Annual review of plant biology最新文献

Pectins underpin the assembly, molecular architecture, and physical properties of plant cell walls and through their effects on cell growth and adhesion influence many aspects of plant development. They are some of the most dynamic components of plant cell walls, and pectin remodeling and degradation by pectin-modifying enzymes can drive developmental programming via physical effects on the cell wall and the generation of oligosaccharides that can act as signaling ligands. Here, we introduce pectin structure and synthesis and discuss pectin functions in plants. We highlight recent advances in understanding the structure-function relationships of pectin-modifying enzymes and their products and how these advances point toward new approaches to bridging key knowledge gaps and manipulating pectin dynamics to control plant development. Finally, we discuss how a deeper understanding of pectin dynamics might enable innovations in agronomy and biotechnology, unlocking new benefits from these ubiquitous but complex polysaccharides.

Plant-pathogen interactions have profound ecological implications and are crucial for food security. Usually studied at the two extreme scales of plant organ symptomatology and host-microbe molecules, they are a cell-cell event mainly occurring at the subcellular level of the plant apoplast. Here, the cell walls of both organisms suffer an intense alteration as a consequence of active degradation by the opponent and self-protection mechanisms to survive and continue growing. The plant cell wall modifications and their role in defense as danger signals and activators of signaling cascades have been studied for a few decades, mainly at the organ plane. Still, much remains unknown about this process, including cellular and subcellular minority decorations, proteins, and mechanical cues. Comparatively, the microbial cell wall changes in planta are virtually unexplored. By investigating the interface between plant and microbial cell walls biochemically, structurally, and mechanically, we aim to highlight the dynamic interplay in these subcellular areas and its significance for the host-invader interaction.

Plant roots play myriad roles that include foraging for resources in complex soil environments. Within this highly dynamic soil environment roots must sense, interact with, and acclimate to factors such as water availability, microbiota, and heterogeneous distribution of nutrients. To aid their acclimation, roots alter their growth and development to optimize their architecture and actively regulate the physical, chemical, and biological properties of their rhizosphere. Understanding the complex interactions between roots and rhizosphere is critical for designing future crops with improved root traits better adapted to diverse and challenging soil conditions. However, studying roots and their interactions with soil under real-world conditions presents significant challenges. Addressing these challenges demands developing realistic laboratory-based model systems and innovative field-based root imaging techniques. Our review surveys the current knowledge and recent advances in understanding root-environment interactions while proposing future solutions to study roots under more "real-life" soil conditions.

RNA orchestrates intricate structures that influence gene expression and protein production in all living organisms, with implications for fundamental biology, medicine, and agriculture. Although extensive research has been conducted on RNA biology, many regulatory mechanisms remain elusive due to the complex and dynamic nature of RNA structures and past technological limitations. Recent advancements in RNA structure technology have revolutionized plant RNA biology research. Here, we review cutting-edge technologies for studying RNA structures in plants and their functional significance in diverse biological processes. Additionally, we highlight the pivotal role of RNA structure in influencing plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. We also discuss the potential evolutionary significance of RNA structure in natural adaptation and crop domestication. Finally, we propose leveraging RNA structure-mediated gene regulation as an innovative strategy to bolster plant resilience against climate change.

Plant nitrogen nutrition is an essential and energy-costly component of terrestrial food chains. Understanding nitrate sensing in plants can lead to improved crop yields and nutrient use efficiency, directly impacting food security and agricultural sustainability. Herein, we review and present a comprehensive framework for understanding nitrate sensing in plants, integrating molecular, genetic, and physiological aspects. We begin by detailing the primary nitrate response and nitrate starvation response, which are central to the plant's ability to sense and respond to nitrate availability. We then explore the intricate interactions between nitrate signaling and other nutritional pathways such as those for carbon, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur assimilation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) handling, and how it unfolds in long-distance systemic communication between roots and shoots. Finally, evolutionary insights are provided by comparing nitrate-sensing mechanisms across different plant species as well as Bacteria, Archaea, Chlorophyta, Charophyta (algae), and Fungi, revealing how these mechanisms may have evolved in diverse ecological niches. This review not only provides a framework to project our present and future understanding of plant nitrate and nitrogen nutrition but also offers potential strategies for improving nutrient use efficiency in crops through genetic and biotechnological interventions.

The target of rapamycin (TOR) is a central regulator of growth, development, and stress adaptation in plants. This review delves into the molecular intricacies of TOR signaling, highlighting its conservation and specificity across eukaryotic lineages. We explore the molecular architecture of TOR complexes, their regulation by a myriad of upstream signals, and their consequential impacts on plant physiology. The roles of TOR in orchestrating nutrient sensing, hormonal cues, and environmental signals are highlighted, illustrating its pivotal function in modulating plant growth and development. Furthermore, we examine the impact of TOR on plant responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses, underscoring its potential as a target for agricultural improvements. This synthesis of current knowledge on plant TOR signaling sheds light on the complex interplay between growth promotion and stress adaptation, offering a foundation for future research and applications in plant biology.

The centromeres of eukaryotic chromosomes are required to load CENH3/CENP-A variant nucleosomes and the kinetochore complex, which connects to spindle microtubules during cell division. Despite their conserved function, plant centromeres show rapid sequence evolution within and between species and a range of monocentric, holocentric, and polymetacentric architectures, which vary in kinetochore numbers and spacing. Plant centromeres are commonly composed of tandem satellite repeat arrays, which are invaded by specific families of centrophilic retrotransposons, whereas in some species the entire centromere is composed of such retrotransposons. We review the diversity of plant centrophilic retrotransposons and their mechanisms of integration, together with how epigenetic information and small RNAs control their proliferation. We discuss models for rapid centromere sequence evolution and speculate on the roles that centrophilic retrotransposons may play in centromere dynamics. We focus on plants but draw comparisons with animal and fungal centromeric transposons to highlight conserved and divergent themes across the eukaryotes.

The genetics model system Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. lives across a vast geographic range with contrasting climates, in response to which it has evolved diverse life histories and phenotypic adaptations. In the last decade, the cataloging of worldwide populations, DNA sequencing of whole genomes, and conducting of outdoor field experiments have transformed it into a powerful evolutionary ecology system to understand the genomic basis of adaptation. Here, we summarize new insights on Arabidopsis following the coordinated efforts of the 1001 Genomes Project, the latest reconstruction of biogeographic and demographic history, and the systematic genomic mapping of trait natural variation through 15 years of genome-wide association studies. We then put this in the context of local adaptation across climates by summarizing insights from 73 Arabidopsis outdoor common garden experiments conducted to date. We conclude by highlighting how molecular and genomic knowledge of adaptation can help us to understand species' (mal)adaptation under ongoing climate change.

Throughout the life cycle of a plant, numerous responses need to be carefully regulated to ensure proper development and appropriate responses to external stimuli, and plant hormones play a crucial role in this regulation. Since the early 1990s, there has been expansive research elucidating the central role that peptide ligands play as intrinsic short- and long-distance communicators during development and as regulators of phenotypic plasticity. In this review, we focus on recently discovered mechanisms that ensure correct spatial and temporal cellular responses triggered by peptide ligands and provide examples of how peptide processing proteins and apoplastic conditions can regulate peptide activity in a timely manner.

Eukaryotic glycobiology revolves around nucleotide sugar transporters (NSTs), which are critical for glycan biosynthesis in the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum. In plants, NSTs share similarities with triose phosphate translocators (TPTs) and together form the NST/TPT superfamily. Major research efforts over the last decades have led to the biochemical characterization of several of these transporters and addressed their role in cell wall polysaccharide and glycoconjugate biosynthesis, revealing precise substrate specificity and function. While recent insights gained from NST and TPT crystal structures promise to unravel the molecular mechanisms governing these membrane proteins, their regulation and dynamic behavior remain enigmatic. Likewise, many uncharacterized and orphan NSTs pose exciting questions about the biology of the endomembrane system. We discuss the progress in this active research area and stimulate consideration for the intriguing outstanding questions with a view to establish a foundation for applications in plant engineering and biopolymer production.