Overexpression of ZmEULD1b enhances maize seminal root elongation and drought tolerance.

Drought stress damages the growth and development of maize, which results in the maize yield reduction. A strong root system improves the drought tolerance in maize. A previous genome-wide association study for the maize seminal root length under drought stress conditions identified a significant SNP, which was located in the ZmEULD1b gene.

Identification of from an Elite Landrace: A Major Locus Conferring Resistance to Southern Corn Rust in Maize ( L.).

Southern corn rust (SCR) is one of the most destructive foliar diseases in maize ( L.), resulting in significant yield losses. Therefore, the continuous identification of disease-resistant germplasm and the deployment of resistant hybrids is essential for durably controlling SCR.

Overexpression of reduces anthesis-silking interval and increases grain yield under drought and well-watered conditions in maize.

Unlabelled: Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting the maize production worldwide. As a cross-pollination crop, maize is sensitive to water stress at flowering stage. Drought at this stage leads to asynchronous development of male and female flower organ and increased interval between anthesis and silking, which finally causes failure of pollination and grain yield loss.

Identification of a new QTL underlying seminal root number in a maize-teosinte population.

Seminal roots play an important role in acquisition of water and nutrients by maize seedlings. Compared with its teosinte ancestor, maize underwent a change in seminal root number (SRN). Although several key genes controlling SRN have been cloned, identification and utilization of new genes from teosinte would be useful for improving maize root architecture.

Genomic insight into changes of root architecture under drought stress in maize.

Drought stress is a central environmental factor that severely limits maize production worldwide. Root architecture plays an important role in drought tolerance and can be targeted in breeding programmes. Here, we conducted phenotyping of root architecture under different water treatments for 373 maize inbred lines, representative germplasm from both China and the United States in different breeding eras.

Phase-separating pyrenoid proteins form complexes in the dilute phase.

While most studies of biomolecular phase separation have focused on the condensed phase, relatively little is known about the dilute phase. Theory suggests that stable complexes form in the dilute phase of two-component phase-separating systems, impacting phase separation; however, these complexes have not been interrogated experimentally. We show that such complexes indeed exist, using an in vitro reconstitution system of a phase-separated organelle, the algal pyrenoid, consisting of purified proteins Rubisco and EPYC1.

PIL transcription factors directly interact with SPLs and repress tillering/branching in plants.

Tillering is an important parameter of plant architecture in cereal crops. In this study, we identified the PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR-LIKE (PIL) family transcription factors as new repressors of tillering in cereal crops. Using biochemical and genetic approaches, we explore the roles of TaPIL1 in regulating wheat plant architecture.

The blue light receptor CRY1 interacts with GID1 and DELLA proteins to repress gibberellin signaling and plant growth.

Improvements in plant architecture, such as reduced plant height under high-density planting, are important for agricultural production. Light and gibberellin (GA) are essential external and internal cues that affect plant architecture. In this study, we characterize the direct interaction of distinct receptors that link light and GA signaling in () and wheat ( L.

The transcription factor TaLAX1 interacts with Q to antagonistically regulate grain threshability and spike morphogenesis in bread wheat.

The domestication gene Q is largely responsible for the widespread cultivation of wheat because it confers multiple domestication traits. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of how Q regulates these domestication traits remain unclear. In this study, we identify a Q-interacting protein TaLAX1, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, through yeast two-hybrid assays.

BIC1 acts as a transcriptional coactivator to promote brassinosteroid signaling and plant growth.

The BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (BZR1) transcription factor family plays an essential role in plant brassinosteroid (BR) signaling, but the signaling mechanism through which BZR1 and its homologs cooperate with certain coactivators to facilitate transcription of target genes remains incompletely understood. In this study, we used an efficient protein interaction screening system to identify blue-light inhibitor of cryptochromes 1 (BIC1) as a new BZR1-interacting protein in Arabidopsis thaliana. We show that BIC1 positively regulates BR signaling and acts as a transcriptional coactivator for BZR1-dependent activation of BR-responsive genes.

The structural basis of Rubisco phase separation in the pyrenoid.

Approximately one-third of global CO fixation occurs in a phase-separated algal organelle called the pyrenoid. The existing data suggest that the pyrenoid forms by the phase separation of the CO-fixing enzyme Rubisco with a linker protein; however, the molecular interactions underlying this phase separation remain unknown. Here we present the structural basis of the interactions between Rubisco and its intrinsically disordered linker protein Essential Pyrenoid Component 1 (EPYC1) in the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

The HD-ZIP II Transcription Factors Regulate Plant Architecture through the Auxin Pathway.

The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) family transcription factors play important roles in plant growth and development. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here we found that , encoding a HD-ZIP transcription factor, is an early auxin responsive gene.

Measuring the predictability of life outcomes with a scientific mass collaboration.

How predictable are life trajectories? We investigated this question with a scientific mass collaboration using the common task method; 160 teams built predictive models for six life outcomes using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a high-quality birth cohort study. Despite using a rich dataset and applying machine-learning methods optimized for prediction, the best predictions were not very accurate and were only slightly better than those from a simple benchmark model. Within each outcome, prediction error was strongly associated with the family being predicted and weakly associated with the technique used to generate the prediction.

Rigidity enhances a magic-number effect in polymer phase separation.

Cells possess non-membrane-bound bodies, many of which are now understood as phase-separated condensates. One class of such condensates is composed of two polymer species, where each consists of repeated binding sites that interact in a one-to-one fashion with the binding sites of the other polymer. Biologically-motivated modeling revealed that phase separation is suppressed by a "magic-number effect" which occurs if the two polymers can form fully-bonded small oligomers by virtue of the number of binding sites in one polymer being an integer multiple of the number of binding sites of the other.

Photoexcited phytochrome B interacts with brassinazole resistant 1 to repress brassinosteroid signaling in Arabidopsis.

Photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB) mediates a variety of light responses in plants. To further elucidate the molecular mechanisms of phyB-regulated hypocotyl elongation, we performed firefly luciferase complementation imaging (LCI) screening for phyB-interacting transcription factors (TFs). LCI assays showed that phyB possibly interacts with brassinazoleresistant 1 (BZR1), BZR2, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 6 (ARF6), and several WRKY DNA-binding TFs in a red light-dependent manner.

The Blue-Light Receptor CRY1 Interacts with BZR1 and BIN2 to Modulate the Phosphorylation and Nuclear Function of BZR1 in Repressing BR Signaling in Arabidopsis.

The blue-light receptor cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) primarily mediates blue-light inhibition of hypocotyl elongation in Arabidopsis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. We report here that CRY1 inhibits hypocotyl elongation by repressing brassinosteroid (BR) signaling.

Drought-responsive WRKY transcription factor genes TaWRKY1 and TaWRKY33 from wheat confer drought and/or heat resistance in Arabidopsis.

Background: Drought stress is one of the major causes of crop loss. WRKY transcription factors, as one of the largest transcription factor families, play important roles in regulation of many plant processes, including drought stress response. However, far less information is available on drought-responsive WRKY genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

Foxtail Millet NF-Y Families: Genome-Wide Survey and Evolution Analyses Identified Two Functional Genes Important in Abiotic Stresses.

It was reported that Nuclear Factor Y (NF-Y) genes were involved in abiotic stress in plants. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica), an elite stress tolerant crop, provided an impetus for the investigation of the NF-Y families in abiotic responses. In the present study, a total of 39 NF-Y genes were identified in foxtail millet.

Genome-wide analysis of the Hsf family in soybean and functional identification of GmHsf-34 involvement in drought and heat stresses.

Background: High temperature affects organism growth and metabolic activity. Heat shock transcription factors (Hsfs) are key regulators in heat shock response in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Under high temperature conditions, Hsfs activate heat shock proteins (Hsps) by combining with heat stress elements (HSEs) in their promoters, leading to defense of heat stress.