Spinach-based RNA mimicking GFP in plant cells.

Spinach RNA-mimicking GFP (S-RMG) has been successfully used to monitor cellular RNAs including microRNAs in bacterium, yeast, and human cells. However, S-RMG has not been established in plants. In this study, we found that like bacterial, yeast, and human cellular tRNAs, plant tRNAs such as tRNA can protect and/or stabilize the Spinach RNA aptamer interaction with the fluorophore DFHBI enabling detectable levels of green fluorescence to be emitted.

Multigene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 guided by a single-sgRNA seed in Arabidopsis.

We report that a solo single-guide RNA (sgRNA) seed is capable of guiding Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR -associated 9 (CRISRP/Cas9) to simultaneously edit multiple genes AtRPL10A, AtRPL10B and AtRPL10C in Arabidopsis. Our results also demonstrate that it is possible to use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create AtRPL10 triple mutants which otherwise cannot be generated by conventional genetic crossing. Compared to other conventional multiplex CRISPR/Cas systems, a single sgRNA seed has the advantage of reducing off-target gene-editing.

, a Trihelix Family Gene, Mediates Abiotic Stress Tolerance and ABA Signaling in .

The trihelix family genes have important functions in light-relevant and other developmental processes, but their roles in response to adverse environment are largely unclear. In this study, we identified a new gene, , which fell in the SIP1 (6b INTERACTING PROTEIN1) clade of the trihelix family with two trihelix DNA binding domains and a fourth amphipathic α-helix. BnSIP1-1 protein specifically targeted to the nucleus, and its expression can be induced by abscisic acid (ABA) and different stresses.

Aequorin-based luminescence imaging reveals differential calcium signalling responses to salt and reactive oxygen species in rice roots.

It is well established that both salt and reactive oxygen species (ROS) stresses are able to increase the concentration of cytosolic free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i), which is caused by the flux of calcium (Ca(2+)). However, the differences between these two processes are largely unknown. Here, we introduced recombinant aequorin into rice (Oryza sativa) and examined the change in [Ca(2+)]i in response to salt and ROS stresses.