CRISPR enables sustainable cereal production for a greener future.

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has become the most important tool for targeted genome editing in many plant and animal species over the past decade. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology has also sparked a flood of applications and technical advancements in genome editing in the key cereal crops, including rice, wheat, maize, and barley. Here, we review advanced uses of CRISPR/Cas9 and derived systems in genome editing of cereal crops to enhance a variety of agronomically important features.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing techniques and new breeding strategies in cereals - current status, improvements, and perspectives.

Cereal crops, including triticeae species (barley, wheat, rye), as well as edible cereals (wheat, corn, rice, oat, rye, sorghum), are significant suppliers for human consumption, livestock feed, and breweries. Over the past half-century, modern varieties of cereal crops with increased yields have contributed to global food security. However, presently cultivated elite crop varieties were developed mainly for optimal environmental conditions.

The genome sequence of a soldier beetle, (Paykull, 1798).

We present a genome assembly from an individual female (soldier beetle; Arthropoda; Insecta; Coleoptera; Cantharidae). The genome sequence is 777 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into seven chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the assembled X sex chromosome.

SWEET11b transports both sugar and cytokinin in developing barley grains.

Even though Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters (SWEETs) have been found in every sequenced plant genome, a comprehensive understanding of their functionality is lacking. In this study, we focused on the SWEET family of barley (Hordeum vulgare). A radiotracer assay revealed that expressing HvSWEET11b in African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) oocytes facilitated the bidirectional transfer of not only just sucrose and glucose, but also cytokinin.

Evaluation of Halophyte Biopotential as an Unused Natural Resource: The Case of .

Halophytes are plant species widely distributed in saline habitats, such as beaches, postindustrial wastelands, irrigated lands, salt flats, and others. Excessive salt level, known to limit plant growth, is not harmful to halophytes, which have developed a variety of defense mechanisms allowing them to colonize harsh environments. Plants under stress are known to respond with several morpho-anatomical adaptations, but also to enhance the production of secondary metabolites to better cope with difficult conditions.

New genus of erotine net-winged beetles, Damzenium gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Lycidae), from Eocene Rovno amber.

A new genus and a new species of erotine net-winged beetles, Damzenium rivnense gen., sp. nov.

Exogenous melatonin ameliorates ionizing radiation-induced damage by modulating growth, osmotic adjustment and photosynthetic capacity in wheat seedlings.

As a multifunctional signal molecule, melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) plays many important roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. The effect of melatonin application on enhancing plant stress tolerance has been widely reported, but the ameliorative effect of exogenous melatonin treatment on plants exposed to ionization stress is still unknown. This study investigated the ameliorative effects of two types of melatonin treatment, pre-sowing priming (prMel) and application during growth (ptMel), in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

Biostimulants as an Alternative to Improve the Wine Quality from (cv. Tempranillo) in La Rioja.

The application of biostimulants appears to be an environmentally friendly, innovative, and sustainable agronomical tool to mitigate the negative effects induced by adverse climatology in traditional grape-growing regions such as La Rioja (Spain). However, their mechanism of action in grapevines is still unclear. We evaluated how commercial substances (two from extraction and one amino acids-based biostimulant) and the non-proteinogenic amino acid β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) affect the quality and quantity of musts and grapes in L.

CROWN ROOTLESS1 binds DNA with a relaxed specificity and activates OsROP and OsbHLH044 genes involved in crown root formation in rice.

In cereals, the root system is mainly composed of post-embryonic shoot-borne roots, named crown roots. The CROWN ROOTLESS1 (CRL1) transcription factor, belonging to the ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2-LIKE/LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (ASL/LBD) family, is a key regulator of crown root initiation in rice (Oryza sativa). Here, we show that CRL1 can bind, both in vitro and in vivo, not only the LBD-box, a DNA sequence recognized by several ASL/LBD transcription factors, but also another not previously identified DNA motif that was named CRL1-box.

Genome editing and beyond: what does it mean for the future of plant breeding?

Genome editing offers revolutionized solutions for plant breeding to sustain food production to feed the world by 2050. Therefore, genome-edited products are increasingly recognized via more relaxed legislation and community adoption. The world population and food production are disproportionally growing in a manner that would have never matched each other under the current agricultural practices.

Antiviral Activity of Selected Lamiaceae Essential Oils and Their Monoterpenes Against SARS-Cov-2.

This study presents the very first report on the antiviral activity of selected essential oils of Lamiaceae plant species and their monoterpenes against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nineteen essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation of dried plant material, and their monoterpene profiles were determined. In addition, the exact concentrations of each monoterpene that were found at a significant level were defined.

Role of , Containing DUF2358, in Salt Tolerance Is Mediated via Adaptation of Absorbed Light Energy Dissipation.

Salt stress affects plant growth and productivity. In this study we determined the roles of eight genes involved in photosynthesis, using gene co-expression network analysis, under salt-stress conditions using Arabidopsis knockout mutants. The green area of the leaves was minimum in the mutant line.

Enhancing cereal productivity by genetic modification of root architecture.

Food security is one of the main topics of today's agriculture, primarily due to increasingly challenging environmental conditions. As most of humankind has a daily intake of cereal grains, current breeding programs focus on these crop plants. Customized endonucleases have been included in the breeders' toolbox after successfully demonstrating their use.

WHIRLIES Are Multifunctional DNA-Binding Proteins With Impact on Plant Development and Stress Resistance.

WHIRLIES are plant-specific proteins binding to DNA in plastids, mitochondria, and nucleus. They have been identified as significant components of nucleoids in the organelles where they regulate the structure of the nucleoids and diverse DNA-associated processes. WHIRLIES also fulfil roles in the nucleus by interacting with telomers and various transcription factors, among them members of the WRKY family.

Exploring New Sources of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from Western Balkan Mountains.

This study presents the first report on phenolic composition and bioactivity of ethanolic extracts of three plant species that grow in the western Balkan mountains and are used in traditional folk medicine: , , and . Phenolics were extracted from different aerial plant parts using 80% ethanol to assess the possibility of sustainable use of these plants as a source of bioactive compounds without disruption to the roots (for ) or destruction of whole habitats (for and ). The ethanolic extract of flower contained noticeable levels of apigenin and quercetin.

Minerals, phenolics, and biological activity of wild edible mushroom, Zerova.

Tasteful morels ( sp.) are one of the most popular mushrooms, both economically and scientifically. Due to their beneficial constituents, they are classified as functional foods.

Recent advances in molecular farming using monocot plants.

Heterologous synthesis of proteins or peptides in plant-based systems, referred to as plant molecular farming, is a practical and safe approach for the large-scale and cost-effective production of therapeutic biomolecules. In this context, monocotyledonous plants, and especially cereals, have been considered attractive vehicles for producing high-value recombinant proteins. The endosperm, as the largest grain storage compartment, offers an appropriate environment for long-lasting protein accumulation.

Phylogenomic and mitogenomic data can accelerate inventorying of tropical beetles during the current biodiversity crisis.

Conservation efforts must be evidence-based, so rapid and economically feasible methods should be used to quantify diversity and distribution patterns. We have attempted to overcome current impediments to the gathering of biodiversity data by using integrative phylogenomic and three mtDNA fragment analyses. As a model, we sequenced the Metriorrhynchini beetle fauna, sampled from ~700 localities in three continents.

Optimizing growing conditions for hydroponic farming of selected medicinal and aromatic plants.

This work presents a pipeline for optimizing semi-hydroponic growth conditions and analyzes the impact on the growth and metabolism in three Mentha species (M. arvensis, M. x piperita, or M.