Volume 3 Issue 3, March 2017

The rice gene Xa4 encodes a wall-associated kinase and controls disease resistance and mechanical strength, possibly through a common mechanism.

A large-scale study covering a wide range of arable farming systems reveals that, besides the obvious environmental benefits, low pesticide use rarely decreases productivity and profitability.

The chloroplast evolved from a symbiotic cyanobacterium and it still divides like one. Bacterial inner division machinery recruits the eukaryotic outer complex, which in turn condenses the inner ring. This reciprocal communication across the double membrane is essential for coordinated fission of the organelle.

Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) is an essential signalling molecule in plants. A novel chemical intervention strategy to increase in planta T6P levels has now been presented, with remarkable effects on plant yield and drought tolerance.

Plant cell walls incorporate a variety of acetylated polysaccharides. In addition to enzymes catalysing acetylation (acetyltransferases), plants could produce enzymes to remove acetyl groups (acetylesterases). Previously, pectin acetylesterases were known and now a xylan acetylesterase has been identified — and it has many surprises.

The novel features of the CRISPR–Cpf1 RNA-guided endonuclease system facilitate precise and efficient genome engineering. Application of CRISPR–Cpf1 in plants shows promise for robust gene editing and regulation, opening exciting possibilities for targeted trait improvement in crops.

Molecular dating has suggested that angiosperms existed earlier than the Late Cretaceous. Scattered fossil evidence for Triassic or Jurassic angiosperms exists but this Review concludes that the case remains unproven at best.

The rice resistance gene Xa4, which protects rice against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, is widely used in global rice production. Now, a study reveals that Xa4 encodes a cell-wall-associated kinase that improves multiple agronomic traits by regulating cell wall strength.

The two GRAS transcription factors SHR and SCR play a role in root development by interacting with proteins of the BIRD/IDD family, such as JACKDAW. Structural and biochemical characterization of the three components explains how the subunits interact together and with DNA.

CRISPR–Cpf1 has emerged as an effective genome editing tool in animals. Now, a study shows that this system can edit plant genomes at nearly 100% efficiency at independent sites. Moreover, it can be repurposed for modulating plant transcriptome.

Pesticide is a threat to the environment and human health. Whether reducing pesticide would necessarily undermine crop productivity remains elusive. Analyses of data from 946 farms in France show that reducing pesticide rarely decreases productivity.

Chloroplasts are ancient prokaryotes that divide by constriction of a ring-like division machinery. Structural determination of the intermembrane region of the ARC6–PDV2 complex helps to understand the coordination between inner and outer rings.

Food production causes a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. This life-cycle assessment of the supply chain of a loaf of bread finds that over half of its environmental impacts arise from wheat cultivation, with 40% from the use of nitrate fertiliser.

In thylakoid membranes, photosystem I (PSI) forms a supercomplex with its light-harvesting antenna, light-harvesting complex I (LHC1). This crystal structure of plant PSI–LHCI shows details of the configuration of PsaK and integral networks of water molecules and lipids.

BRITTLE LEAF SHEATH1, which belongs to a novel class of Golgi-localized esterases, acts as a xylan deacetylase in rice. This is the first report that shows the importance of xylan deacetylation for proper function of the plant secondary cell wall.