Biosensors are powerful tools that provide readouts for various small molecules so that they can be detected and located. Pini et al. have developed a set of biosensors for expression in bacteria (Rhizobium leguminosarum) that reveal some of the small molecules (including key sugars, polyols, organic acids, amino acids and flavonoids) secreted by the roots […]
Classic studies of leaf placement (phyllotaxy) showed that two different mechanisms occur in land plants. In mosses, leaf placement is determined by the plane of cell division within the single apical cell, whereas in seed plants auxin acts as a morphogen that specifies leaf positioning. Linardić and Braybrook examined how the spiral pattern of phyllotaxy […]
The interactions with microRNAs (miRNAs) and their targets in plants is assumed to be dependent largely on complementarity between the two RNAs. Zheng et al. investigated the interactions between miR159 and its putative targets, mRNA of several MYB genes, each with similar complementarity to the miRNA. Genetic data however suggest that miR159 silences some of […]
Precise genome editing holds tremendous promise for meeting future food security needs and sustainable agriculture. Čermák et al. describe a set of reagents that facilitate genome editing in plants, based on both TALEN (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases) and CRISPR/Cas technologies. Precise targeting of enzymes to specific regions of genomes enables many different types of editing. […]
While screening for mutants in gene silencing, Ikeda et al. identified mail1, which shows elevated expression of transposable elements (TEs) and protein-coding genes, indicating that MAIL1 (MAINTENANCE OF MERISTEM-LIKE1) is required for epigenetic silencing of some genes. However, mail1 does not differ from wildtype in either DNA methylation or siRNA accumulation, indicating it is involved […]
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oil crop and, according to the authors, “the only major crop domesticated in North America.” Assembling its genome has been difficult as more than three quarters of it is made up of young (less than one million years old) long-terminal repeat retrotransposons. Badouin et al. report a reference […]
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is a widely-grown tropical legume domesticated in India about 3500 years ago. Yields have plateaued, and there is evidence for a genetic bottleneck that limits breeding potential in the elite varieties. Varshney et al. resequenced nearly 300 pigeonpea accessions including modern cultivars, traditional landraces and wild species. From these data they identified […]
Deriving energy from light is a bit like keeping your hands warm by juggling burning coals; doable but dangerous. Photosynthetic organisms constantly adjust their photosynthetic machinery to optimize energy production but avoid damage from excess light. Moejes et al. describe a large-scale project, AccliPhot, that combined theoretical and experimental approaches to understand photosynthetic acclimation in […]
Yield is determined by the crop’s genetic potential and the realization of that potential as affected by agronomic practices and environmental factors. Xu et al. address how yields can be improved through enhancing genetic gain, which they define as “the amount of increase in performance that is achieved annually through artificial selection.” Factors that affect […]