Impact of protein domains on the MEL2 granule, a cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complex maintaining faithful meiosis progression in rice.

Cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granules are membraneless structures composed of various RNAs and proteins that play important roles in post-transcriptional regulation. While RNP granules are known to regulate the meiotic entry in some organisms, little is known about their roles in plants. In this study, we observed the cytoplasmic granular structures of rice RNA-binding protein MEIOSIS ARRESTED AT LEPTOTENE2 (MEL2), which contributes to the control of meiotic entry timing, in leaf protoplasts and spore mother cells.

Widespread and transgenerational retrotransposon activation in inter- and intraspecies recombinant inbred populations of Lotus japonicus.

Transposable elements (TEs) constitute a large proportion of genomes of multicellular eukaryotes, including flowering plants. TEs are normally maintained in a silenced state and their transpositions rarely occur. Hybridization between distant species has been regarded as a 'shock' that stimulates genome reorganization, including TE mobilization.

Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation of Wild Oryza Species Using Immature Embryos.

Genetic transformation is one of the most important technologies for revealing or modulating gene function. It is used widely in both functional genomics and molecular breeding of rice. Demands on its use in wild Oryza species is increasing because of their high genetic diversity.

Impact of Autophagy on Gene Expression and Tapetal Programmed Cell Death During Pollen Development in Rice.

Autophagy has recently been shown to be required for tapetal programmed cell death (PCD) and pollen maturation in rice. A transcriptional regulatory network is also known to play a key role in the progression of tapetal PCD. However, the relationship between the gene regulatory network and autophagy in rice anther development is mostly unknown.

Essential roles of autophagy in metabolic regulation in endosperm development during rice seed maturation.

Autophagy plays crucial roles in the recycling of metabolites, and is involved in many developmental processes. Rice mutants defective in autophagy are male sterile due to immature pollens, indicating its critical role in pollen development. However, physiological roles of autophagy during seed maturation had remained unknown.

Monitoring autophagy in rice tapetal cells during pollen maturation.

We have previously shown that autophagy is required for post meiotic anther development including programmed cell death-mediated degradation of the tapetum and pollen maturation in rice. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of autophagy in the tapetum remain poorly understood. We here established an in vivo imaging technique to analyze the dynamics of autophagy in rice tapetum cells by expressing green fluorescent protein-tagged AtATG8, a marker for autophagosomes.

Correction: EAT1 transcription factor, a non-cell-autonomous regulator of pollen production, activates meiotic small RNA biogenesis in rice anther tapetum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.

Harimaru: a new potato variety for a local specialty.

'Harimaru' is a new potato variety bred from a cross between 'Saikai 35' as a female parent and 'Pike' as a male parent. Marker selection was performed for 1,647 seedlings to combine resistance genes to late blight (), ( ), (), and golden cyst nematode (). In total, 194 selected clones were evaluated in the field, among which the best clone was officially released as 'Harimaru'.

EAT1 transcription factor, a non-cell-autonomous regulator of pollen production, activates meiotic small RNA biogenesis in rice anther tapetum.

The 24-nucleotides (nt) phased secondary small interfering RNA (phasiRNA) is a unique class of plant small RNAs abundantly expressed in monocot anthers at early meiosis. Previously, 44 intergenic regions were identified as the loci for longer precursor RNAs of 24-nt phasiRNAs (24-PHASs) in the rice genome. However, the regulatory mechanism that determines spatiotemporal expression of these RNAs has remained elusive.