New Crops最新文献

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major dietary source of cadmium (Cd). Developing rice varieties with reduced Cd levels in the grain is a cost-effective and practical approach to enhance food safety, particularly in regions with high Cd contamination. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying Cd accumulation in rice grains are not fully understood. In this study, we identified eight quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with Cd accumulation in rice grains through substitution mapping using single segment substitution lines (SSSLs). These QTLs, named qCd‐2‐1, qCd‐3‐1, qCd‐3‐2, qCd‐5‐1, qCd‐6‐1, qCd‐7‐1, qCd‐8‐1, and qCd‐11‐1, are distributed across seven chromosomes. Notably, the qCd‐5‐1 and qCd‐6‐1 loci are reported for the first time. We performed a detailed haplotype analysis of candidate genes related to heavy metal metabolism, specifically focusing on Cd accumulation. All SSSLs carrying alleles from donor parents exhibited a significant reduction in Cd accumulation, with additive effects ranging from −0.061 to −0.105. To further develop rice varieties with lower Cd accumulation in the grain, we developed six pyramided lines through crossing and marker-assisted selection. These pyramided lines showed significantly reduced Cd content in the grain compared to the elite indica recurrent parent, Huajingxian74 (HJX74). Importantly, most agronomic characteristics of the pyramided lines were similar to those of HJX74. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that identifying and pyramiding QTLs associated with reduced Cd accumulation is an effective strategy for developing rice varieties with lower Cd content in the grain.

Plants can quickly adapt to changing environments and external stimuli by undergoing a series of transcriptional responses. The process of maturing nascent RNA (direct product of transcription) into mRNA, which is crucial for the plant’s response to external factors, involves co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional processing. Although RNA-seq has greatly facilitated the study of plant transcriptomes by providing snapshots of stable RNA molecules, detecting the transcriptional dynamic changes and unstable transcripts remains challenging. In recent years, various sequencing methods have been developed to identify nascent RNA in eukaryotes, shedding light on the dynamics of transcriptional processing and uncovering unstable transcripts. At the same time, analysis of nascent RNA has provided valuable insights into transcriptional regulation in crops, highlighting differences in their features compared to model plants and potentially influencing breeding strategies. This review aims to explore the applications of different nascent RNA sequencing technologies in plants, focusing on significant findings achieved in crops.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a global agricultural problem affecting crop growth and yield in acid soils. Approximately 35% of soybean (Glycine max) cultivation areas worldwide consist of acidic soils, making Al stress a major constraint for soybean production. The physiological and molecular mechanisms by which soybeans cope with Al toxicity have been extensively studied. This review focuses on recent research into the physiological, molecular, and genetic basis of soybean Al-resistance. It also summarizes our understandings of the regulatory mechanisms involved in soybean responses to Al toxicity.

Biomolecule interactions and macromolecular rearrangement participate in numerous cellular functions in plants, and resolving the dynamics of plasma membrane proteins represents a central goal in current plant biology. Compared to yeast and mammalian systems, the quantification of heterogeneous distribution and dynamics of membrane proteins in cellular processes remains sparse in plant cells. In this study, we introduce the application of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) in measuring membrane protein diffusion, concentration and interactions in living plant cell. The review showed FCS/FCCS as a tool for imaging the membrane proteins fused with a fluorescent tag, quantifying the density fluctuation and interactions of membrane proteins in the living cells of plants. Owing to the single-molecular level sensitivity and minimally invasive of FCS/FCCS, their application provides an ideal approach to understanding plant cell membrane lateral organization.

Root system architecture, a crucial agronomic trait for sustainable crop production, is influenced by a variety of internal developmental signals and external environmental factors. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind root meristem maintenance, cell differentiation, lateral root growth, root hair development, and crown root formation. Additionally, we explore how abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, nitrate deficiency, and aluminum toxicity impact root system architecture. We identify key target genes that regulate root system architecture, offering potential targets for genome editing in future crop improvement. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges in the de novo design of root system architecture.

Drought is a primary abiotic stress affecting crops, leading to plant stomatal closure, reduced photosynthetic capacity, and reduced yields or even harvest failure. Severe drought can adversely impact agricultural production, ecosystems, and socio-economic capacities. Recently, researchers have studied the regulatory mechanisms of crop drought resistance and cloned hundreds of genes via genetic and molecular approaches. However, a limited number of the cloned genes have been successfully employed in drought resistance breeding, suggesting that drought resistance regulation is too complex. More work must be done to fully understand the regulatory networks of drought responses to breed drought-resistant and high-yield crop varieties. This review outlines the current achievements in investigating crop drought responses, particularly regulation by phytohormones and regulation of genes at transcriptional, post-translational, and epigenetic levels in crop drought responses. Finally, we examine the problems and potential solutions in breeding crop drought resistance and propose strategies for crop drought resistance improvement.

Plants have evolved varied structures for environmental adaptation. Shoot branching, as a part of plant architecture, influences the allocation of sugars produced by photosynthesis and thus greatly impacts crop yields. The activity of axillary meristem- and apical dominance govern- the shoot branching patterns. In this review, we summarize the key factors involved in the formation of lateral branches, and the mechanisms of how these factors are interconnected. In particular, we focus on recent advances in understanding how sugar and environmental signals affect the hormonal signaling network to regulate apical dominance. Ultimately, we propose that epigenetic modifications are critical mechanisms underlying the plasticity of shoot branching, and that precise targeted gene editing is promising for shaping the ideal plant architecture.

Calcium ions (Ca²⁺) serve as key messengers in plant immune reactions. A typical Ca²⁺ signaling involves three steps: encoding specific Ca²⁺ signatures by Ca²⁺-permeable channels, decoding Ca²⁺ signals by Ca²⁺ sensors, and downstream responses. This review focuses on plasma membrane-localized Ca²⁺-permeable channels and cytosolic Ca²⁺ sensors, unraveling their roles in cytosolic Ca²⁺ influx and immune signaling during pattern-triggered immunity, effector-triggered immunity, and autoimmunity. Several unresolved questions were highlighted, including the regulation of Ca²⁺-permeable channel activity for immune induction and the mechanism behind Ca²⁺ influx-triggered hypersensitive response cell death. This concise overview provides insights into the complex interplay of Ca²⁺ signaling in plant immunity, paving the way for future investigations on molecular plant-microbe interactions.

In the rapidly evolving field of biology, phase separation has recently emerged as a revolutionary perspective, shedding new light on our comprehension of cellular processes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge regarding phase separation in plants and charts promising avenues for future exploration. We delve into the fundamental principles of plant phase separation, highlighting the roles played by intrinsically disordered regions and prion-like domains. Summarizing significant advancements, we explore the involvement of phase separation in plant responses to environmental cues, as well as its involvement in growth and developmental processes, and plant-microbe interactions. Additionally, we present a streamlined workflow designed to guide the scientific community in conducting phase separation studies in plants. Lastly, we delineate lingering questions and propose potential applications of phase separation in agriculture.

Cells of multicellular plants possess inherent heterogeneity. Recent progress in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows researchers to classify, characterize, and distinguish individual cells at the transcriptome level, enabling the identification of rare cell populations with functional importance. However, scRNA-seq obscures spatial information about cells. Spatial transcriptomics approaches have substantially improved our capacity to detect the spatial distribution of RNA transcripts throughout tissues, yet it remains challenging to characterize whole-transcriptome-level data for single cells spatially. In this review, we offer a concise overview of the scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics experimental and computational procedures and the computational strategies required to integrate scRNA-seq data with spatial transcriptomics. We demonstrate their impact on plant fundamental cell biology, discuss their advantages and current challenges, and provide an outlook on the future.