Extra-large G proteins have extra-large effects on agronomic traits and stress tolerance in maize and rice.

Heterotrimeric G proteins - comprising Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits - are ubiquitous elements in eukaryotic cell signaling. Plant genomes contain both canonical Gα subunit genes and a family of plant-specific extra-large G protein genes (XLGs) that encode proteins consisting of a domain with Gα-like features downstream of a long N-terminal domain. In this review we summarize phenotypes modulated by the canonical Gα and XLG proteins of arabidopsis and highlight recent studies in maize and rice that reveal dramatic phenotypic consequences of XLG clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) mutagenesis in these important crop species.

The Role of Dwarfing Traits in Historical and Modern Agriculture with a Focus on Rice.

Semidwarf stature is a valuable agronomic trait in grain crops that reduces lodging and increases harvest index. A fundamental advance during the 1960s Green Revolution was the introduction of semidwarf cultivars of rice and wheat. Essentially, all semidwarf varieties of rice under cultivation today owe their diminished stature to a specific null mutation in the gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis gene, However, it is now well-established that, in addition to GAs, brassinosteroids and strigolactones also control plant height.

Novel alleles of rice eIF4G generated by CRISPR/Cas9-targeted mutagenesis confer resistance to Rice tungro spherical virus.

Rice tungro disease (RTD) is a serious constraint in rice production across tropical Asia. RTD is caused by the interaction between Rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) and Rice tungro bacilliform virus. RTSV resistance found in traditional cultivars has contributed to a reduction in the incidence of RTD in the field.

Identification of "safe harbor" loci in indica rice genome by harnessing the property of zinc-finger nucleases to induce DNA damage and repair.

Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) have proved to be successful tools for targeted genome manipulation in several organisms. Their main property is the induction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) at specific sites, which are further repaired through homologous recombination (HR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). However, for the appropriate integration of genes at specific chromosomal locations, proper sites for gene integration need to be identified.