Trends in Plant Science最新文献

Unlike in mammalian cells, the mechanisms by which plants recognize virus infections and trigger antiviral defense remain elusive. In a recent study, Huang et al. identified a novel rice sensor that detects diverse rice viral-derived coat proteins and initiates antiviral resistance, offering new strategies for engineering virus-resistant crops.

Proteins are integral components of root exudates that mediate plant-microbe interactions, nutrient mobilization, and stress responses. Despite their importance, our understanding of their composition, regulation, and function is limited. Here, we summarize recent advances on root-exuded proteins, highlight pivotal outstanding questions, and propose future research directions.

Woody biomass is a vital carbon sink and biofuel feedstock, but lignocellulosic ethanol production faces cell wall recalcitrance. miRNA-mediated cell wall bioengineering presents an efficient and promising approach to address the high costs associated with biofuel production. In this review, we examine the critical role of miRNAs in plants, with a particular focus on woody species. We systematically analyzed the internal factors influencing biofuel production from an integrated perspective of plant science and chemical basis. Notably, we proposed a schematic framework for miRNA-mediated cell wall engineering, to reduce lignocellulosic recalcitrance and enhance biomass accumulation. Finally, we highlight key questions and suggest potential procedures for the manipulation of miRNAs to facilitate the efficient utilization of forestry-derived biofuels.

Microbe interaction not only plays an integral role in plant growth and adaptation, but also may lead to genetic integration. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from microbes occurs in all major plant groups and appears to be frequent in charophytes and bryophytes. Horizontally acquired microbial genes have contributed to major physiological and structural innovations in land plants. This paper discusses microbial interactions and genetic integration, with a particular focus on recent data regarding the role of horizontally acquired microbial genes in land plant evolution. We suggest that microbes are essential resources for plants, both as an ecological component and as a source of novel genetic material, and that plant colonization of land and further diversification represent a process of exploitation of microbial resources.

In this review, we explore pathways of coupling between microscale metabolic engineering with macroscale bioprocess design to transform microalgae into intelligent carbon management platforms, focusing on strategies that enhance CO₂ fixation capacity, including synthetic enhancement of carbon-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) and metabolic reprogramming. The integration of microalgae with microbial consortia further stabilizes carbon flow and supports system resilience under environmental fluctuations. Emerging hybrid cultivation systems - powered by renewable energy and guided by artificial intelligence (AI)-based modeling - enable scalable, adaptive, and cost-effective CO₂ removal. These innovations are framed within circular bioeconomy models, where microalgae convert waste carbon into bioenergy and bioproducts. Coupling of molecular, ecological, and engineering advances can overcome current deployment barriers. We propose new directions for future research that prioritize feasibility, sustainability, and multifunctionality.

Recent advances in plant spatial omics, including transcriptomics and metabolomics, have enabled fine-scale cellular insights by registering spatial information. Combining spatial approaches with droplet-based single-cell technologies has further enhanced our understanding of many complex biological processes. However, the unique features of plants, such as rigid cell walls and size variability, require adaptation of mammalian-derived analytical methods. This review summarizes current strategies for acquiring plant spatial multi-omics data, with a focus on widely accessible commercial platforms. We also outline analysis workflows, from preprocessing to downstream interpretation, and provide a practical tutorial using demonstration datasets. This resource offers researchers a concise guide to experimental and computational approaches for plant spatial multi-omics.

Protons (H⁺), commonly measured as pH, represent a fundamental physiological parameter in cellular systems. In plants, cytoplasmic H⁺ levels are tightly regulated to maintain homeostasis, whereas apoplastic H⁺ concentrations fluctuate dynamically in response to stress and developmental cues. This review discusses and scrutinizes the roles of apoplastic H⁺ fluctuations in transmitting stress and developmental cues, focusing on their interactions with established regulatory elements, such as phytohormones, H₂O₂, and peptide-receptor complexes, as well as other functional proteins, within stress and developmental signaling networks. Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying apoplastic H⁺ as a pivotal regulator of plant adaptation and development open promising avenues for future research to enhance plant resilience and productivity under diverse environmental challenges.

Toxic element contamination poses a serious threat to global food security. However, traditional remediation methods offer only temporary solutions. Emerging gene-editing, synthetic biology, and hybrid technologies now promise transformative, scalable, and permanent strategies to detoxify soils, reclaim polluted land, and secure sustainable agriculture in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Coordination of nutrient signals and stress responses is essential for plant survival. Recently, Ma et al. reported that the nitrate transporter NRT1.1B binds abscisic acid (ABA) and regulates the SPX4-NLP4 module to activate ABA-responsive genes. This represents a potential transmembrane ABA perception mechanism that complements the canonical PYR- protein phosphatase type 2C (PP2C)-SnRK2 pathway.

Plants rely on sophisticated immune systems to defend against diverse pathogens that threaten their growth, development, and global food security. Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) are a central component in plant immunity. Innovative NLR engineering may improve plant disease resistance and offer new opportunities for sustainable crop production.