Is chloroplast size optimal for photosynthetic efficiency?

Improving photosynthetic efficiency has recently emerged as a promising way to increase crop production in a sustainable manner. While chloroplast size may affect photosynthetic efficiency in several ways, we aimed to explore whether chloroplast size manipulation can be a viable approach to improving photosynthetic performance. Several tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) lines with contrasting chloroplast sizes were generated via manipulation of chloroplast division genes to assess photosynthetic performance under steady-state and fluctuating light.

Exploring the Potential of Heterosis to Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Popcorn Plants.

Nitrogen is crucial for plant growth and development, and improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a viable strategy for reducing dependence on nitrogen inputs and promoting sustainability. While the benefits of heterosis in corn are well known, the physiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon in popcorn are less understood. We aimed to investigate the effects of heterosis on growth and physiological traits in four popcorn lines and their hybrids under two contrasting nitrogen conditions.

Genetic control of photoprotection and photosystem II operating efficiency in plants.

Photoprotection against excess light via nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) is indispensable for plant survival. However, slow NPQ relaxation under low light conditions can decrease yield of field-grown crops up to 40%. Using semi-high-throughput assay, we quantified the kinetics of NPQ and photosystem II operating efficiency (ΦPSII) in a replicated field trial of more than 700 maize (Zea mays) genotypes across 2 yr.

Soybean SAUL1, a Bona Fide U-Box E3 Ligase, Negatively Regulates Immunity Likely through Repressing the Activation of MPK3.

E3 ubiquitin ligases play important roles in plant immunity, but their role in soybean has not been investigated previously. Here, we used (BPMV)-mediated virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to investigate the function of SAUL1 (Senescence-Associated E3 Ubiquitin Ligase 1) homologs in soybean. When two closely related homologs were silenced simultaneously, the soybean plants displayed autoimmune phenotypes, which were significantly alleviated by high temperature, suggesting that SAUL1a/1b might be guarded by an R protein.

A leaf-level spectral library to support high-throughput plant phenotyping: predictive accuracy and model transfer.

Leaf-level hyperspectral reflectance has become an effective tool for high-throughput phenotyping of plant leaf traits due to its rapid, low-cost, multi-sensing, and non-destructive nature. However, collecting samples for model calibration can still be expensive, and models show poor transferability among different datasets. This study had three specific objectives: first, to assemble a large library of leaf hyperspectral data (n=2460) from maize and sorghum; second, to evaluate two machine-learning approaches to estimate nine leaf properties (chlorophyll, thickness, water content, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur); and third, to investigate the usefulness of this spectral library for predicting external datasets (n=445) including soybean and camelina using extra-weighted spiking.

Introduction of Genome Editing Reagents and Genotyping of Derived Edited Alleles in Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.).

Cas9-based genome editing is a powerful genetic tool for loci specifically targeted for genome modification. This chapter describes up-to-date protocols using Cas9-based genome editing technology, including vector construction with GoldenBraid assembly, Agrobacterium-mediated soybean transformation, and identification of editing in the genome.

Mechanism of sphingolipid homeostasis revealed by structural analysis of SPT-ORM1 complex.

The serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) complex catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step in sphingolipid biosynthesis in all eukaryotes. ORM/ORMDL proteins are negative regulators of SPT that respond to cellular sphingolipid levels. However, the molecular basis underlying ORM/ORMDL-dependent homeostatic regulation of SPT is not well understood.

Association of IS with Multidrug Resistance in Isolates from Cattle ().

is, globally, an important cause of human illness with beef being a significant attributable source. In the human patient, systemic infection requires antibiotic therapy, and when strains are multidrug resistant (MDR), no effective treatment may be available. MDR in bacteria is often associated with the presence of mobile genetic elements (MGE) that mediate horizontal spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes.

A role for heritable transcriptomic variation in maize adaptation to temperate environments.

Background: Transcription bridges genetic information and phenotypes. Here, we evaluated how changes in transcriptional regulation enable maize (Zea mays), a crop originally domesticated in the tropics, to adapt to temperate environments.

Result: We generated 572 unique RNA-seq datasets from the roots of 340 maize genotypes.

The persistence and stabilization of auxiliary genes in the human skin virome.

Background: The human skin contains a diverse microbiome that provides protective functions against environmental pathogens. Studies have demonstrated that bacteriophages modulate bacterial community composition and facilitate the transfer of host-specific genes, potentially influencing host cellular functions. However, little is known about the human skin virome and its role in human health.

Small RNAs >26 nt in length associate with AGO1 and are upregulated by nutrient deprivation in the alga Chlamydomonas.

Small RNAs (sRNAs) associate with ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins forming effector complexes with key roles in gene regulation and defense responses against molecular parasites. In multicellular eukaryotes, extensive duplication and diversification of RNA interference (RNAi) components have resulted in intricate pathways for epigenetic control of gene expression. The unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii also has a complex RNAi machinery, including 3 AGOs and 3 DICER-like proteins.

Sphingolipid Long-Chain Base Signaling in Compatible and Non-Compatible Plant-Pathogen Interactions in Arabidopsis.

The chemical diversity of sphingolipids in plants allows the assignment of specific roles to special molecular species. These roles include NaCl receptors for glycosylinositolphosphoceramides or second messengers for long-chain bases (LCBs), free or in their acylated forms. Such signaling function has been associated with plant immunity, with an apparent connection to mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (MPK6) and reactive oxygen species (ROS).

De novo Assembly and Comparative Analyses of Mitochondrial Genomes in Piperales.

The mitochondrial genome of Liriodendron tulipifera exhibits many ancestral angiosperm features and a remarkably slow evolutionary rate, while mitochondrial genomes of other magnoliids remain yet to be characterized. We assembled nine new mitochondrial genomes, representing all genera of perianth-bearing Piperales, as well as for a member of the sister clade: three complete or nearly complete mitochondrial genomes from Aristolochiaceae and six additional draft assemblies including Thottea, Asaraceae, Lactoridaceae, and Hydnoraceae. For comparative purpose, a complete mitochondrial genome was assembled for Saururus, a member of the perianth-less Piperales.

Root exudate concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) affect maize rhizobacterial communities at specific developmental stages.

Root exudates shape the rhizosphere microbiome, but little is known about the specific compounds in root exudates that are important. Here, we investigated the impacts of the plant-synthesized phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA) exuded by roots on the maize rhizobacterial communities. To identify maize genotypes that differed in the root exudate concentrations of IAA and ABA, we screened hundreds of inbred lines using a semi-hydroponic system.

Pearl millet response to drought: A review.

The C4 grass pearl millet is one of the most drought tolerant cereals and is primarily grown in marginal areas where annual rainfall is low and intermittent. It was domesticated in sub-Saharan Africa, and several studies have found that it uses a combination of morphological and physiological traits to successfully resist drought. This review explores the short term and long-term responses of pearl millet that enables it to either tolerate, avoid, escape, or recover from drought stress.

Expression of malic enzyme reveals subcellular carbon partitioning for storage reserve production in soybeans.

Central metabolism produces amino and fatty acids for protein and lipids that establish seed value. Biosynthesis of storage reserves occurs in multiple organelles that exchange central intermediates including two essential metabolites, malate, and pyruvate that are linked by malic enzyme. Malic enzyme can be active in multiple subcellular compartments, partitioning carbon and reducing equivalents for anabolic and catabolic requirements.

Phosphate deficiency modifies lipid composition and seed oil production in camelina.

Camelina (Camelina sativa) is an emerging industrial oilseed crop because of its potential for double cropping, fallow year production, growth on marginal lands, and multiple uses of seed oils and meals. To realize the potential for sustainable production of camelina, a better understanding of how camelina seed oil production and composition respond to low input environments is desired. Phosphorus (P) is one of the least available essential macronutrients to plants with finite worldwide supply.

Chromosome-level genomes of multicellular algal sisters to land plants illuminate signaling network evolution.

The filamentous and unicellular algae of the class Zygnematophyceae are the closest algal relatives of land plants. Inferring the properties of the last common ancestor shared by these algae and land plants allows us to identify decisive traits that enabled the conquest of land by plants. We sequenced four genomes of filamentous Zygnematophyceae (three strains of and one strain of ) and generated chromosome-scale assemblies for all strains of the emerging model system .

Estimating the genetic parameters of yield-related traits under different nitrogen conditions in maize.

Understanding the genetic basis responding to nitrogen (N) fertilization in crop production is a long-standing research topic in plant breeding and genetics. Albeit years of continuous efforts, the genetic architecture parameters, such as heritability, polygenicity, and mode of selection, underlying the N responses in maize remain largely unclear. In this study, about n = 230 maize inbred lines were phenotyped under high N (HN) and low N (LN) conditions for 2 consecutive years to obtain 6 yield-related traits.

A common resequencing-based genetic marker data set for global maize diversity.

Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) populations exhibit vast ranges of genetic and phenotypic diversity. As sequencing costs have declined, an increasing number of projects have sought to measure genetic differences between and within maize populations using whole-genome resequencing strategies, identifying millions of segregating single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions (InDels).

Evolution and emergence of primate-specific interferon regulatory factor 9.

The binding of interferon (IFN) to its receptors leads to formation of IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 (ISGF3) complex that activates the transcription of cellular IFN-regulated genes. IFN regulatory factor 9 (IRF9, also called ISGF3γ or p48) is a key component of ISGF3. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the molecular evolution of IRF9 among vertebrates.

Contrasting photoprotective responses of forest trees revealed using PRI light responses sampled with airborne imaging spectrometry.

The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) provides an optical indicator of photosynthetic light-use efficiency, photoprotection, and stress in plants. Although PRI can be applied in remote sensing, its interpretation depends on irradiance, which is hard to obtain from satellite or airborne imagery. To quantify forest photoprotective responses remotely, we developed a framework for modeling and interpreting PRI-light responses of individual trees and species using airborne imaging spectrometry coupled with georeferenced forest inventory data from a temperate broad-leaved forest.