Chromosome Numbers and Reproductive Life Cycles in Green Plants: A Phylotranscriptomic Perspective.

The strong correlation between reproductive life cycle type and chromosome numbers in green plants has been a long-standing mystery in evolutionary biology. Within green plants, the derived condition of heterosporous reproduction has emerged from the ancestral condition of homospory in disparate locations on the phylogenetic tree at least 11 times, of which three lineages are extant. In all green plant lineages where heterospory has emerged, there has been a significant downsizing in chromosome numbers.

BBX22 enhances the accumulation of antioxidants to inhibit DNA damage and promotes DNA repair under high UV-B.

Under changing climatic conditions, plant exposure to high-intensity UV-B can be a potential threat to plant health and all plant-derived human requirements, including food. It's crucial to understand how plants respond to high UV-B radiation so that proper measures can be taken to enhance tolerance towards high UV-B stress. We found that BBX22, a B-box protein-coding gene, is strongly induced within one hour of exposure to high-intensity UV-B.

Deciphering the Vulnerability of Pollen to Heat Stress for Securing Crop Yields in a Warming Climate.

Climate change is leading to more frequent and severe extreme temperature events, negatively impacting agricultural productivity and threatening global food security. Plant reproduction, the process fundamental to crop yield, is highly susceptible to heatwaves, which disrupt pollen development and ultimately affect seed-set and crop yields. Recent research has increasingly focused on understanding how pollen grains from various crops react to heat stress at the molecular and cellular levels.

Elemental profiling and genome-wide association studies reveal genomic variants modulating ionomic composition in leaves.

The ionome represents elemental composition in plant tissues and can be an indicator of nutrient status as well as overall plant performance. Thus, identifying genetic determinants governing elemental uptake and storage is an important goal for breeding and engineering biomass feedstocks with improved performance. In this study, we coupled high-throughput ionome characterization of leaf tissues with high-resolution genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to uncover genetic loci that modulate ionomic composition in leaves of poplar ().

Assessment of field performance and bruchid resistance during seed storage of a genetically modified cowpea expressing the alpha-amylase inhibitor 1 protein from common bean.

Introduction: The cowpea weevil, Fab., is the most economically important storage pest of cowpeas, causing up to 100 percent grain losses within six months of storage. To sustainably resist weevil damage, the cowpea cultivar IT86D-1010 was genetically modified via -mediated transformation to produce event CSI-32, which expresses the kidney bean alpha-amylase inhibitor 1 (αAI-1) protein exclusively in the seed, providing suppression of weevil development.

Maize unstable factor for orange1 encodes a nuclear protein that affects redox accumulation during kernel development.

The basal endosperm transfer layer (BETL) of the maize (Zea mays L.) kernel is composed of transfer cells for nutrient transport to nourish the developing kernel. To understand the spatiotemporal processes required for BETL development, we characterized 2 unstable factor for orange1 (Zmufo1) mutant alleles.

Soybean genomics research community strategic plan: A vision for 2024-2028.

This strategic plan summarizes the major accomplishments achieved in the last quinquennial by the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genetics and genomics research community and outlines key priorities for the next 5 years (2024-2028).

A multi-omics approach reveals a link between ribosomal protein alterations and proteome rebalancing in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds.

The ability of seeds to restore their amino acid content and composition after the elimination of the most abundant seed storage proteins (SSPs) is well-documented, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To better understand how seeds compensate for major proteomic disruptions, we conducted a comprehensive analysis on an Arabidopsis mutant lacking the three most abundant SSPs, the cruciferins. Our initial findings indicated that carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur levels, as well as total protein and oil content, remained unchanged in these mutants suggesting rebalanced seeds.

Comparative RNA profiling identifies stage-specific phasiRNAs and coexpressed Argonaute genes in Bambusoideae and Pooideae species.

Phased, small interfering RNAs (PhasiRNAs) play a crucial role in supporting male fertility in grasses. Earlier work in maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa)-and subsequently many other plant species-identified premeiotic 21-nucleotide (nt) and meiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs. More recently, a group of premeiotic 24-nt phasiRNAs was discovered in the anthers of 2 Pooideae species, barley (Hordeum vulgare) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Mathematical model of RNA-directed DNA methylation predicts tuning of negative feedback required for stable maintenance.

RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is a plant-specific de novo methylation pathway that is responsible for maintenance of asymmetric methylation (CHH, H = A, T or G) in euchromatin. Loci with CHH methylation produce 24 nucleotide (nt) short interfering (si) RNAs. These siRNAs direct additional CHH methylation to the locus, maintaining methylation states through DNA replication.

Targeted engineering of camelina and pennycress seeds for ultrahigh accumulation of acetyl-TAG.

Acetyl-TAG (3-acetyl-1,2-diacylglycerol), unique triacylglycerols (TAG) possessing an acetate group at the -3 position, exhibit valuable properties, such as reduced viscosity and freezing points. Previous attempts to engineer acetyl-TAG production in oilseed crops did not achieve the high levels found in naturally producing seeds. Here, we demonstrate the successful generation of camelina and pennycress transgenic lines accumulating nearly pure acetyl-TAG at 93 mol% and 98 mol%, respectively.

Student reflections on emotional engagement reveal science fatigue during the COVID-19 online learning transition.

Numerous quantitative studies in science education found that student engagement declined after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but analyses to identify the factors that drove emotional engagement down are lacking. Emotional engagement is a multidimensional construct composed of interest in an academic discipline, value in an academic course, and anxiety. Here, we use qualitative analysis to examine how and why the emergency shift from face-to-face to online classes during and after the pandemic-induced emergency remote transition impacted student emotional engagement.

A strategy for identification and characterization of genic mutations using a temperature-sensitive chlorotic soybean mutant as an example.

Screening a transposon-mutagenized soybean population led to the discovery of a recessively inherited chlorotic phenotype. This "y24" phenotype results in smaller stature, weaker stems, and a smaller root system. Genome sequencing identified 15 candidate genes with mutations likely to result in a loss of function.

Metabolic Flux Analysis to Increase Oil in Seeds.

Ensuring an adequate food supply and enough energy to sustainably support future global populations will require enhanced productivity from plants. Oilseeds can help address these needs; but the fatty acid composition of seed oils is not always optimal, and higher yields are required to meet growing demands. Quantitative approaches including metabolic flux analysis can provide insights on unexpected metabolism (i.

A MYB transcription factor underlying plant height in sorghum qHT7.1 and maize Brachytic 1 loci.

Manipulating plant height is an essential component of crop improvement. Plant height was generally reduced through breeding in wheat, rice, and sorghum to resist lodging and increase grain yield but kept high for bioenergy crops. Here, we positionally cloned a plant height quantitative trait locus (QTL) qHT7.

A 23-million-year record of morphological evolution within Neotropical grass pollen.

Grass-dominated biomes in South America comprise c. 20 million years of history, yet their evolution and underlying drivers remain poorly understood. Here we apply a novel approach that combines scanning electron microscopy imaging with computational analysis to quantify the morphometrics of grass (Poaceae) pollen micro-ornamentation from the Neotropics since the Early Miocene (23 million years ago).

Ribosome binding of phasiRNA precursors accelerates the 24-nt phasiRNA burst in meiotic maize anthers.

Reproductive phasiRNAs (phased, secondary, small interfering RNAs), produced from numerous PHAS loci, are essential for plant anther development. PHAS transcripts are enriched on endoplasmic reticulum-bound ribosomes in maize (Zea mays), but the impact of ribosome binding on phasiRNA biogenesis remains elusive. Through ribosome profiling of maize anthers at 10 developmental stages, we demonstrated that 24-PHAS transcripts are bound by ribosomes, with patterns corresponding to the timing and abundance of 24-PHAS transcripts.

Genomic prediction of cereal crop architectural traits using models informed by gene regulatory circuitries from maize.

Plant architecture is a major determinant of planting density, which enhances productivity potential for crops per unit area. Genomic prediction is well positioned to expedite genetic gain of plant architectural traits since they are typically highly heritable. Additionally, the adaptation of genomic prediction models to query predictive abilities of markers tagging certain genomic regions could shed light on the genetic architecture of these traits.