Identifying protein components of the nuclear envelope is a slow and challenging process. Now a proximity labelling technique adapted for plants reveals novel protein components in this under-researched membrane.

A negative-strand RNA virus is engineered to express both CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) and single-guide RNAs, enabling gene editing as the virus infects the plant.

The nuclear envelope (NE) is structurally and functionally vital for eukaryotic cells, yet its protein constituents and their functions are poorly understood in plants. Here, we combined subtractive proteomics and proximity-labelling technology coupled with quantitative mass spectrometry to understand the landscape of NE membrane proteins in Arabidopsis. We identified ~200 potential candidates for

Genome-editing technologies using CRISPR–Cas nucleases have revolutionized plant science and hold enormous promise in crop improvement. Conventional transgene-mediated CRISPR–Cas reagent delivery methods may be associated with unanticipated genome changes or damage1,2, with prolonged breeding cycles involving foreign DNA segregation and with regulatory restrictions regarding transgenesis3. Therefore

Conditional manipulation of gene expression is a key approach to investigating the primary function of a gene in a biological process. While conditional and cell-type-specific overexpression systems exist for plants, there are currently no systems available to disable a gene completely and conditionally. Here, we present a new tool with which target genes can efficiently and conditionally be knocked

The calcium ion (Ca2+) is a universal signal in all eukaryotic cells. A fundamental question is how Ca2+, a simple cation, encodes complex information with high specificity. Extensive research has established a two-step process (encoding and decoding) that governs the specificity of Ca2+ signals. While the encoding mechanism entails a complex array of channels and transporters, the decoding process

Because of intense transpiration and growth, the needs of plants for water can be immense. Yet water in the soil is most often heterogeneous if not scarce due to more and more frequent and intense drought episodes. The converse context, flooding, is often associated with marked oxygen deficiency and can also challenge the plant water status. Under our feet, roots achieve an incredible challenge to

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Photosystem I (PSI) is a major player in the light reactions of photosynthesis. In higher plants, it consists of a core complex and four external antennae, Lhca1–4 forming the PSI–light-harvesting complex I (LHCI) supercomplex. The protein and pigment composition as well as the spectroscopic properties of this complex are considered to be identical in different higher plant species. In addition to

A geographically diverse group of 29 ethnobiologists addresses three common themes in response to the COVID-19 global health crisis: impact on local communities, future interactions between researchers and communities, and new (or renewed) conceptual and/or applied research priorities for ethnobiology.

Histone demethylation is crucial for proper chromatin structure and to ensure normal development, and requires the large family of Jumonji C (JmjC)-containing demethylases; however, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the substrate specificity of these JmjC-containing demethylases remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the substrate specificity of the Arabidopsis histone demethylase JMJ16 is

The diel cycle controls the rhythmic changes in photosynthesis. Now, magnesium levels in the chloroplast are shown to follow a diurnal rhythmic change, and a transporter appears to facilitate such a fluctuation, thereby fine-tuning plant photosynthesis on a diel basis.

Photosynthesis provides food, fibre and fuel that support our society; understanding the mechanisms controlling dynamic changes in this process helps identify new options to improve photosynthesis. Photosynthesis shows diel changes, which have been largely attributed to external light/dark conditions, as well as internal gene expression and the post-translational modification of critical enzymes. Here

The COVID-19 pandemic has been cutting us all off from the social aspects of human community for several months. High time we checked in on our plant science colleagues to see how they are faring.

In eukaryotes, genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase-II (Pol-II) and introns are removed by the spliceosome largely cotranscriptionally1,2,3; analysis using long-read sequencing revealed that splicing occurs immediately after Pol-II passes introns in yeast4,5. Here, we developed a Nanopore-based method to profile chromatin-bound RNA that enables the simultaneous detection of splicing status, Pol-II

Understanding the gene regulation of plant pathogens is crucial for pest control and thus global food security. An integrated understanding of bacterial gene regulation in the host is dependent on multi-omic datasets, but these are largely lacking. Here, we simultaneously characterized the transcriptome and proteome of a bacterial pathogen in plants. We found a number of bacterial processes affected

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The critical epigenetic features that characterize remethylable and non-remethylable loci in Arabidopsis determine the capacity of RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM)-targeted genomic regions to form stable epialleles.

Plant elicitor peptides (Peps) enhance immunity against diverse pathogens. Engineering a naturally occurring rhizobacterium to deliver Peps to the plant root system offers a new opportunity in integrated pest management.

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne chitwoodi is a pest that affects potato production in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Here, to develop new strategies against M. chitwoodi infection of potato, we engineered Bacillus subtilis to secrete the plant-defence elicitor peptide StPep1. Pre-treatment of potato roots with the bacteria secreting StPep1 substantially reduced root galling, indicating

It is generally assumed that DNA methylation changes at genomic regions targeted by the de novo RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway are unstable. Here, we show that RdDM targets in Arabidopsis can be classified into two groups on the basis of whether there is remethylation following the restoration of NRPD1 function in nrpd1 mutant plants—remethylable loci and non-remethylable loci. In contrast

Mixing maternal and paternal genomes in embryos is not only responsible for the evolutionary success of sexual reproduction, but is also a cornerstone of plant breeding. However, once an interesting gene combination is obtained, further genetic mixing is problematic. To rapidly fix genetic information, doubled haploid plants can be produced: haploid embryos having solely the genetic information from

Root nodule symbiosis enables nitrogen fixation in legumes and, therefore, improves crop production for sustainable agriculture1,2. Environmental nitrate levels affect nodulation and nitrogen fixation, but the mechanisms by which legume plants modulate nitrate uptake to regulate nodule symbiosis remain unclear1. Here, we identify a member of the Medicago truncatula nitrate peptide family (NPF), NPF7

The need for increased crop yields has led to growing interest and research in agricultural intensification, which has a myriad of environmental impacts. Intercropping can bring the benefits of intensification within a reasonable footprint.

Plants need to respond swiftly against attacks, but when pathogen pressure is weak, defence genes must be repressed as they impede development and growth. Three RNA helicases are now found to control decapping-dependant mRNA decay and negatively regulate plant immunity.

Intercropping, the simultaneous production of multiple crops on the same field, provides opportunities for the sustainable intensification of agriculture if it can provide a greater yield per unit land and fertilizer than sole crops. The worldwide absolute yield gain of intercropping as compared with sole crops has not been analysed. We therefore performed a global meta-analysis to quantify the effect

Gene transcription is counterbalanced by messenger RNA decay processes that regulate transcript quality and quantity. We show here that the evolutionarily conserved DHH1/DDX6-like RNA hellicases of Arabidopsis thaliana control the ephemerality of a subset of cellular mRNAs. These RNA helicases co-localize with key markers of processing bodies and stress granules and contribute to their subcellular

An in planta gene editing approach was developed wherein Cas9 transgenic plants are infected with an RNA virus that expresses single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). The sgRNAs are augmented with sequences that promote cell-to-cell mobility. Mutant progeny are recovered in the next generation at frequencies ranging from 65 to 100%; up to 30% of progeny derived from plants infected with a virus expressing three

Although hundreds of plant lineages have independently evolved dioecy (that is, separation of the sexes), the underlying genetic basis remains largely elusive1. Here we show that diverse poplar species carry partial duplicates of the ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 17 (ARR17) orthologue in the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. These duplicates give rise to small RNAs apparently causing male-specific

Seed germination is tightly regulated so that it only occurs in optimal environmental conditions; for root parasitic plants, this is the presence of a potential host plant revealed by strigolactone exudates. New research shows that, unexpectedly, this response to strigolactone bypasses the core gibberellin-dependent pathway for germination.

Organ size and shape are precisely regulated to ensure proper function. The four sepals in each Arabidopsis thaliana flower must maintain the same size throughout their growth to continuously enclose and protect the developing bud. Here we show that DEVELOPMENT RELATED MYB-LIKE 1 (DRMY1) is required for both timing of organ initiation and proper growth, leading to robust sepal size in Arabidopsis.

Parasitic plant infestations dramatically reduce the yield of many major food crops of sub-Saharan Africa and pose a serious threat to food security on that continent1. The first committed step of a successful infestation is the germination of parasite seeds primarily in response to a group of related small-molecule hormones called strigolactones (SLs), which are emitted by host roots2. Despite the

CRISPR–Cas technology now enables chromosome structural engineering in plants.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) technology has been applied in plant breeding mainly on genes for improving single or multiple traits1,2,3,4. Here we show that this technology can also be used to restructure plant chromosomes. Using the Cas9 nuclease from Staphylococcus aureus5, we were able to induce reciprocal translocations in the

A well-defined set of regulatory pathways control entry into the reproductive phase in flowering plants, but little is known about the mechanistic control of the end-of-flowering despite this being a critical process for optimization of fruit and seed production. Complete fruit removal, or lack of fertile fruit-set, prevents timely inflorescence arrest in Arabidopsis, leading to a previous proposal

The folding and assembly of RuBisCO, the most abundant enzyme in nature, needs a series of chaperones, including the RuBisCO accumulation factor Raf1, which is highly conserved in cyanobacteria and plants. Here, we report the crystal structures of Raf1 from cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and its complex with RuBisCO large subunit RbcL. Structural analyses and biochemical assays reveal that each

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Auxin controls numerous growth processes in land plants through a gene expression system that modulates ARF transcription factor activity1-3. Gene duplications in families encoding auxin response components have generated tremendous complexity in most land plants, and neofunctionalization enabled various unique response outputs during development1,3,4. However, it is unclear what fundamental biochemical

Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the world's most important food crops, and is comprised largely of japonica and indica subspecies. Here, we reconstruct the history of rice dispersal in Asia using whole-genome sequences of more than 1,400 landraces, coupled with geographic, environmental, archaeobotanical and paleoclimate data. Originating around 9,000 yr ago in the Yangtze Valley, rice diversified into

Doubled haploid technology using inducer lines carrying mutations in ZmPLA1/MTL/NLD and ZmDMP1-4 has revolutionized traditional maize breeding. ZmPLA1/MTL/NLD is conserved in monocots and has been used to extend the system from maize to other monocots5-7, but no functional orthologue has been identified in dicots, while ZmDMP-like genes exist in both monocots and dicots4,8,9. Here, we report that loss-of-function

Reduced insect pest populations found on long-term organic farms have mostly been attributed to increased biodiversity and abundance of beneficial predators, as well as to changes in plant nutrient content. However, the role of plant resistance has largely been ignored. Here, we determine whether host plant resistance mediates decreased pest populations in organic systems and identify potential underpinning

Disease is often said to be a great leveller, striking the rich and poor alike. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into stark contrast the inequalities inherent in our food systems.

Keeping pace with food demand and climate change requires continuous genetic improvement of crops that, in turn, relies on the availability of genetic resources. Access to these resources is complicated by the need to establish benefit-sharing arrangements when accessing and using such genetic resources.

Genetic redundancy is a problem when studying auxin in flowering plants. The minimal auxin response system in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha allows a detailed and thorough probing of the specificity of auxin response factors in planta.

Compound leaves show more complex patterns than simple leaves, and this is mainly because of a specific morphogenetic process (leaflet initiation and arrangement) that occurs during their development. How the relevant morphogenetic activity is established and modulated to form a proper pattern of leaflets is a central question. Here we show that the trifoliate leaf pattern of the model leguminous plant

Directional intercellular transport of the phytohormone auxin mediated by PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux carriers has essential roles in both coordinating patterning processes and integrating multiple external cues by rapidly redirecting auxin fluxes. PIN activity is therefore regulated by multiple internal and external cues, for which the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Here, we

During lateral root initiation, lateral root founder cells undergo asymmetric cell divisions that generate daughter cells with different sizes and fates, a prerequisite for correct primordium organogenesis. An excess of the GLV6/RGF8 peptide disrupts these initial asymmetric cell divisions, resulting in more symmetric divisions and the failure to achieve lateral root organogenesis. Here, we show that

The 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) is a conserved master regulator of AGC kinases in eukaryotic organisms. pdk1 loss of function causes a lethal phenotype in animals and yeasts, but only mild phenotypic defects in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). The Arabidopsis genome contains two PDK1-encoding genes, PDK1 and PDK2. Here, we used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic

Plants and vegetation play a critical-but largely unpredictable-role in global environmental changes due to the multitude of contributing processes at widely different spatial and temporal scales. In this Perspective, we explore approaches to master this complexity and improve our ability to predict vegetation dynamics by explicitly taking account of principles that constrain plant and ecosystem behaviour:

Leaf development follows a common principle but is also flexibly tuned in different species in a spatiotemporal manner. A novel regulatory mechanism controlling leaflet formation has been identified in Medicago.