Genome- Wide Analysis of the Nucleotide Binding Site Leucine-Rich Repeat Genes of Four Orchids Revealed Extremely Low Numbers of Disease Resistance Genes.

Orchids are one of the most diverse flowering plant families, yet possibly maintain the smallest number of the nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat () type plant resistance () genes among the angiosperms. In this study, a genome-wide search in four orchid taxa identified 186 genes. Furthermore, 214 genes were identified from seven orchid transcriptomes.

An atypical HLH transcriptional regulator plays a novel and important role in strawberry ripened receptacle.

Background: In soft fruits, the differential expression of many genes during development and ripening is responsible for changing their organoleptic properties. In strawberry fruit, although some genes involved in the metabolic regulation of the ripening process have been functionally characterized, some of the most studied genes correspond to transcription factors. High throughput transcriptomics analyses performed in strawberry red receptacle (Fragaria x ananassa) allowed us to identify a ripening-related gene that codes an atypical HLH (FaPRE1) with high sequence homology with the PACLOBUTRAZOL RESISTANCE (PRE) genes.

Genomes of early-diverging streptophyte algae shed light on plant terrestrialization.

Mounting evidence suggests that terrestrialization of plants started in streptophyte green algae, favoured by their dual existence in freshwater and subaerial/terrestrial environments. Here, we present the genomes of Mesostigma viride and Chlorokybus atmophyticus, two sister taxa in the earliest-diverging clade of streptophyte algae dwelling in freshwater and subaerial/terrestrial environments, respectively. We provide evidence that the common ancestor of M.

ORCAE-AOCC: A Centralized Portal for the Annotation of African Orphan Crop Genomes.

ORCAE (Online Resource for Community Annotation of Eukaryotes) is a public genome annotation curation resource. ORCAE-AOCC is a branch that is dedicated to the genomes published as part of the African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC). The motivation behind the development of the ORCAE platform was to create a knowledge-based website where the research-community can make contributions to improve genome annotations.

Genome-wide Dissection of Co-selected UV-B Responsive Pathways in the UV-B Adaptation of Qingke.

Qingke (Tibetan hulless barley) has long been cultivated and exposed to long-term and strong UV-B radiation on the Tibetan Plateau, which renders it an ideal species for elucidating novel UV-B responsive mechanisms in plants. Here we report a comprehensive metabolite profiling and metabolite-based genome-wide association study (mGWAS) using 196 diverse qingke and barley accessions. Our results demonstrated both constitutive and induced accumulation, and common genetic regulation, of metabolites from different branches of the phenylpropanoid pathway that are involved in UV-B protection.

Dissecting the Genome-Wide Evolution and Function of R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor Family in .

, an important ancestor species of , the most popular ornamental plant species worldwide, produces flowers with diverse colors and fragrances. The R2R3-MYB transcription factor family controls a wide variety of plant-specific metabolic processes, especially phenylpropanoid metabolism. Despite their importance for the ornamental value of flowers, the evolution of genes in plants has not been comprehensively characterized.

The viral F-box protein P0 induces an ER-derived autophagy degradation pathway for the clearance of membrane-bound AGO1.

RNA silencing is a major antiviral defense mechanism in plants and invertebrates. Plant ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) is pivotal in RNA silencing, and hence is a major target for counteracting viral suppressors of RNA-silencing proteins (VSRs). P0 from (TuYV) is a VSR that was previously shown to trigger AGO1 degradation via an autophagy-like process.

Mutant-Based Model of Two Independent Pathways for Carotenoid-Mediated Chloroplast Biogenesis in Arabidopsis Embryos.

Chloroplasts are essential for autonomous plant growth, and their biogenesis is a complex process requiring both plastid and nuclear genome. One of the essential factors required for chloroplast biogenesis are carotenoids. Carotenoids are synthesized in plastids, and it was shown that plastid localized methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway provides substrates for their biosynthesis.

On the move: redox-dependent protein relocation in plants.

Compartmentation of proteins and processes is a defining feature of eukaryotic cells. The growth and development of organisms is critically dependent on the accurate sorting of proteins within cells. The mechanisms by which cytosol-synthesized proteins are delivered to the membranes and membrane compartments have been extensively characterized.

Small RNA profiling in Pinus pinaster reveals the transcriptome of developing seeds and highlights differences between zygotic and somatic embryos.

Regulation of seed development by small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) is an important mechanism controlling a crucial phase of the life cycle of seed plants. In this work, sRNAs from seed tissues (zygotic embryos and megagametophytes) and from somatic embryos of Pinus pinaster were analysed to identify putative regulators of seed/embryo development in conifers. In total, sixteen sRNA libraries covering several developmental stages were sequenced.

Cadmium stress suppresses lateral root formation by interfering with the root clock.

A biological clock activated by oscillating signals, known as root clock, has been linked to lateral root (LR) formation and is essential for regular LR spacing along the primary root. However, it remains unclear how this internal mechanism is influenced by environmental factors known to affect the LR pattern. Here, we report that excessive cadmium (Cd) inhibits LR formation by disrupting the lateral root cap (LRC)-programmed cell death (PCD)-regulated root clock.

Arabidopsis MATE45 antagonizes local abscisic acid signaling to mediate development and abiotic stress responses.

Anthocyanins provide ideal visual markers for the identification of mutations that disrupt molecular responses to abiotic stress. We screened mutants of ABC (ATP-Binding Cassette) and MATE (Multidrug And Toxic compound Extrusion) transporter genes under nutritional stress and identified four genes (,, and ) required for normal anthocyanin pigmentation. was previously demonstrated to encode a vascular-localized cellular exporter of abscisic acid (ABA).

TPX2-LIKE PROTEIN3 Is the Primary Activator of α-Aurora Kinases and Is Essential for Embryogenesis.

Aurora kinases are key regulators of mitosis. Multicellular eukaryotes generally possess two functionally diverged types of Aurora kinases. In plants, including Arabidopsis (), these are termed α- and β-Auroras.

Drought resistance is mediated by divergent strategies in closely related Brassicaceae.

Droughts cause severe crop losses worldwide and climate change is projected to increase their prevalence in the future. Similar to the situation for many crops, the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Ath) is considered drought-sensitive, whereas, as we demonstrate, its close relatives Arabidopsis lyrata (Aly) and Eutrema salsugineum (Esa) are drought-resistant. To understand the molecular basis for this plasticity we conducted a deep phenotypic, biochemical and transcriptomic comparison using developmentally matched plants.

Damage on plants activates Ca-dependent metacaspases for release of immunomodulatory peptides.

Physical damage to cells leads to the release of immunomodulatory peptides to elicit a wound defense response in the surrounding tissue. In , the plant elicitor peptide 1 (Pep1) is processed from its protein precursor, PRECURSOR OF PEP1 (PROPEP1). We demonstrate that upon damage, both at the tissue and single-cell levels, the cysteine protease METACASPASE4 (MC4) is instantly and spatiotemporally activated by binding high levels of Ca and is necessary and sufficient for Pep1 maturation.

Metabolic editing: small measures, great impact.

Metabolic pathways are tightly regulated at the transcriptional and post-translational level, often relying on protein-protein interactions or post-translational protein modifications. Whereas these principles have been established already for a long time, the number of experimentally established cases is expected to rise exponentially in the near future as a result of recent advances in protein-based detection methods. Interactions and modifications are often dependent on only short amino-acid sequences that represent excellent targets for new gene editing technologies by which specific base pairs can be exchanged.

Extracellular peptide Kratos restricts cell death during vascular development and stress in Arabidopsis.

During plant vascular development, xylem tracheary elements (TEs) form water-conducting, empty pipes by genetically regulated cell death. Cell death is prevented from spreading to non-TEs by unidentified intercellular mechanisms, downstream of METACASPASE9 (MC9)-mediated regulation of autophagy in TEs. Here, we identified differentially abundant extracellular peptides in vascular-differentiating wild-type and MC9-down-regulated Arabidopsis cell suspensions.

A SOSEKI-based coordinate system interprets global polarity cues in Arabidopsis.

Multicellular development requires coordinated cell polarization relative to body axes, and translation to oriented cell division. In plants, it is unknown how cell polarities are connected to organismal axes and translated to division. Here, we identify Arabidopsis SOSEKI proteins that integrate apical-basal and radial organismal axes to localize to polar cell edges.

Contribution of Eat1 and Other Alcohol Acyltransferases to Ester Production in .

Esters are essential for the flavor and aroma of fermented products, and are mainly produced by alcohol acyl transferases (AATs). A recently discovered AAT family named Eat (Ethanol acetyltransferase) contributes to ethyl acetate synthesis in yeast. However, its effect on the synthesis of other esters is unknown.