Volume 5 Issue 8, August 2019

A quantitative phylogenetic association mapping approach links genic mutational spectra to the evolution of DNA methylation in the Brassicaceae family of flowering plants. The method has wider applications and may usher in a new era in our understanding of species diversity.

Vegetation-type conversions driven by fire and climate change in the western United States forests are altering landscapes.

Jasmonic acid biosynthesis starts in chloroplasts and is finalized in peroxisomes. The required export of a crucial intermediate out of the chloroplast is now shown to be mediated by a protein from the outer envelope called JASSY.

A Review informatively summaries the recent development and breakthroughs of CRISPR technology, with a focus on progresses, challenges and potential utility in plant science.

Analyses of the single-cell 3D genome structures of rice eggs, sperm and unicellular zygotes reveal plant-specific 3D genome features and a compact silent centre in the egg and unicellular zygote that may be involved in regulating zygotic genome activation.

A sex determination gene, FrBy, is identified in the dioecious kiwifruit and demonstrated to maintain male functions across angiosperm species. FrBy and the known female suppressor gene, SyGI, support the evolution of dioecy via the ‘two-mutations’ model.

A high-quality draft genome assembly of Musa balbisiana (the banana B-genome) is reported. Comparative genomic and gene functional analyses provide insights into the subgenome evolution and functional divergence between the A- and B-subgenomes.

The three-dimensional (3D) genomes of Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea generated using Hi-C provide insights into the role of 3D organization in genome evolution. Specifically, stronger chromatin interaction is associated with gene retention during diploidization.

A novel algorithm, ALLHiC, for building allele-aware, chromosomal-scale assembly for autopolyploid genomes using Hi-C paired-end reads is developed and successfully applied in constructing the autotetraploid and autooctoploid sugar-cane genomes.

Using genome assemblies of 47 Brassicaceae species and a new interspecies association mapping strategy, a study reveals the association between CG to TG substitution rates and the presence of CHROMOMETHYLASE3 orthologues or gene-body methylation.

A simple, cheap and portable smartphone-based sensor is used to detect the presence of ten different volatiles emitted during tomato infection by an oomycete.

Kava (Piper methysticum), an ethnomedicinal shrub native to the Polynesian islands, produces psychoactive kavalactones and anticancer flavokavains. Structures of key enzymes in their biosynthetic network may enable heterologous production.

Prochlorococcus can adapt to the oceans’ highly stratified low-nutrient conditions. Atomic force microscopy of thylakoid membranes shows a series of specialized PSI configurations adapted to the environmental niche occupied by a particular ecotype.

Cryoelectron microscopy of photosynthetic supercomplexes from the diatom Chaetoceros gracilis reveals a protein–pigment network different from the green-type light-harvesting apparatus. This provides insights into the evolution of light harvesting.