Tian-Feng Lü , Feng Gao , Tong-Bing Su , Yang Dong
{"title":"Developmental genetics of fruit diversity in Brassicaceae","authors":"Tian-Feng Lü , Feng Gao , Tong-Bing Su , Yang Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fruit represents one of the key morphological innovations associated with explosive radiation of angiosperms. Fruits are also the source of vitamins and proteins essential for the human health. Natural selection has led to extraordinarily diverse fruit characters, observed by color, shape, size, texture, and others. Studies in <em>Arabidopsis</em> indicate fruit growth and shattering require the fine-tuned balance between phytohormones and the associated regulatory pathways, which direct anisotropic cell growth in the valves and cell identity specification in the dehiscent zone (DZ), respectively. Moreover, comparative studies in <em>Arabidopsis</em> and its relatives, such as <em>Capsella rubella</em> and <em>Cardamine hirsuta</em>, identified the key cellular innovations and genetic components leading to fruit diversification in Brassicaceae. Altogether, this wealth of information lies the foundation to improve crop performance and address the issues of food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102707"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143696915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Innovations and threats facing the storage of sugar in sugar beet","authors":"Isabel Keller, H. Ekkehard Neuhaus","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sugar beet has great economic impact, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. Classical breeding has increased the plants' taproot sugar contents to 20 %, but further improvements require the identification of factors limiting sucrose accumulation. Recent research uncovered key elements for sucrose storage, including the identification of the transporter pumping sucrose into taproot vacuoles and regulatory proteins controlling its activity. As with other crops, sugar beet breeding led to undesirable trait-offs, like increased frost sensitivity. However, studies of the plants' metabolic reprogramming upon cold temperatures suggest potential strategies for i) improving cold/frost tolerance and ii) stabilizing yield. In addition, a rapidly evolving bacterial infection has emerged, causing \"<em>Syndrome basses richesses</em>\". Our understanding of this disease is limited, so research is needed to prevent its spread and secure sugar beet production. Accordingly, managing the effects of environmental stresses on genetically optimized plants and minimizing disease threats is critical for maintaining and improving yield.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102721"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143715923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Kenosis Emmanuelle Lachica , Mutsumi Watanabe , Shigehiko Kanaya , Alisdair R. Fernie , Takayuki Tohge
{"title":"Prospects for functional genomics of genes involved in coffee-specialized metabolism through cross-species integrative omics","authors":"Maria Kenosis Emmanuelle Lachica , Mutsumi Watanabe , Shigehiko Kanaya , Alisdair R. Fernie , Takayuki Tohge","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coffee (<em>Coffea</em> spp.) is one of the most economically important crop species and serves as a rich source of bioactive specialized (secondary) metabolites with various health-promoting properties. Advances in analytical food chemistry and phytochemistry have elucidated an extensive and structurally diverse specialized metabolism in coffee beans, much of which contributes to both organoleptic attributes and adaptive physiological responses in coffee plants. Recent developments in omics-driven methodologies have provided new insights into both coffee metabolism and breeding strategies, particularly those aimed at enhancing both quality traits and environmental resilience. Comparative genomic analyses across <em>Coffea</em> species and cultivars have facilitated the detection of metabolic polymorphisms, enabling inter- and intra-species assessments of biosynthetic pathway variation and the refinement of biosynthetic frameworks for further functional genomics approaches. Such approaches yield critical information regarding the genetic and biochemical determinants underlying specialized metabolite accumulations, which can be directly applied for targeted metabolic engineering and crop improvement. Moreover, cross-species comparative omics and multi-omics integrative analyses, particularly in relation to phylogenetically relevant taxa such as Solanaceae species, exemplified by the model crop tomato (<em>Solanum lycopersicum</em>), provide valuable translational insights into conserved and divergent metabolic architectures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102729"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143870467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Engineering nitrogen and carbon fixation for next-generation plants","authors":"Zehong Zhao , Alisdair R. Fernie , Youjun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving plant nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) acquisition and assimilation is a major challenge for global agriculture, food security, and ecological sustainability. Emerging synthetic biology techniques, including directed evolution, artificial intelligence (AI)-guided enzyme design, and metabolic engineering, have opened new avenues for optimizing nitrogenase to fix atmospheric N<sub>2</sub> in plants, engineering <em>Rhizobia</em> or other nitrogen-fixing bacteria for symbiotic associations with both legume and nonlegume crops, and enhancing carbon fixation to improve photosynthetic efficiency and source-to-sink assimilate fluxes. Here, we discuss the potential for engineering nitrogen fixation and carbon fixation mechanisms in plants, from rational and AI-driven optimization of nitrogen and carbon fixation cycles. Furthermore, we discuss strategies for modifying source-to-sink relationships to promote robust growth in extreme conditions, such as arid deserts, saline-alkaline soils, or even extraterrestrial environments like Mars. The combined engineering of N and C pathways promises a new generation of crops with enhanced productivity, resource-use efficiency, and resilience. Finally, we explore future perspectives, focusing on the integration of enzyme engineering via directed evolution and computational design to accelerate metabolic innovation in plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102699"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143578730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Organ symmetry establishment during gynoecium development","authors":"Iqra Jamil , Ayanava Giri , Laila Moubayidin","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Symmetry is a key factor in the morphological diversity and reproductive success of angiosperms (flowering plants). The gynoecium, the female reproductive organ of the flower, displays remarkable variation in symmetry types, ranging from bilateral to radial, from its base (ovary) to its apex (style). Proper tissue growth and differentiation occur along the body axes to form three-dimensional structures and establish symmetric forms within the organ.</div><div>In this review, we summarise the latest understanding on cellular, molecular and genetic mechanisms governing pivotal symmetry changes during gynoecium development and highlight unresolved questions and potential avenues for future research. Understanding these processes provides valuable insights into the biological networks that regulate symmetry foundation in plant organs, contributing to a broader evolutionary and developmental perspective on plant morphogenesis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143912026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sarah E. Noll , Andrea M. Sama , Abigail Tripka , Alexandra J. Dickinson
{"title":"Quantitative ambient mass spectrometry imaging in plants: A perspective on challenges and future applications","authors":"Sarah E. Noll , Andrea M. Sama , Abigail Tripka , Alexandra J. Dickinson","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful approach to understanding plant chemistry in a native context because it retains key spatial information that is otherwise averaged out, permitting chemical compounds to be mapped to specific tissue structures. Identifying the spatial localization of compounds in plant tissues has provided insights into the synthesis and functional role of a wide range of endogenous molecules. The power and utility of MSI is being further expanded through the development of quantitative methodologies, which enable relative and absolute quantification of target analytes. Here, we briefly summarize applications of MSI in plant studies. We then turn our discussion to the challenges and developments in quantitative MSI, with a particular focus on ambient liquid extraction-based methods. Quantitative MSI is an emerging discipline in plant studies and holds great promise for revealing new information about the molecular composition of plant tissues and the pathways that regulate plant physiology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102736"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Plant sphingolipids: Subcellular distributions and functions","authors":"Chang Yang, Yin-Ming Lai, Nan Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sphingolipids are common membrane components that maintain membrane structural integrity and function as signaling molecules. Different sphingolipids have specific functions and are unevenly distributed across the membranes of various organelles and subcellular compartments. In this review, we survey the sphingolipidomes of different subcellular structures in Arabidopsis (<em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>) cells and provide a detailed account of the functions of specific sphingolipids at each location. For example, glycosphingolipids, including glucosylceramide and glycosyl inositol phosphoceramide, mainly function in membranes, whereas simple sphingolipids, including free long-chain bases and ceramide, may have important signaling roles in the plasma membrane, mitochondria, and nucleus during plant stress responses and cell death. This review thus offers a broad perspective of the multifaceted roles of plant sphingolipids in different locations in the plant cell.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102704"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Alkaloid evolution in the Solanaceae","authors":"Pablo A. Pérez-Mesa , Federico Roda","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alkaloids are a diverse class of nitrogen-containing metabolites involved in key biotic interactions, such as defense against herbivores and pathogens and the recruitment of pollinators. The Solanaceae family has served as a model for studying alkaloid evolution, due to the varied types of alkaloids it produces, such as nicotinoids, tropane alkaloids (TAs), steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), and capsaicinoids. Recent multi-omics and comparative genomics studies have expanded our understanding of the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms driving alkaloid diversification. These metabolites are produced by specific clades within the family, often in response to selective pressures such as herbivore and pathogen coevolution, which shape alkaloid profiles through both diversification and reduction. Evolutionary processes like genome duplications, rearrangements, and introgressions have also played a significant role in the emergence of new alkaloid pathways, promoting metabolic adaptations. The Solanaceae family exhibits both convergence and divergence in alkaloid production, with certain alkaloids arising independently in different lineages. Notably, biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and gene duplication have been linked to alkaloid diversification, with the structure and function of these regions driving metabolic variability. Furthermore, human domestication of plants such as tobacco and chili peppers has influenced the alkaloid profiles of crop species, particularly in terms of pest resistance and flavor. The evolution of alkaloids in this family has not only shaped plant defense mechanisms but also has important implications for human health and agriculture. This review highlights the dynamic interplay between genetics, ecology, and human influence in the evolution of alkaloids within the Solanaceae family.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102727"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Roles of sugar metabolism and transport in flower development","authors":"Monica Borghi","doi":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pbi.2025.102722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flowers, which are primarily heterotrophic, thrive on photosynthates transported to the floral receptacle through the phloem. Once phloem unloading occurs, carbohydrates are distributed to various flower organs to support growth and development. This brief review summarizes how flowers acquire carbohydrates and transport them to different organs and tissues through the coordinated actions of transporters and enzymes, as well as the developmental issues that arise from carbohydrate imbalances. It will also discuss recently discovered transcription factors that regulate carbohydrate utilization in anthers and pistils. Additionally, the review provides an overview of the role of sugars as signaling molecules regulating floral organ development and the interaction between sugars and hormones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11003,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in plant biology","volume":"85 ","pages":"Article 102722"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}