Pub Date : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02219-6
Jiali Zhu, Juan Santos-González, Zhenxing Wang, Tinja Strothans, Thales Henrique Cherubino Ribeiro, Ai Zhang, Charles W. Melnyk, Blake C. Meyers, Claudia Köhler
Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) play a crucial role in plant reproduction, yet their mobility and function remain incompletely understood. We report that a large proportion of siRNAs found in pollen of Capsella rubella relies on mobile siRNAs from maternal sporophytic tissues, highlighting the importance of non-cell-autonomous siRNAs in male gametophyte development. Unlike tapetal siRNAs, which guide DNA methylation and require CLASSY3 and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) activity in the tapetum, we found that Pol IV-dependent mobile siRNAs (PMsiRNAs) mainly function post-transcriptionally and do not guide DNA methylation. Nevertheless, PMsiRNAs share key features with tapetal siRNAs, including Pol IV dependency, clustering and a size range of 21–24 nucleotides. Using a grafting approach, we show that sporophytic Pol IV-dependent siRNAs act as non-cell-autonomous mobile signals that trigger PMsiRNA formation through post-transcriptional gene silencing. This process parallels reproductive phased siRNA biogenesis, which is widespread across angiosperms but has been considered absent in Brassicaceae. Loss of PMsiRNAs causes pollen arrest, underscoring their essential role. Together, these findings highlight siRNAs as long-distance communication signals from maternal sporophytic tissues to the male gametophyte with critical functions in developmental regulation.
{"title":"Long-distance transport of siRNAs with functional roles in pollen development","authors":"Jiali Zhu, Juan Santos-González, Zhenxing Wang, Tinja Strothans, Thales Henrique Cherubino Ribeiro, Ai Zhang, Charles W. Melnyk, Blake C. Meyers, Claudia Köhler","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02219-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02219-6","url":null,"abstract":"Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) play a crucial role in plant reproduction, yet their mobility and function remain incompletely understood. We report that a large proportion of siRNAs found in pollen of Capsella rubella relies on mobile siRNAs from maternal sporophytic tissues, highlighting the importance of non-cell-autonomous siRNAs in male gametophyte development. Unlike tapetal siRNAs, which guide DNA methylation and require CLASSY3 and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) activity in the tapetum, we found that Pol IV-dependent mobile siRNAs (PMsiRNAs) mainly function post-transcriptionally and do not guide DNA methylation. Nevertheless, PMsiRNAs share key features with tapetal siRNAs, including Pol IV dependency, clustering and a size range of 21–24 nucleotides. Using a grafting approach, we show that sporophytic Pol IV-dependent siRNAs act as non-cell-autonomous mobile signals that trigger PMsiRNA formation through post-transcriptional gene silencing. This process parallels reproductive phased siRNA biogenesis, which is widespread across angiosperms but has been considered absent in Brassicaceae. Loss of PMsiRNAs causes pollen arrest, underscoring their essential role. Together, these findings highlight siRNAs as long-distance communication signals from maternal sporophytic tissues to the male gametophyte with critical functions in developmental regulation.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146057188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41477-025-02207-2
Wen-Yong Guo, Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Kun Guo, Coline C. F. Boonman, Franziska Schrodt, Brian S. Maitner, Cory Merow, Cyrille Violle, Madhur Anand, Hans Henrik K. Bruun, Chaeho Byun, Jane A. Catford, Bruno E. L. Cerabolini, Eduardo Chacón-Madrigal, Daniela Ciccarelli, Anh Tuan Dang-Le, Arildo S. Dias, Aelton B. Giroldo, Alvaro G. Gutiérrez, Steven Jansen, Jens Kattge, Roeland Kindt, Tamir Klein, Koen Kramer, Christopher H. Lusk, Adam R. Martin, Sean T. Michaletz, Vanessa Minden, Akira S. Mori, Ülo Niinemets, Yusuke Onoda, Josep Peñuelas, Jan Pisek, Bjorn J. M. Robroek, Brandon Schamp, Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia, Nelson Thiffault, Fons van der Plas, Brian J. Enquist, Jens-Christian Svenning
Human activities are driving simultaneous native extinctions and alien naturalizations, reshaping global tree diversity with major implications for ecosystem structure and function. Here we analysed functional traits and environmental niches of 31,001 tree species worldwide, comparing naturalized, threatened and non-threatened species to assess current patterns and project future shifts under intensified extinction and naturalization. Future tree-rich ecosystems are projected to become increasingly dominated by fast-growing, high-resource-use species with acquisitive traits, while slow-growing, conservative species face greater extinction risk. Although group means along the main functional axes do not differ significantly, naturalized species occupy broader functional and environmental spaces and thrive in colder and more variable climates, whereas threatened species are more specialized to warm, stable and nutrient-rich environments, with non-threatened species intermediate. Projected naturalizations expand local functional diversity, but their acquisitive strategies could reduce long-term ecosystem stability, while extinctions cause pronounced contractions of functional and environmental trait space, especially in climatically variable regions. Overall, our findings reveal an accelerating global shift towards faster-growing tree communities, with likely consequences for carbon storage and biodiversity, underscoring the need to safeguard slow-growing species and limit the dominance of acquisitive trees.
{"title":"Global functional shifts in trees driven by alien naturalization and native extinction","authors":"Wen-Yong Guo, Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Kun Guo, Coline C. F. Boonman, Franziska Schrodt, Brian S. Maitner, Cory Merow, Cyrille Violle, Madhur Anand, Hans Henrik K. Bruun, Chaeho Byun, Jane A. Catford, Bruno E. L. Cerabolini, Eduardo Chacón-Madrigal, Daniela Ciccarelli, Anh Tuan Dang-Le, Arildo S. Dias, Aelton B. Giroldo, Alvaro G. Gutiérrez, Steven Jansen, Jens Kattge, Roeland Kindt, Tamir Klein, Koen Kramer, Christopher H. Lusk, Adam R. Martin, Sean T. Michaletz, Vanessa Minden, Akira S. Mori, Ülo Niinemets, Yusuke Onoda, Josep Peñuelas, Jan Pisek, Bjorn J. M. Robroek, Brandon Schamp, Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia, Nelson Thiffault, Fons van der Plas, Brian J. Enquist, Jens-Christian Svenning","doi":"10.1038/s41477-025-02207-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02207-2","url":null,"abstract":"Human activities are driving simultaneous native extinctions and alien naturalizations, reshaping global tree diversity with major implications for ecosystem structure and function. Here we analysed functional traits and environmental niches of 31,001 tree species worldwide, comparing naturalized, threatened and non-threatened species to assess current patterns and project future shifts under intensified extinction and naturalization. Future tree-rich ecosystems are projected to become increasingly dominated by fast-growing, high-resource-use species with acquisitive traits, while slow-growing, conservative species face greater extinction risk. Although group means along the main functional axes do not differ significantly, naturalized species occupy broader functional and environmental spaces and thrive in colder and more variable climates, whereas threatened species are more specialized to warm, stable and nutrient-rich environments, with non-threatened species intermediate. Projected naturalizations expand local functional diversity, but their acquisitive strategies could reduce long-term ecosystem stability, while extinctions cause pronounced contractions of functional and environmental trait space, especially in climatically variable regions. Overall, our findings reveal an accelerating global shift towards faster-growing tree communities, with likely consequences for carbon storage and biodiversity, underscoring the need to safeguard slow-growing species and limit the dominance of acquisitive trees.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146057187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02229-4
The great physicist Niels Bohr is reported to have said that “prediction is very difficult, especially about the future”, but that should not stop us trying to guess what 2026 might bring.
{"title":"Crystal ball time","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02229-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41477-026-02229-4","url":null,"abstract":"The great physicist Niels Bohr is reported to have said that “prediction is very difficult, especially about the future”, but that should not stop us trying to guess what 2026 might bring.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"12 1","pages":"1-1"},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-026-02229-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146027659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1038/s41477-025-02202-7
Barsanti Gautam, Brice A. Jarvis, Maliheh Esfahanian, Michaela McGinn, Dalton Williams, Shengjun Liu, Mary E. Phippen, Nicholas J. Heller, Tad L. Wesley, Winthrop B. Phippen, Tim Ulmasov, M. David Marks, Ratan Chopra, John C. Sedbrook
Considerable off-season farmland lies fallow because few crops can profitably fit between primary crops. As a remedy, we performed de novo domestication of the freeze-tolerant, rapid-cycling wild brassica Thlaspi arvense L. (field pennycress), identifying and stacking CRISPR–Cas9-induced mutations that have minimal impacts on seed yields. High-yielding varieties were created with seed compositions such as ‘double-low’ canola (low erucic acid and reduced glucosinolate) and reduced seed fibre content. Seed glucosinolate content was reduced by 75% by combining mutations in R2R3-MYB (MYB28/HAG1) and basic helix–loop–helix MYC (MYC3) transcription factors. Pennycress weediness was greatly reduced by knockout of the basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor TRANSPARENT TESTA8 (TT8), which lowered seed dormancy and seed coat protections, thereby mitigating re-emergence in fields. Domesticated pennycress offers farmers a low-carbon-intensity intermediate crop that fits between two full-season summer crops, resulting in three cash crops in 2 years, conferring cover-crop-like ecosystem benefits while producing grain for renewable fuels and enhanced food security. De novo domestication was performed on the brassica Thlaspi arvense (pennycress) by identifying and stacking CRISPR-induced mutations to create a new intermediate oilseed crop that can be grown in the off-season, with seed compositions similar to canola (low erucic acid and reduced glucosinolate).
{"title":"Creating a new oilseed crop, pennycress, by combining key domestication traits using CRISPR genome editing","authors":"Barsanti Gautam, Brice A. Jarvis, Maliheh Esfahanian, Michaela McGinn, Dalton Williams, Shengjun Liu, Mary E. Phippen, Nicholas J. Heller, Tad L. Wesley, Winthrop B. Phippen, Tim Ulmasov, M. David Marks, Ratan Chopra, John C. Sedbrook","doi":"10.1038/s41477-025-02202-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41477-025-02202-7","url":null,"abstract":"Considerable off-season farmland lies fallow because few crops can profitably fit between primary crops. As a remedy, we performed de novo domestication of the freeze-tolerant, rapid-cycling wild brassica Thlaspi arvense L. (field pennycress), identifying and stacking CRISPR–Cas9-induced mutations that have minimal impacts on seed yields. High-yielding varieties were created with seed compositions such as ‘double-low’ canola (low erucic acid and reduced glucosinolate) and reduced seed fibre content. Seed glucosinolate content was reduced by 75% by combining mutations in R2R3-MYB (MYB28/HAG1) and basic helix–loop–helix MYC (MYC3) transcription factors. Pennycress weediness was greatly reduced by knockout of the basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor TRANSPARENT TESTA8 (TT8), which lowered seed dormancy and seed coat protections, thereby mitigating re-emergence in fields. Domesticated pennycress offers farmers a low-carbon-intensity intermediate crop that fits between two full-season summer crops, resulting in three cash crops in 2 years, conferring cover-crop-like ecosystem benefits while producing grain for renewable fuels and enhanced food security. De novo domestication was performed on the brassica Thlaspi arvense (pennycress) by identifying and stacking CRISPR-induced mutations to create a new intermediate oilseed crop that can be grown in the off-season, with seed compositions similar to canola (low erucic acid and reduced glucosinolate).","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"12 1","pages":"74-87"},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146027615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-21DOI: 10.1038/s41477-025-02216-1
Xiaorong Huang, Linlin Zhao, Zonglin Liu, Ni Long, Wenxuan Zou, Feng Gong, Tianhe Cheng, Ce Shi, Xuecheng Zhang, Wei Wang, Hong Chen, Alice Y. Cheung, Meng-Xiang Sun
Mitochondria are inherited maternally in most plants as a classical paradigm of non-Mendelian inheritance, but the mechanism underlying paternal mitochondrial elimination (PME) remains almost unknown. We report here that angiosperms have evolved micromitophagy-mediated PME, in which vacuoles directly engulf paternal mitochondria via tonoplast invagination. We show that micromitophagy occurs specifically in male germline (MG) cells. To gain mechanistic insights, we used a vegetative-to-germline cell fate transition system to establish that micromitophagy is triggered by MG cell fate determination. We found evidence that ATG5 is translocated to vacuoles upon MG-cell-fate determination and interacts with mitochondrion-located HSP90.2 during mitochondrial engulfment by vacuoles, elucidating a cell-type-specific ATG neofunctionalization to mediate micromitophagy. This mechanism not only contributes to maternal inheritance of plant mitochondria but also supports the zygote-to-embryo transition. We further determined that micromitophagy is conserved in angiosperms but was continually optimized during evolution to support the best functioning of PME in MG cells with different properties. These findings bridge a long-standing gap in understanding plant PME with emerging mechanistic knowledge.
{"title":"ATG5–HSP90.2-mediated micromitophagy as a cytological basis for maternal inheritance of plant mitochondria","authors":"Xiaorong Huang, Linlin Zhao, Zonglin Liu, Ni Long, Wenxuan Zou, Feng Gong, Tianhe Cheng, Ce Shi, Xuecheng Zhang, Wei Wang, Hong Chen, Alice Y. Cheung, Meng-Xiang Sun","doi":"10.1038/s41477-025-02216-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02216-1","url":null,"abstract":"Mitochondria are inherited maternally in most plants as a classical paradigm of non-Mendelian inheritance, but the mechanism underlying paternal mitochondrial elimination (PME) remains almost unknown. We report here that angiosperms have evolved micromitophagy-mediated PME, in which vacuoles directly engulf paternal mitochondria via tonoplast invagination. We show that micromitophagy occurs specifically in male germline (MG) cells. To gain mechanistic insights, we used a vegetative-to-germline cell fate transition system to establish that micromitophagy is triggered by MG cell fate determination. We found evidence that ATG5 is translocated to vacuoles upon MG-cell-fate determination and interacts with mitochondrion-located HSP90.2 during mitochondrial engulfment by vacuoles, elucidating a cell-type-specific ATG neofunctionalization to mediate micromitophagy. This mechanism not only contributes to maternal inheritance of plant mitochondria but also supports the zygote-to-embryo transition. We further determined that micromitophagy is conserved in angiosperms but was continually optimized during evolution to support the best functioning of PME in MG cells with different properties. These findings bridge a long-standing gap in understanding plant PME with emerging mechanistic knowledge.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146006206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1038/s41477-025-02212-5
Lei Zhang, Chengcheng Cai, Qiujie Chen, Xiaoxu Tan, Shumin Chen, Kang Zhang, Feng Cheng
Transcriptional regulation involves complex and dynamic protein-DNA interactions, which alter chromatin states and, consequently, regulate gene expression. In plants, current technologies face challenges in efficiently capturing dynamically DNA-binding proteins, especially transcription factors. Here, by leveraging the binding ability of dead Cas9 to specific DNA fragments and the labelling capacity of the TurboID protein for adjacent proteins, we have developed a CRISPR-based sequence proximity binding protein labelling system (CSPL) to detect promoter-binding proteins. Using this approach, we identified both known and novel upstream binding proteins on the PIF4 promoter in Arabidopsis, cabbage and rice. This demonstrates the powerful capabilities and broad potential applications of CSPL for detecting promoter-binding proteins in plants.
{"title":"A CRISPR-based sequence proximity binding protein labelling system for scanning upstream regulatory proteins.","authors":"Lei Zhang, Chengcheng Cai, Qiujie Chen, Xiaoxu Tan, Shumin Chen, Kang Zhang, Feng Cheng","doi":"10.1038/s41477-025-02212-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02212-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transcriptional regulation involves complex and dynamic protein-DNA interactions, which alter chromatin states and, consequently, regulate gene expression. In plants, current technologies face challenges in efficiently capturing dynamically DNA-binding proteins, especially transcription factors. Here, by leveraging the binding ability of dead Cas9 to specific DNA fragments and the labelling capacity of the TurboID protein for adjacent proteins, we have developed a CRISPR-based sequence proximity binding protein labelling system (CSPL) to detect promoter-binding proteins. Using this approach, we identified both known and novel upstream binding proteins on the PIF4 promoter in Arabidopsis, cabbage and rice. This demonstrates the powerful capabilities and broad potential applications of CSPL for detecting promoter-binding proteins in plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146003544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1038/s41477-025-02205-4
Zhenwei Wu, Zilin Liu, Wenjie Wang, Shiyuan Zhang, Allen Yi-Lun Tsai, Jose L Lozano-Torres, Shinichiro Sawa, Liqun Zhang, Songcan Chen, Xiaofei Lv, Matthias Erb, Jianming Xu, Lingfei Hu
Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive soil-dwelling pests, posing severe threats to global agriculture. However, the interplay between plant metabolites, rhizosphere microorganisms and their potential role in guiding pathogenic nematodes to their hosts remains poorly understood. Here we explored this gap by investigating the role of benzoxazinoids (BXs), a class of defensive metabolites of maize plants, in influencing the host-seeking behaviour of root-knot nematodes (RKNs). Our findings revealed that, surprisingly, BXs secreted by maize roots, particularly 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one, not only enhance RKN infection but also serve as powerful attractants. Remarkably, BX effects were observed only in the presence of a soil matrix. Further analysis demonstrated that 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one modulates the abundance and composition of rhizosphere bacteria, which in turn play a crucial role in RKN attraction and infection. We discovered that rhizosphere bacteria of BX-producing plants emit volatile compounds such as methyl ketones and 2-phenylethanol, which are then used by RKNs to locate host plants. RKNs detect these volatiles through chemosensory genes, including Mi-odr-1, Mi-odr-7 and Mi-gpa-6. Our study provides mechanistic insights into how RKNs use secondary-metabolite-shaped plant-microbe interactions to enhance their host-seeking behaviour and maximize their performance.
{"title":"Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita uses secondary-metabolite-mediated soil microbiome shifts to locate host plants.","authors":"Zhenwei Wu, Zilin Liu, Wenjie Wang, Shiyuan Zhang, Allen Yi-Lun Tsai, Jose L Lozano-Torres, Shinichiro Sawa, Liqun Zhang, Songcan Chen, Xiaofei Lv, Matthias Erb, Jianming Xu, Lingfei Hu","doi":"10.1038/s41477-025-02205-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02205-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive soil-dwelling pests, posing severe threats to global agriculture. However, the interplay between plant metabolites, rhizosphere microorganisms and their potential role in guiding pathogenic nematodes to their hosts remains poorly understood. Here we explored this gap by investigating the role of benzoxazinoids (BXs), a class of defensive metabolites of maize plants, in influencing the host-seeking behaviour of root-knot nematodes (RKNs). Our findings revealed that, surprisingly, BXs secreted by maize roots, particularly 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one, not only enhance RKN infection but also serve as powerful attractants. Remarkably, BX effects were observed only in the presence of a soil matrix. Further analysis demonstrated that 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one modulates the abundance and composition of rhizosphere bacteria, which in turn play a crucial role in RKN attraction and infection. We discovered that rhizosphere bacteria of BX-producing plants emit volatile compounds such as methyl ketones and 2-phenylethanol, which are then used by RKNs to locate host plants. RKNs detect these volatiles through chemosensory genes, including Mi-odr-1, Mi-odr-7 and Mi-gpa-6. Our study provides mechanistic insights into how RKNs use secondary-metabolite-shaped plant-microbe interactions to enhance their host-seeking behaviour and maximize their performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146003644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-15DOI: 10.1038/s41477-025-02194-4
Tian Zhang, Lu Yu, Yueyuan Wang, Pan Li, Xiaoyan Feng, Guoliang Jian, Fengqi Zhao, Xuejiao Liu, Zhen Yang, Xiaoqian Sha, Yongqi Wang, Lingyu Mi, Wan Sun, Tingting Wei, Siyi Guo, Changqing Zhang, Zhi Li, Chun-Peng Song
Stomata are pivotal for gas exchange during photosynthesis and transpiration and are therefore critical in plant growth and global water cycles. However, the mechanistic role of cell wall architecture in grass stomatal function remains elusive. Here immunolabelling and mechanical mapping revealed local distribution of methylesterified pectin at the stiffer polar ends of maize stomata. Expression-knockdown maize with reduced pectin labelling showed decreased polar stiffness and increased stomatal aperture. Finite element modelling corroborated these findings, suggesting that in contrast to non-grass stomata, the size and modulus of the polar materials limit maize stomatal opening. Surveys from various plant species suggest that polar-enriched methylesterified pectin is a unique feature of grass stomata. Xylanase pretreatment diminished pectin labelling at the polar ends, implying associations between pectin and xylan. Our multi-scale research uncovers a pectin–xylan–cellulose composite mediating polar fixation during maize stomatal movement, unveiling new targets for stomata engineering and crop breeding. The authors found esterified pectin localized at the stiff poles of maize stomata, modulating stomatal opening. These results reveal novel targets for stomatal engineering and breeding crops with higher water use efficiency.
{"title":"Esterified-pectin-coupled polar stiffening controls grass stomatal opening","authors":"Tian Zhang, Lu Yu, Yueyuan Wang, Pan Li, Xiaoyan Feng, Guoliang Jian, Fengqi Zhao, Xuejiao Liu, Zhen Yang, Xiaoqian Sha, Yongqi Wang, Lingyu Mi, Wan Sun, Tingting Wei, Siyi Guo, Changqing Zhang, Zhi Li, Chun-Peng Song","doi":"10.1038/s41477-025-02194-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41477-025-02194-4","url":null,"abstract":"Stomata are pivotal for gas exchange during photosynthesis and transpiration and are therefore critical in plant growth and global water cycles. However, the mechanistic role of cell wall architecture in grass stomatal function remains elusive. Here immunolabelling and mechanical mapping revealed local distribution of methylesterified pectin at the stiffer polar ends of maize stomata. Expression-knockdown maize with reduced pectin labelling showed decreased polar stiffness and increased stomatal aperture. Finite element modelling corroborated these findings, suggesting that in contrast to non-grass stomata, the size and modulus of the polar materials limit maize stomatal opening. Surveys from various plant species suggest that polar-enriched methylesterified pectin is a unique feature of grass stomata. Xylanase pretreatment diminished pectin labelling at the polar ends, implying associations between pectin and xylan. Our multi-scale research uncovers a pectin–xylan–cellulose composite mediating polar fixation during maize stomatal movement, unveiling new targets for stomata engineering and crop breeding. The authors found esterified pectin localized at the stiff poles of maize stomata, modulating stomatal opening. These results reveal novel targets for stomatal engineering and breeding crops with higher water use efficiency.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"12 1","pages":"191-204"},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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