Volume 3 Issue 7, July 2017

A high-quality sunflower genome provides insight into Asterid genome evolution. Moreover, integrative analyses based on quantitative genetics, expression and diversity data uncover the gene networks and candidate genes for oil metabolism and flowering time, two important agronomic traits for sunflowers.

The nitrate signalling pathway now has a backbone. CPK calcium-dependent kinases are the long-awaited molecular link between major players in this pathway, the membrane-located nitrate transceptor NRT1.1 and the NLP transcription factors.

Plants defend themselves from invading viruses using RNA silencing. However, plant viruses try to spoil this defensive mechanism by expressing one or more proteins that act as RNA silencing suppressors. One such protein spoils plant defence by transporting the silencing signal into the peroxisomes to avoid its systemic spread.

Recognition between proteins encoded by genes duplicated from the self-incompatibility S locus causes intraspecific unilateral incompatibility in Brassica rapa.

A Review Article highlights knowledge of miRNA function in orchestrating distinct agronomic traits by summarizing recent functional analyses of 65 miRNAs in 9 major crops and discusses the potential application of miRNAs as a tool in crop improvement.

Before maize-based agriculture, there existed in eastern North America a crop system that is now only known from archaeological data. Present research is exploring whether these crops, which sustained ancient societies for millennia, can be re-domesticated.

In plants, photosystem II forms supercomplexes of core and light-harvesting complexes. Cryo-electron microscopy and single-particle analysis provides a 3D structure of the supercomplex from Arabidopsis at 5.3 Å resolution.

High-resolution images and tomography show unprecedented 3D structures of plasmodesmata. In cells just post-cytokinesis, plasmodesmata do not have a visible cytoplasmic sleeve but still conduct cell-to-cell movement of micro- and macromolecules.

Modelling and remote sensing predict that near-future climate change could make 41–61% of the growing area of coffee in Ethiopia unusable. However, relocation of coffee areas and forest conservation could see coffee farming areas increase fourfold.

A new plant virus offensive strategy, in which defensive small RNAs are suppressed through peroxisomal import in Arabidopsis, is identified using peanut clump virus. This novel pathogenic strategy may also have counterparts in other plant and animal viruses.

The evening complex coordinates plant growth and environmental signalling with the circadian clock. Here, a comprehensive dataset of direct transcriptional targets of the evening complex uncovers a high-quality global regulatory network.

How plants reject foreign pollen remains elusive. Now, it is found that the recognition between two proteins encoded by genes duplicated from pollen–pistil recognition loci causes intraspecific unilateral incompatibility in Brassica rapa.

In response to drought, acetate accumulates endogenously through redirection of metabolic fluxes, and stimulates jasmonate pathways controlling Arabidopsis drought tolerance. Application of exogenous acetic acid alone increases drought tolerance of major crops such as maize, wheat and rice.