Volume 8 Issue 5, May 2022

Theory and single-cell experiments outline a new role for upstream open reading frames in buffering cellular heterogeneity in protein abundance at the translation level.

Same Cas9 protein, two different jobs: the CRISPR-Combo genome engineering strategy enables simultaneous gene activation and genome editing for different targets through changes to the guide RNA structure.

How T-DNAs become incorporated into the host chromosome has been a subject of lively debate for the last quarter century. Kralemann et al. report data revealing the mechanism of genomic capture of the right border and validating the role of DNA polymerase θ in the capture of the left border.

Next-generation crop protection strategies must be clean and green as well as effective. Delivery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) as a BioClay spray to control the sap-sucking pest whitefly is one such strategy. This tool disrupts multiple whitefly life cycle stages in planta, with adjuvant-enhanced foliar uptake complementing the clay-mediated delivery of dsRNA.

This Perspective analyses how biological and economic factors determine whether a commercial plant breeder will opt for a hybrid breeding system, and finds that the cost of seed production is a key factor.

Upstream open reading frames (uORFs) can repress translation efficiency to achieve low but precise protein production. Wu et al. show that uORFs function to buffer a stable production of a clock protein, TOC1, for sustaining a robust circadian rhythm in plant cells.

Gene regulation modulates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by as yet largely unknown effectors in plants. A systems biology approach identifies and characterizes GBF2 as a new transcriptional regulator of plant ER stress responses.

By analysing the state of representation of traditional varieties of 25 major crops in ex situ repositories, this study demonstrates conservation progress made over more than a half-century and identifies the gaps remaining to be filled.

The genome of the flying spider-monkey tree fern and investigations on stem formation and secondary metabolite biosynthesis promote our understanding of fern evolution and arborescence, facilitating the protection and utilization of this endangered species.

Pan et al. develop a versatile CRISPR-Combo platform for simultaneous genome editing (targeted mutagenesis or base editing) and gene activation in plants, representing a versatile genome engineering tool with promising applications in crop breeding.

Soil-borne Agrobacterium tumefaciens can transform plants by transferring part of its DNA, which subsequently integrates into the host genome. This study reveals how the 5′ end of this bacterial DNA becomes stably attached to plant genomic DNA.

Foliar spray of double-stranded RNA carried on clay particles or BioClay affords protection against multiple life stages of whitefly in crop hosts. The sprayed dsRNA makes its way to the vasculature of plants and is taken up by whiteflies during feeding.

A network of ABA-responsive transcription factors emerges from a genome-wide comparative analysis of four Brassicaceae species, including Arabidopsis thaliana and extremophyte Schrenkiella parvula. Rewiring of growth hormone subnetworks might explain the different physiological responses to stress.

This study elucidates the functional dynamics of the ubiquitin ligase SCF D3/MAX2 as a key element in strigolactone signalling. The switch between D3/MAX2 conformational states regulates substrate targeting and can be elicited by a primary metabolite.

Mutant analysis shows that sucrose synthase makes no substantial contribution to transitory starch synthesis in Arabidopsis leaves, resolving a 20-year-old controversy about one of the most important pathways of photosynthetic metabolism.

To enhance CO₂ fixation, algae concentrate CO₂ in an organelle called the pyrenoid. A biophysical model provides systematic analysis of the mechanism and determines the minimal steps for its engineering into crops to enhance yields.