reprogramming of differentiated leaf cells into stem cells without cell death in Physcomitrella, which requires the DNA damage sensor ATR kinase and the STEM-CELL INDUCING FACTORs (STEMINs).
LONG HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) is a central transcription factor that acts downstream of CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) during light signalling. Here, the authors show that three B-box containing proteins (BBX) are cofactors of HY5 and modulate transcriptional responses for a subset of HY5-dependent processes.
Short interfering RNA (siRNA) can silence genes in neighbouring and distant plant cells. The authors show that transgenes, endogenous genes and viruses are silenced through the movement of free primary siRNA duplexes, which are progressively diluted and simultaneously selectively depleted during this process.
A DNA-free in planta approach for gene editing based on RNA virus infection is developed, allowing delivery of the entire CRISPR–Cas9 cassettes into tobacco host to achieve highly efficient single, multiplex mutagenesis and chromosome deletions.
Chromatin-bound RNA profiling in Arabidopsis using a Nanopore-based method reveals slower intron splicing than reported in yeast. Many introns are post-transcriptionally spliced before transcripts enter the cytoplasm, which contributes to intron retention.
Symbiotic rhizobium bacteria are hosted in root nodules in legumes. In Medicago, NPF7.6 is a high-affinity nitrate transporter that is expressed in nodule transfer cells. It is vital for correct uptake of nitrate by nodules and for their development.
Populus has young sex chromosomes despite ancient dioecy. This study shows that the ARR17 gene functions as a sex switch, triggering female development when on and male development when off. This single-gene system enables dynamic evolution of poplar sex chromosomes.
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) technology was used to induce heritable reciprocal chromosomal translocations in the Mb range in Arabidopsis, providing new possibilities to modify chromosomes and break linkage drag in plant breeding.
The parasitic plant Striga hermonthica germinates when it senses strigolactones (SLs). By expressing Striga SL receptors in Arabidopsis, the authors show that the SL pathway can regulate germination independently of gibberellin signalling.
Mutations in the ZmDMP gene induce maternal haploids and facilitate breeding in maize. Now, a study extends this system of maize to dicots, showing that loss-of-function mutations in the ArabidopsisZmDMP-like genes also induce maternal haploids.
The minimal regulatory logic and the evolutionary history of the auxin signalling pathway are explored by studying the much simpler auxin network in Marchantia with a combination of genetic, domain shuffling and biochemical strategies.
Dichotomous root branching evolved in both lycophytes and euphyllophytes, followed by lateral branching in separate extant lineages during the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, illustrating extreme cases of divergent evolution.
Previous studies showing that mast seeding was synchronized at large scales were constrained to hundreds of kilometres, but this continental-scale study shows that such events are asynchronous, driving spatial and temporal impacts for a wide range of species.
Fire has shaped plant life for millions of years, but flammability as an inherited trait has been difficult to discern. This Letter reveals several predictors in the evolution of plant flammability.
The AHL15 transcription factor is a repressor of axillary meristem maturation. AHL15 is downstream of flowering genes and prolongs the vegetative growth and longevity of plants, particularly monocarps such as Arabidopsis thaliana.
Mitochondria ribosomes translate essential mRNAs encoded by mitochondrial genomes. The cryo-EM structure of the 78S mitoribosome from cauliflower shows plant-specific pentatricopeptide repeat proteins binding rRNAs expanded over those of animals.
Analyses of Arabidopsis temperature-sensitive genic male sterility lines show that slowing development overcomes microspore defects and restores fertility, suggesting that low temperature reverses their fertility as a general factor by slowing development.
In plant communities, co-occurring species compete for resources such as mineral nutrients under limited supply. Here, the researchers found that a major mineral nutrient, phosphorus, was taken up by co-occurring plants in species-specific proportions of different forms, which may drive the development of community biodiversity.
Restoring ecosystems depends on the cultivation of native plants to balance biodiversity with agricultural needs. This Letter finds that despite being overlooked for commercial varieties, 85% of Mediterranean native annuals could be used in olive groves for nature-based agronomy.