Wheat root systems undergo dynamic and adaptive changes to mitigate the adverse effects through elaborate regulatory mechanisms under drought stress. Elucidating and utilizing these mechanisms is highly important for breeding drought resistant wheat varieties. Here, we identify histone deacetylase TaHDA8, as a critical component in regulating wheat root elongation and drought resistance. Under drought

Gibberellin promotes plant growth by downregulating DELLA proteins, which act as growth repressors. In the presence of gibberellin, the gibberellin receptor GID1 binds to DELLA proteins, triggering their degradation through polyubiquitination by the SCFSLY1/GID2 ubiquitin E3 ligase. Despite extensive studies, the molecular mechanisms by which DELLA proteins assemble with SCFSLY1/GID2 to regulate plant

Starch is the principal storage compound in wheat grain, essential for flour quality and grain weight. In this study, we identified TaMYB44, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor gene, through a genome-wide association study. The TaMYB44 homoeologs exhibited predominant expression in developing grains, with peak levels observed at 10 days after pollination. Functional analyses revealed that TaMYB44 acts

The plant hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) act in mutual negative-feedback regulation to balance the plant growth-defense trade-off. Heterotrimeric Gα-Gβ-Gγ proteins are hubs that regulate defense signaling. In Arabidopsis, the Gα (GPA1) and Gβ (AGB1) subunits are required for defense against biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens. We found that G proteins primarily are negative regulators

The transcriptional response to low oxygen (hypoxia) in flowering plants is mediated by group VII Ethylene Response Factor (ERFVII) transcription factors, whose proteolysis is oxygen-dependent via the PLANT CYSTEINE OXIDASE (PCO) N-degron pathway. However, when and how this hypoxia response evolved in land plants remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the conservation and divergence of transcriptional

Rice biology research involves complex decision-making, requiring researchers to navigate a rapidly expanding body of knowledge encompassing extensive literature and multiomics data. The exponential increase in biological data and scientific publications presents significant challenges for efficiently extracting meaningful insights. Although large language models (LLMs) show promise for knowledge retrieval

Cassava is a highly resilient tropical crop that produces large, starchy storage roots and high biomass. However, how did cassava's remarkable environmental adaptability and key economic traits evolve from its wild species remain unclear. In this study, we obtained near complete telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies and their haplotype forms for the cultivar AM560, the wild ancestors FLA4047 and W14

Plant viruses cause symptoms with devastating consequences for agriculture. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying symptom development in viral infections remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) interferes with host developmental programs through a host-mimicking domain present in the viral C4 protein. This domain mediates the interaction between C4

The transition from dormancy to germination marks the initial stage of the plant life cycle, with its intensity, synchronicity, and timing being critical for crop growth, development, and adaptation to complex climate conditions. This review synthesizes recent advances with classic molecular mechanisms of dormancy and germination, including environmental responses and signaling cascades. We integrate

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) are essential metabolic coenzymes in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, with their reduced forms, NAD(P)H, serving as electron donors for myriad reactions. NADH is mainly involved in catabolic reactions, whereas NADPH is mainly involved in anabolic and antioxidative reactions. The presence of endosymbiont-derived

Prolonged exposure to low temperatures during agricultural production often leads to fruit malformation in crops, significantly reducing market value. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we identify sugar transport protein 2 (STP2) as a critical regulator of tomato fruit locule development under cold conditions. Low temperatures impair long-distance

Viruses typically have small genomes with limited coding capacity and must, therefore, rely intensively on the host's cellular machinery to complete their life cycles. Plant viruses are no exception. To establish a successful infection, they must hijack host functions to support transcription, replication, intra- and intercellular movement, and encapsidation of the viral genome, all while evading host

Seed dormancy enables seeds to remain dormant until the environmental conditions are ideal for germination. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie seed dormancy is essential for improving grain quality and preventing pre-harvest sprouting (PHS), a major challenge in global agriculture. Here, we address how long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to the regulation of seed dormancy in

Natural variations are the foundation of crop improvement. However, genomic variability remains largely understudied. Here, we present the full-spectrum integrated panvariome and pangenome of 1,020 peach accessions, including 10.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions, deletions, duplications, inversions, translocations, copy-number variations, transposon-insertion polymorphisms, and

Improving the methionine (Met) content in maize kernels is of key importance to the animal feed industry; however, the genetic and molecular mechanisms governing maize kernel Met content remain largely unexplored. In this study, we leveraged a panel consisting of 348 diverse inbred maize lines to explore the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control kernel Met levels. A genome-wide association

RNA degradation systems (e.g., RNA decay and RNA interference) and the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) are both essential for plant growth, development, and adaptation to stress. Although the interplay between these pathways has been recognized, the molecular mechanisms governing their coordination remain poorly understood. In this study, we revealed that mutations in the 5′–3′ RNA-degrading enzyme

Glyceollins are phytoalexins, soybean-produced compounds that respond to pathogen invasion, injury, and environmental challenges. While these compounds have diverse bioactivities, their limited accessibility hinders further physiological and biochemical studies. Additionally, the incomplete understanding of glyceollin biosynthesis, particularly cyclization steps, remains a major barrier to sustainable

Drought severely threatens food security, and its detrimental effects will be exacerbated by climate change in many parts of the world. Rice production is water-consuming and particularly vulnerable to drought stress. Upland rice is a special rice ecotype that specifically adapts to dryland mainly due to its robust root system. However, the molecular and developmental mechanism underlying this adaption

ABA INSENSITIVE 1 (ABI1) and ABI2 are co-receptors of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). Studies have demonstrated that phosphorylation of multiple amino acids on ABI1/2 augments their ability to inhibit ABA signaling in planta. However, whether and how the dephosphorylation of ABI1/2 is regulated to enhance plant sensitivity to ABA remain unknown. In this study, we identified two protein phosphatases

Coordinated gene transcription in plastids and nuclei is necessary for the photosynthetic apparatus assembly during chloroplast biogenesis. Despite the identification of several transcription factors regulating nuclear-encoded photosynthetic gene transcription, transcription factors regulating plastid gene transcription are barely reported. Here, we report that BAI1 (“albino” in Chinese), a nucleus–plastid

Chemical defoliation stands as the ultimate tool in enabling the mechanical harvest of cotton, offering economic and environmental advantages. However, the underlying molecular mechanism that triggers leaf abscission through defoliant remains unsolved. In this study, we meticulously constructed a transcriptomic atlas through single-nucleus mRNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of the abscission zone (AZ) from

Genetic transformation is a crucial tool for investigating gene function and advancing molecular breeding in crops, with Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation being the primary method for plant genetic modification. However, this approach exhibits significant genotypic dependence in maize. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, we combined dynamic transcriptome analysis and genome-wide

Modern cultivated rice plays a pivotal role in global food security. China accounts for nearly 30% of the world’s rice production and has developed numerous cultivated varieties over the past decades that are well adapted to diverse growing regions. However, the genomic bases underlying the phenotypes of these modern cultivars remain poorly characterized, limiting the exploitation of this vast resource

Sorghum, the fifth most important food crop globally, is a source of silage forage, fiber, syrup, and biofuel. Moreover, it is widely recognized as an ideal model crop for studying stress biology becaused of its ability to tolerate multiple abiotic stresses, including high salt-alkali conditions, drought, and heat. However, functional genomics studies on sorghum have been challenging, primarily due

Plant cells sense H2O2, a major reactive oxygen species (ROS), through cysteine oxidation of critical immune regulators. Recently, Liao et al. reported that the rice transcription factor bHLH25 directly perceives pathogen-induced H2O2 via methionine oxidation to trigger defense responses. This study highlights the importance and complexity of H2O2-mediated oxidation modification in plant immunity.

Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) or other systems has become a cornerstone of numerous biological and applied research fields. However, detecting the resulting mutations by analyzing sequencing data remains time consuming and inefficient. In response to this issue, we designed SuperDecode, an integrated software toolkit

Human adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) and membrane progestin receptors (mPRs, members of the progestin and adipoQ receptor [PAQR] family) are seven-transmembrane receptors involved in the regulation of metabolism and cancer development, which share structural similarities with G protein-coupled receptors. Plant PAQR-like sensors (PLSs) are homologous to human PAQRs but their molecular functions remain

Edible maize is an important food crop that provides energy and nutrients to meet human health and nutritional requirements. However, how environmental pressures and human activity have shaped the metabolome of edible maize remains unclear. In this study, we collected 452 diverse edible maize accessions worldwide, including waxy, sweet, and field maize. A total of 3020 non-redundant metabolites, including