Rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae serves as a model for studying fungal–plant interactions. In a recent phosphoproteomics study, Cruz-Mireles et al. comprehensively analyzed pathogenesis-related phosphorylation in M. oryzae with a focus on the Pmk1 pathway, integrating multiple signaling pathways and identifying new virulence factors. This study has broad implications for our understanding of fungal pathogenesis.
Botrytis cinerea is a destructive pathogen. A recent study by Escaray et al. revealed the unexpected role of triterpenoid saponins as a susceptibility factor in Euphorbia lathyris, which promotes B. cinerea infection. This provides the possibility of developing a broad-spectrum plant protection solution by targeting the inhibition of the saponin biosynthetic pathway.
Plant pathogens usually secrete effectors to suppress the host immune response, resulting in effector-triggered susceptibility (ETS). Plants use nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) to detect specific effectors and elicit effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Two recent papers (Liu et al. and Zhang et al.) have made promising progress in controlling rice blast by modulating ETS and ETI.
In a recent study, Zhang et al. identified that MADS1-regulated lemma and awn development can positively regulate barley yield. This finding, alongside the demonstration that the function of MADS1 is conserved in wheat, suggests it is an important target for the improvement of Triticeae crops.
A recent leading-edge study by Jiang et al. identified two enzymes that are responsible for key reactions in the biosynthesis of baccatin III. The authors successfully reconstructed the baccatin III synthesis pathway with a minimal number of synthetic enzymes in tobacco leaves, laying the foundation for industrial-scale sustainable production of the anticancer drug paclitaxel.
Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for plant development. Although the low-K+-responsive calcium (Ca2+) signaling pathway is known, its regulator remained elusive. Li et al. recently demonstrated that the target of rapamycin complex (TORC) and Ca2+ signaling pathways show reciprocal regulation of K+-responsive growth in plants.
Heterosis describes the superior performance of hybrid plants compared with their genetically distinct parents and is a pillar of global food security. Here we review the current status of the molecular dissection of heterosis. We discuss how extensive intraspecific structural genomic variation between parental genotypes leads to heterosis by genetic complementation in hybrids. Moreover, we survey how global gene expression complementation contributes to heterosis by hundreds of additionally active genes in hybrids and how overdominant single genes mediate heterosis in several species. Furthermore, we highlight the prominent role of the microbiome in improving the performance of hybrids. Taken together, the molecular understanding of heterosis will pave the way to accelerate hybrid productivity and a more sustainable agriculture.
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