Pub Date : 2026-03-13DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02266-z
Yongfu Tao, David Jordan, Emma Mace
{"title":"Pangenomics for sorghum improvement.","authors":"Yongfu Tao, David Jordan, Emma Mace","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02266-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02266-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147458637","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 : 2026-03-11DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02246-3
Yuange Wang,Bofei Cui,Fei Du,Jian Li,Yuling Jiao
Grass inflorescence morphology displays remarkable diversity across species and is a key determinant of crop yield. Here, to elucidate how developmental morphodynamics shapes inflorescence architecture, we conducted a comparative analysis of early inflorescence development in bread wheat and rice. Computational modelling revealed that meristem fate transition and primordium initiation modes collectively contribute to the observed architecture diversity. Furthermore, the model elucidates the formation of distinct supernumerary spikelet types in wheat and predicts two independent developmental pathways for generating paired spikelets-a specialized form of inflorescence branching. We also identified a mutant allele, duo2, that results in accelerated developmental progression and demonstrated significant yield improvement in duo2 plants under field conditions. The causal gene RA2-D, an orthologue of maize RAMOSA2 (RA2), was found to regulate floral transition. This study elucidates how perturbations in developmental dynamics drive the diversification of grass inflorescence morphologies.
{"title":"Grass inflorescence morphodynamics guides yield improvement in wheat.","authors":"Yuange Wang,Bofei Cui,Fei Du,Jian Li,Yuling Jiao","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02246-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02246-3","url":null,"abstract":"Grass inflorescence morphology displays remarkable diversity across species and is a key determinant of crop yield. Here, to elucidate how developmental morphodynamics shapes inflorescence architecture, we conducted a comparative analysis of early inflorescence development in bread wheat and rice. Computational modelling revealed that meristem fate transition and primordium initiation modes collectively contribute to the observed architecture diversity. Furthermore, the model elucidates the formation of distinct supernumerary spikelet types in wheat and predicts two independent developmental pathways for generating paired spikelets-a specialized form of inflorescence branching. We also identified a mutant allele, duo2, that results in accelerated developmental progression and demonstrated significant yield improvement in duo2 plants under field conditions. The causal gene RA2-D, an orthologue of maize RAMOSA2 (RA2), was found to regulate floral transition. This study elucidates how perturbations in developmental dynamics drive the diversification of grass inflorescence morphologies.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"61 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393975","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 : 2026-03-11DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02247-2
Annika Usländer,Manisha V Haag,An-Po Cheng,Bernhard Lederer,Jin Yan Khoo,Florian Dunker,Ivan F Acosta,Arne Weiberg,Caroline Gutjahr
Cross-kingdom RNA interference is an emerging concept in plant-pathogen interactions. Here we provide evidence that cross-kingdom RNA interference also occurs in a beneficial plant symbiosis called arbuscular mycorrhiza. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis transfers small RNAs into plant cells, promoting the colonization of host roots. This finding establishes inter-organismal RNA communication as a new regulatory mechanism of this ancient and widespread symbiosis.
{"title":"Cross-kingdom RNA interference promotes arbuscular mycorrhiza development.","authors":"Annika Usländer,Manisha V Haag,An-Po Cheng,Bernhard Lederer,Jin Yan Khoo,Florian Dunker,Ivan F Acosta,Arne Weiberg,Caroline Gutjahr","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02247-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02247-2","url":null,"abstract":"Cross-kingdom RNA interference is an emerging concept in plant-pathogen interactions. Here we provide evidence that cross-kingdom RNA interference also occurs in a beneficial plant symbiosis called arbuscular mycorrhiza. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis transfers small RNAs into plant cells, promoting the colonization of host roots. This finding establishes inter-organismal RNA communication as a new regulatory mechanism of this ancient and widespread symbiosis.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"7 1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147393974","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}
Leaf age structure strongly regulates canopy photosynthesis in Amazon rainforests yet its large-scale patterns and dynamics remain poorly understood. Here we map the fraction of leaf area of photosynthetically efficient young leaves (fyoung) using remote sensing data and assess its spatiotemporal variability from 2001 to 2023. We find that fyoung varies markedly with elevation and canopy height: tall or mountain forests (canopy ≥32 m or elevation ≥300 m) exhibit higher fyoung than short or lowland forests, reflecting higher leaf turnover driven by stronger radiation, greater atmospheric dryness and longer dry seasons. Across the basin, fyoung increased significantly in 85.2% of forests during 2001-2023, linked to decreasing precipitation, rising sunlight, intensifying atmospheric dryness and lengthening dry seasons. This widespread trend towards more juvenile leaves is projected to persist under future climate change. Our findings reveal a fundamental shift in Amazon leaf age structure and highlight its importance for predicting future photosynthetic responses in a warmer, drier climate.
{"title":"Amazon rainforests are rejuvenating their canopies by producing more photosynthetically efficient young leaves under climate change.","authors":"Xueqin Yang,Jie Tian,Philippe Ciais,Liming Zhou,Peter B Reich,Jin Wu,Jiali Shang,Jérôme Chave,Julien Lamour,Isabelle Maréchaux,Yongshuo H Fu,Jing Ming Chen,Jane Liu,Shengli Tao,Xiangming Xiao,Xiangtao Xu,Yongxian Su,Haicheng Zhang,Zaichun Zhu,Yao Zhang,Dalei Hao,Lei Chen,Qiang Liu,Raffaele Lafortezza,Kai Yan,Peng Li,Xing Li,Patrick Meir,Hui Liu,Damien Bonal,Bruce W Nelson,Hao Tang,Jingrui Wang,Kailiang Yu,Wenping Yuan,Shuo Wang,Xiuzhi Chen","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02240-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02240-9","url":null,"abstract":"Leaf age structure strongly regulates canopy photosynthesis in Amazon rainforests yet its large-scale patterns and dynamics remain poorly understood. Here we map the fraction of leaf area of photosynthetically efficient young leaves (fyoung) using remote sensing data and assess its spatiotemporal variability from 2001 to 2023. We find that fyoung varies markedly with elevation and canopy height: tall or mountain forests (canopy ≥32 m or elevation ≥300 m) exhibit higher fyoung than short or lowland forests, reflecting higher leaf turnover driven by stronger radiation, greater atmospheric dryness and longer dry seasons. Across the basin, fyoung increased significantly in 85.2% of forests during 2001-2023, linked to decreasing precipitation, rising sunlight, intensifying atmospheric dryness and lengthening dry seasons. This widespread trend towards more juvenile leaves is projected to persist under future climate change. Our findings reveal a fundamental shift in Amazon leaf age structure and highlight its importance for predicting future photosynthetic responses in a warmer, drier climate.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147381194","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 : 2026-03-09DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02261-4
Catherine Walker
{"title":"Resurrecting the American chestnut.","authors":"Catherine Walker","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02261-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02261-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147390219","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}
Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a major threat to global wheat production. To explore new resistance resources, we screened 100 hexaploid triticale accessions using the predominant Chinese P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races CYR32, CYR33 and CYR34 and found that most accessions showed high resistance, with the cultivar Rozovskaya displaying near-immunity. Through map-based cloning, we identified a resistance gene located on chromosome 6RL. Analysis of resequencing data from 117 rye accessions revealed two major haplotypes, both of which conferred near-immunity and broadly effective resistance to stripe rust in transgenic wheat. Sequence analysis and virus-induced gene silencing collectively confirmed the identity of this gene as Yr83. Yr83 encodes an atypical nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat protein (NLR) fused to a Harbinger transposase-derived nuclease domain (HTDND). Truncation of the HTDND abolishes resistance, indicating that this domain is essential for Yr83-mediated immune function. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NLR-HTDND proteins are restricted to the Pooideae subfamily. For breeding applications, we employed a small 6RL translocation line that shows excellent agronomic performance, not only conferring strong resistance but also increasing spikelet number and grain number per spike. Our study reveals a transposase-integrated NLR as a valuable resource for wheat stripe rust resistance breeding.
{"title":"An NLR-transposase fusion gene from rye provides broadly effective resistance to stripe rust in wheat.","authors":"Chunhui Wang,Shulan Fu,Congyang Yi,Yanan Chang,Mian Wang,Chen Zhou,Zhen Wang,Renchun Fan,Jing Yuan,Tao Wang,Yonghong Wang,Wuyun Yang,Yang Liu,Xingguo Ye,Fangpu Han","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02248-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02248-1","url":null,"abstract":"Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a major threat to global wheat production. To explore new resistance resources, we screened 100 hexaploid triticale accessions using the predominant Chinese P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races CYR32, CYR33 and CYR34 and found that most accessions showed high resistance, with the cultivar Rozovskaya displaying near-immunity. Through map-based cloning, we identified a resistance gene located on chromosome 6RL. Analysis of resequencing data from 117 rye accessions revealed two major haplotypes, both of which conferred near-immunity and broadly effective resistance to stripe rust in transgenic wheat. Sequence analysis and virus-induced gene silencing collectively confirmed the identity of this gene as Yr83. Yr83 encodes an atypical nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat protein (NLR) fused to a Harbinger transposase-derived nuclease domain (HTDND). Truncation of the HTDND abolishes resistance, indicating that this domain is essential for Yr83-mediated immune function. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NLR-HTDND proteins are restricted to the Pooideae subfamily. For breeding applications, we employed a small 6RL translocation line that shows excellent agronomic performance, not only conferring strong resistance but also increasing spikelet number and grain number per spike. Our study reveals a transposase-integrated NLR as a valuable resource for wheat stripe rust resistance breeding.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147368437","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}
Small RNAs regulate eukaryotic development and immunity. In plants, multiple DICER-LIKE (DCL) proteins produce distinct small RNAs that play diverse functions. These DCL proteins act in a hierarchical manner, with DCL4 outcompeting DCL2 being particularly important for optimal gene expression and plant growth. However, the mechanism of this hierarchical action remains unclear. Here we reveal that the second double-stranded-RNA-binding domain (dsRBD2) of DCL4 interacts with DSRNA BINDING PROTEIN 4 (DRB4), a cofactor essential for DCL4’s function. DRB4 dictates the relative biogenesis of 21- and 22-nucleotide small interfering RNAs derived from TAS loci and coding transcripts. All DCL2 proteins in seed plants lack dsRBD2; however, fusing dsRBD2 to DCL2 enhances its activity, leading to massive production of coding-transcript-derived small interfering RNAs, as well as growth defects and activated stress responses. These findings demonstrate the central role of the dsRBD2–DRB4 module, which enables DCL4 to outcompete DCL2, thereby preventing detrimental gene silencing.
{"title":"Molecular basis of plant DCL4 action that outcompetes DCL2","authors":"Yuelin Liu, Li Feng, Changshi Wang, Wei Yan, Qianyan Linghu, Huijuan Tan, Yajie Pan, Siqi Yan, Jixian Zhai, Jiamu Du, Hongwei Guo","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02243-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02243-6","url":null,"abstract":"Small RNAs regulate eukaryotic development and immunity. In plants, multiple DICER-LIKE (DCL) proteins produce distinct small RNAs that play diverse functions. These DCL proteins act in a hierarchical manner, with DCL4 outcompeting DCL2 being particularly important for optimal gene expression and plant growth. However, the mechanism of this hierarchical action remains unclear. Here we reveal that the second double-stranded-RNA-binding domain (dsRBD2) of DCL4 interacts with DSRNA BINDING PROTEIN 4 (DRB4), a cofactor essential for DCL4’s function. DRB4 dictates the relative biogenesis of 21- and 22-nucleotide small interfering RNAs derived from TAS loci and coding transcripts. All DCL2 proteins in seed plants lack dsRBD2; however, fusing dsRBD2 to DCL2 enhances its activity, leading to massive production of coding-transcript-derived small interfering RNAs, as well as growth defects and activated stress responses. These findings demonstrate the central role of the dsRBD2–DRB4 module, which enables DCL4 to outcompete DCL2, thereby preventing detrimental gene silencing.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147346836","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 : 2026-03-04DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02236-5
Changshi Wang, Cheng Chi, Yuelin Liu, Jun Zhao, Qian Wang, Nana Wang, Zhihui Zhang, Kai Jiang, Yan Xue, Yong Li, Peiyi Wang, Jixian Zhai, Hongwei Guo, Jiamu Du
Small RNAs, including microRNA, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and PIWI-interacting RNA, are regulatory RNAs that play critical roles in gene regulation, development, viral defence and environmental response1. The biogenesis of microRNA and siRNA relies on the Dicer family ribonucleases to capture, measure and cleave their double-stranded RNA substrates2,3. In Arabidopsis, DICER-LIKE 4 (DCL4) produces 21-nucleotide siRNA in association with Double-Stranded RNA-Binding Protein 4 (DRB4) for post-transcriptional gene silencing4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Here we determined the structures of the DCL4–RNA complex in a dicing-competent conformation and the DCL4–DRB4–RNA complex in a pre-dicing conformation. DCL4 measures 21 nucleotides along RNA between its PAZ and RNase III domains to determine the product siRNA length. A DCL4-specific loop locates the second double-stranded RNA binding domain of DCL4 and DRB4 to a distal position of the substrate RNA, yielding a preference for long RNA substrates. Our studies demonstrate the molecular basis of substrate recognition, length measurement and long RNA preference by the DCL4–DRB4 complex for 21-nucleotide siRNA biogenesis in plants.
{"title":"Molecular basis of DRB4-assisted long RNA processing and 21-nucleotide siRNA biogenesis by DCL4 in plants","authors":"Changshi Wang, Cheng Chi, Yuelin Liu, Jun Zhao, Qian Wang, Nana Wang, Zhihui Zhang, Kai Jiang, Yan Xue, Yong Li, Peiyi Wang, Jixian Zhai, Hongwei Guo, Jiamu Du","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02236-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02236-5","url":null,"abstract":"Small RNAs, including microRNA, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and PIWI-interacting RNA, are regulatory RNAs that play critical roles in gene regulation, development, viral defence and environmental response1. The biogenesis of microRNA and siRNA relies on the Dicer family ribonucleases to capture, measure and cleave their double-stranded RNA substrates2,3. In Arabidopsis, DICER-LIKE 4 (DCL4) produces 21-nucleotide siRNA in association with Double-Stranded RNA-Binding Protein 4 (DRB4) for post-transcriptional gene silencing4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Here we determined the structures of the DCL4–RNA complex in a dicing-competent conformation and the DCL4–DRB4–RNA complex in a pre-dicing conformation. DCL4 measures 21 nucleotides along RNA between its PAZ and RNase III domains to determine the product siRNA length. A DCL4-specific loop locates the second double-stranded RNA binding domain of DCL4 and DRB4 to a distal position of the substrate RNA, yielding a preference for long RNA substrates. Our studies demonstrate the molecular basis of substrate recognition, length measurement and long RNA preference by the DCL4–DRB4 complex for 21-nucleotide siRNA biogenesis in plants.","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147346837","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 : 2026-03-04DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02259-y
Beibei Song, Sera Choi, Liang Kong, Sung-Il Kim, Judith Fliegmann, Xiuming Li, Yong Gao, Thomas A DeFalco, Meijuan Hu, Meng Li, Yan Zhao, Hongze Wang, Shengwei Ma, Libo Shan, Thorsten Nürnberger, Ping He, Cyril Zipfel, Jian-Min Zhou
{"title":"Author Correction: New alleles of Arabidopsis BIK1 reinforce its predominant role in pattern-triggered immunity and caution interpretations of other reported functions.","authors":"Beibei Song, Sera Choi, Liang Kong, Sung-Il Kim, Judith Fliegmann, Xiuming Li, Yong Gao, Thomas A DeFalco, Meijuan Hu, Meng Li, Yan Zhao, Hongze Wang, Shengwei Ma, Libo Shan, Thorsten Nürnberger, Ping He, Cyril Zipfel, Jian-Min Zhou","doi":"10.1038/s41477-026-02259-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41477-026-02259-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18904,"journal":{"name":"Nature Plants","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147355857","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}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：