Characterizing the development of photosynthetic capacity in relation to chloroplast structure and mineral nutrition in leaves of three woody fruit species.

Plants have evolved different developmental patterns of photosynthetic capacity to better adapt to changing environmental conditions. Natural variation in photosynthetic development offers great potential for improving crop productivity. In this study, leaf developmental patterns were characterized in three woody fruit tree species with distinct photosynthetic capacity and growth habits.

A pentatricopeptide repeat protein DUA1 interacts with sigma factor 1 to regulate chloroplast gene expression in Rice.

Chloroplast gene expression is controlled by both plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) and nuclear-encoded RNA polymerase and is crucial for chloroplast development and photosynthesis. Environmental factors such as light and temperature can influence transcription in chloroplasts. In this study, we showed that mutation in DUA1, which encodes a pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein in rice (Oryza sativa), led to deficiency in chloroplast development and chlorophyll biosynthesis, impaired photosystems, and reduced expression of PEP-dependent transcripts at low temperature especially under low-light conditions.

PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR-LIKE14 and SLENDER RICE1 Interaction Controls Seedling Growth under Salt Stress.

Early seedling development and emergence from the soil, which are critical for plant growth and important for crop production, are controlled by internal factors, such as phytohormones, and external factors, such as light and salt. However, little is known about how light and salt signals are integrated with endogenous cues in controlling plant physiological processes. Here, we show that overexpression of rice () PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR-LIKE14 (OsPIL14) or loss of function of the DELLA protein SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1) promotes mesocotyl and root growth, specifically in the dark and under salt stress.

Rice FLUORESCENT1 Is Involved in the Regulation of Chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll biosynthesis plays essential roles in photosynthesis and plant growth in response to environmental conditions. The accumulation of excess chlorophyll biosynthesis intermediates under light results in the production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress. In this study, we identified a rice (Oryza sativa) mutant, oxidation under photoperiod (oxp), that displayed photobleached lesions on its leaves, reduced growth and decreased chlorophyll content during light/dark cycles or following a dark-to-light transition.