Entries by Yueh Cho

Enhanced super-resolution ribosome profiling unveils pervasive translation of upstream ORFs and small ORFs in Arabidopsis

May 3, 2024 in /by

In recent years, the discovery that the translational regulation of many mRNAs is influenced by small upstream open reading frames (uORFs) has highlighted the importance of precisely identifying gene structures and translated ORFs to understand gene functions and cellular behavior. Using Arabidopsis, Wu et al. advanced the precision of ribosome profiling, in which RNA sequences […]

Heat stress promotes Arabidopsis AGO1 phase separation and association with stress granule components

May 3, 2024 in /by

A new article by Blagojevic, Baldrich, and Schiaffini et al. reveals that Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) protein, a pivotal agent in miRNA and siRNA-mediated gene silencing associated with the rough endoplasmic reticulum, dynamically localizes within stress granule components during heat stress (HS). This relocalization does not require SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SILENCING 3 (SGS3) and includes interactions […]

Significant floral diversity independent of pollinator change in ‘Buzz-Bee’ pollinated Melastomataceae

May 3, 2024 in /by

The concept of pollination syndromes posits that floral diversity arises from shifts among pollinator groups, yet their predictive accuracy for pollinator identification is debated. Kopper et al. leveraged machine learning, utilizing 44 floral traits from 252 species with known pollinator interactions, to predict pollinators for 159 species lacking empirical data. Concurrently, they used multivariate and […]

Unraveling the role of tRNA thiolation in translation control for plant immunity

April 19, 2024 in /by

Thiolation of tRNA adds a sulfur-containing nucleotide modification at the tRNA wobble position, which is necessary for efficient translation. Zheng et al. investigated the role of tRNA thiolation in plant immunity, revealing its necessity for robust defense responses in Arabidopsis. They identified a pathogen hyper-susceptible mutant, cgb, that encodes ROL5, an enyme required for tRNA […]

Unlocking nature’s arsenal: Engineering grasses for insect defense and livestock palatability

April 19, 2024 in /by

The defensive alkaloid gramine, present in barley and other grass species, plays an important role in protecting the plant from insect damage but poses challenges for ruminant palatability. Breeding strategies balance these factors by maintaining the protective function and making the grain palatable for grazing animals. In this study, Dias et al. used pan-genome sequencing […]

Hidden influence: How microbial stress responses shape plant natural selection

April 19, 2024 in /by

Soil microbial communities respond rapidly to stress, potentially leading to altered compositions in stressful environments and consequently impacting plant natural selection. Bolin and Lau investigated the influence of microbial responses to stress and persistent microbial legacy effects on plant selection. Chamaecrista fasciculata (partridge pea) plants were cultivated under stressful (salt, herbicide, or herbivory) or non-stressful […]

Phase separation determining meiotic interference-sensitive meiotic crossover formation

February 16, 2024 in /by

In sexual reproduction, meiosis creates new combinations between homologs and diversifies the genetic information among gametes and progenies. Most meiotic crossovers (COs) are mediated by a group of ZMM factors, including HUMAN ENHANCER of INVASION-10 (HEI10), which is suggested to concentrate at CO sites to form larger foci for crossover interference. However, how HEI10 is […]

In tune with power: Mitochondrial regulation of energy with TOR

February 2, 2024 in /by

As seedlings grow, they continuously fine-tune the balance between plant growth and energy consumption for better plant fitness. Mitochondria are essential to generate energy. Here, Canal et al. generated single mutants for a gene involved in the mitochondrial respiratory chain – CYTOCHROME C-1 (CYTC-1), which caused defective mitochondrial energy production, membrane potential, lower ATP content, […]