An interpretable RNA foundation model for exploring functional RNA motifs in plants.

The complex 'language' of plant RNA encodes a vast array of biological regulatory elements that orchestrate crucial aspects of plant growth, development and adaptation to environmental stresses. Recent advancements in foundation models (FMs) have demonstrated their unprecedented potential to decipher complex 'language' in biology. In this study, we introduced PlantRNA-FM, a high-performance and interpretable RNA FM specifically designed for plants.

A comprehensive map of DNA-segment copy number variation in 491 genomes of common wheat uncovers genes associated with multiple agronomic traits.

DNA-segment copy number variations (DSCNVs), such as deletions and duplications, are important sources of genomic structural variation. However, types and sizes of DSCNVs in wheat, as well as their genome-wide distribution and potential functions are poorly known. Here, we identified 198,985 DSCNVs by investigating 491 genomes of common wheat, which accounted for 20% of the entire genome.

Spatial pattern of critical wetland patches and its influencing factors in a coastal area, North China.

Knowing the spatial pattern of critical wetland patches has an important significance for the restoration and protection of wetland ecosystems. However, the spatial pattern of critical wetland patches in coastal areas is not well understood, and its influencing factors are also unclear, especially in coastal areas. In this study, landscape indices were used to study the spatial pattern of the wetlands in the Hebei-Tianjin coastal area, North China.

Stable minichromosome and functional neocentromere derived from rye 7R chromosome arm.

Background: The study of newly formed centromere with stable transmission ability can provide theoretical guidance for the construction of artificial chromosomes. More neocentromeres are needed to study the mechanisms of their formation.

Results: In this study, a minichromosome 7RLmini was derived from the progeny of wheat-rye 7R monosomic addition line.

Modeling craniopharyngioma for drug screening reveals a neuronal mechanism for tumor growth.

Tumors occurring along the hypothalamus-pituitary axis receive axonal projection from neuroendocrine neurons, but it remains unclear whether neuroendocrine neuronal activity drives tumor expansion. Craniopharyngioma is a common suprasellar tumor with a propensity for invading the hypothalamus, leading to devastating endocrine and metabolic disorders. Here, we developed two autochthonous animal models that faithfully recapitulate the molecular pathology, clinical manifestations, and transcriptomic profiles of papillary craniopharyngioma.

CFI-1 functions unilaterally to restrict gap junction formation in C. elegans.

Electrical coupling is vital to neural communication, facilitating synchronized activity among neurons. Despite its significance, the precise mechanisms governing the establishment of gap junction connections between specific neurons remain elusive. Here, we identified that the PVC interneuron in Caenorhabditis elegans forms gap junction connections with the PVR interneuron.

The FLOWERING LOCUS T-like genes from patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) antagonistically regulate flowering time.

Flowering is crucial for the reproductive success of plants. Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin), a widely utilized medicinal and aromatic plant from the Lamiaceae family, exhibits rare flowering and fails to produce seeds, thereby posing a challenge for plant evolution and breeding improvement. However, the mechanism underlying flowering in patchouli has not been investigated.

Engineering source-sink relations by prime editing confers heat-stress resilience in tomato and rice.

A 2°C climate-warming scenario is expected to further exacerbate average crop losses by 3%-13%, yet few heat-tolerant staple-crop varieties are available toward meeting future food demands. Here, we develop high-efficiency prime-editing tools to precisely knockin a 10-bp heat-shock element (HSE) into promoters of cell-wall-invertase genes (CWINs) in elite rice and tomato cultivars. HSE insertion endows CWINs with heat-responsive upregulation in both controlled and field environments to enhance carbon partitioning to grain and fruits, resulting in per-plot yield increases of 25% in rice cultivar Zhonghua11 and 33% in tomato cultivar Ailsa Craig over heat-stressed controls, without fruit quality penalties.

TavWA1 is critical for wheat growth by modulating cell morphology and arrangement.

Plant growth is determined by the production of cells and initiation of new organs. Exploring genes that control cell number and cell size is of great significance for understanding plant growth regulation. In this study, we characterized two wheat mutants, ah and dl, with abnormal growth.

PRMT1 Promotes the Self-renewal of Leukemia Stem Cells by Regulating Protein Synthesis.

The application of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has revolutionized the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, disease relapse and progression particularly due to persistent leukemia stem cells (LSCs) remain a big challenge in the clinic. Therefore, validation of the therapeutic vulnerability in LSCs is urgently needed.

XYLAN O-ACETYLTRANSFERASE 6 promotes xylan synthesis by forming a complex with IRX10 and governs wall formation in rice.

Xylan, a pivotal polymer with diversified structures, is indispensable for cell wall integrity and contributes to plant growth and biomass recalcitrance. Xylan is synthesized by multienzyme complexes named xylan synthase complexes (XSCs). However, the biochemical mechanism of XSCs and the functions of core components within XSC remain unclear.

Cryo-EM structure of Nipah virus RNA polymerase complex.

Nipah virus, a member of the family, is a highly pathogenic nonsegmented, negative-sense RNA virus (nsNSV) which causes severe neurological and respiratory illnesses in humans. There are no available drugs or vaccines to combat this virus. A complex of large polymerase protein (L) and phosphoprotein (P) of Nipah virus supports replication and transcription and affords a target for antiviral drug development.

Antagonistic systemin receptors integrate the activation and attenuation of systemic wound signaling in tomato.

Pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-mediated perception of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) triggers the first line of inducible defenses in both plants and animals. Compared with animals, plants are sessile and regularly encounter physical damage by biotic and abiotic factors. A longstanding problem concerns how plants achieve a balance between wound defense response and normal growth, avoiding overcommitment to catastrophic defense.

Vacuolar phosphate efflux transporter ZmVPEs mediate phosphate homeostasis and remobilization in maize leaves.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Vacuoles play a crucial role in inorganic phosphate (Pi) storage and remobilization in plants. However, the physiological function of vacuolar phosphate efflux transporters in plant Pi remobilization remains obscure.

Reactive oxygen species-scavenging biomaterials for neural regenerative medicine.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are natural by-products of oxygen metabolism. As signaling molecules, ROS can regulate various physiological processes in the body. However excessive ROS may be a major cause of inflammatory diseases.

Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of maize cell heterogeneity and systemic immune responses against Puccinia polysora Underw.

Southern corn rust (SCR), caused by Puccinia polysora Underw (P. polysora), is a catastrophic disease affecting maize, leading to significant global yield losses. The disease manifests primarily as pustules on the upper surface of corn leaves, obscuring our understanding of its cellular heterogeneity, the maize's response to its infection and the underlying gene expression regulatory mechanisms.

Plant microbiome technology for sustainable agriculture.

Plants establish specific interactions with microorganisms, which are vital for promoting growth and resilience. Although advancements in microbiome modulation technologies show great potential for sustainable agriculture, several challenges have hindered the wider application of plant microbiomes in the field. These challenges may include inconsistent microbial colonization, competition with native microbiota, and environmental variability.