Photosynthesis is fundamental to life on Earth and a topic that all plant biologists should have a good understanding of, but it is also an incredibly complex set of processes, reactions and structures spanning great temporal and spatial distances. In this new Commentary by Eckardt et al., several experts…

The era of complete telomere-to-telomere (T2T) plant genomes is finally here! Recent advances in long-read sequencing technologies have revolutionized genome assembly, giving rise to gapless T2T assemblies and offering unprecedented insights into genome organization and function. Why are T2T genomes…

In this study, Frangedakis et al. identified MYB-related transcription factors as critical regulators of chloroplast development in land plants. Focusing on the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and the angiosperm Arabidopsis thaliana, the team discovered that mutations in some MYB-related genes lead to…

When protein folding is disrupted by abiotic or biotic stresses, cells can experience ER stress. Sensors like inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) detect this stress, triggering the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway. UPR signaling activates genes that restore proteostasis and maintain cellular vitality.…

The complex interplay between nucleosome positioning, DNA methylation, and chromatin accessibility is crucial for genome regulation in eukaryotic organisms. However, current chromatin profiling methods, which rely on short-read sequencing, fail to characterize highly repetitive genomic regions and cannot…

Enhancing plant defense against pathogens and pests often incurs a cost to essential physiological functions such as growth and reproduction, creating a trade-off. This phenomenon is evident in genetic studies across various plant models and agricultural breeding programs. Salicylic acid (SA) is a well-known…

Aptamers are single-stranded DNAs that fold into tertiary structures that bind specifically to various targets, allowing them to serve as probes or sensors. In this study, Chen et al. introduce a cutting-edge aptamer-based nanopore thin film sensor designed to detect salicylic acid (SA), an important…

Plants, particularly long-lived trees, need to balance nutrient acquisition, herbivore and pathogen defence, and ultimately organic matter decomposition. The intricate relationship between these processes is crucial for the survival and growth of trees over their extended lifespans. Zheng et al. investigated…