Trends in Plant Science最新文献

The canonical mechanism by which the phytohormone auxin regulates transcription has been one of the cornerstones of plant signaling. The recent unexpected discovery of cyclic AMP (cAMP) as a second messenger in this pathway has revised its foundations while leaving many open questions and gaps in our understanding; these will be discussed in this forum article.

Pyruvate serves as a central node in plant metabolism. Together with its high-energy form, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), it links core carbon pathways to the biosynthesis of terpenoids, phenolics, and fatty acids. Specialized cell types in vascular, endosperm, and photosynthetic tissues utilize these precursors to favor the formation of lignin, fatty acids, and terpenoid pigments, respectively. Pyruvate contributes to both terpenoid precursor pathways and forms a metabolic loop that both depends on and supports photosynthesis. The numerous sources and fates of pyruvate underscore its role as one of the most centralized metabolites in plant biology. We review the regulation of pyruvate synthesis, consumption, and trafficking via translocator expression and allosteric enzyme control, including opportunities to engineer terpenoid biosynthesis by manipulating precursor supply.

Genome editing enables precise sequence alteration, but remains limited by binary logic and irreversible outcomes. By contrast, epigenome editing offers reversible and multilayered regulation without altering the DNA sequence. Yet current implementations remain inert - unable to sense, compute, or adapt. Here, we survey emerging plant epigenome editing modalities and explore their integration with logic-based synthetic gene circuits. We propose design strategies, such as multiplexer-driven flowering switches in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and Boolean logic-gated fruit ripening in Solanum lycopersicum. Underpinned by plant-tailored roadmaps and pitfall mitigation strategies synthesized here, these architectures could transform static editing into programmable, context-aware regulation. This convergence gestures toward a future of composite epigenome engineering, where epigenetic plasticity and synthetic logic integrate to support scalable, predictive control of traits.

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is vital for human health, but structural differences limit its supplementation from crops. In a recent study, Xu et al. traced its diversification across plant lineages and identified distinct targets for precise engineering. Their work highlights how utilising evolutionary signatures can enable crop biofortification and guide future strategies to enhance nutritional value.

Adaptation of multicellular organisms to new environments can leave distinct signatures in their genomic architecture. Although previous efforts have unveiled the dynamics of (epi)genome evolution, our understanding remains incomplete regarding how phenotypic innovation is achieved by relaxing or constraining the identity of a genome over generations while adjusting to dynamic environments. Using plants, we first compile a list of candidate epigenetic regulators which we refer to as 'epigenetic toolkit' proteins. We propose a new framework for examining the epigenetic toolkit as an evolvable trait during plant adaptation. This could predict how feedback mechanisms between (a)biotic environmental factors and innate regulation of genome architecture can destabilize the homeostatic state of a plant and thereby inherently reshape the (epi)genetic landscapes for both short- and long-term habitat adaptation.

Unicellular green algae are a diverse and ecologically crucial group, serving as primary producers in a wide range of aquatic ecosystems and producing valuable biomolecules in human hands, thanks to their remarkable phenotypic and metabolic plasticity. Among the different regulatory mechanisms explaining these capacities, epigenetics plays a key role. This review focuses on the epigenetic regulation of the model species Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, focusing on the role of DNA methylation [C⁵-methylcytosine (5mC), N⁶-methyladenine (6mA)], histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in modulating gene expression, maintaining genome stability, and enabling acclimation to several environments. This review also explores the evolutionary significance of these marks and the potential role of the unique epigenetic patterns in this species.

In the heterogeneous and fluctuating environments in which plants grow, they must efficiently acquire essential nutrients to sustain growth and development. Root endosymbioses, including dinitrogen (N₂)-fixing nodulation and arbuscular mycorrhization, enable plants to cope with limitations of soil mineral nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Secreted signaling peptides have recently emerged as key regulators of these two evolutionarily related endosymbioses, including the C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDES (CEPs) and the CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION RELATED (CLE) peptides. By elucidating the intricate relationships between these signaling peptides and nutrient dynamics, we highlight in this review their potential as targets for coordinating and prioritizing plant nutrition in limiting environments.

Uniformity among seeds within a cultivar impacts seed quality and milling efficiency. Advances in hyperspectral imaging enable quantification of variability among individual seeds, facilitating treatment of seed heterogeneity as a heritable trait. We argue seed trait heterogeneity may be heritable and propose a roadmap to support breeding for uniform cultivars.

A recent breakthrough study by Zhu et al. introduced the platform GRAPE (geminivirus replicon-assisted in planta directed evolution). GRAPE remediates plant-directed evolutionary bottlenecks by linking rolling-circle replication (RCR) to protein function; selection occurs via replicon amplification, delivering microbe-like throughput in planta while preserving native plant signaling and defense.

Understanding cell type-specific gene regulatory programs is crucial to decipher the regulation of important traits. Recent multiome studies by Zhang et al. and Wang et al. generated single cell-resolution atlases integrating gene expression and chromatin accessibility, uncovering regulatory networks and developmental transitions that provide novel insights into the regulation of agronomic traits.