Jessica A S Barros, Adriano Nunes-Nesi, Alisdair R Fernie, Wagner L Araújo
{"title":"Transcriptional crosstalk linking color, acidity, and aroma in peach.","authors":"Jessica A S Barros, Adriano Nunes-Nesi, Alisdair R Fernie, Wagner L Araújo","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.04.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Color and flavor are key quality traits in fruits. Using a newly constructed peach pangenome, Chen et al. demonstrated that the PbBL gene, a known regulator of peach fruit color, also contributes to malate accumulation. This finding, along with previous studies, unveils a transcriptional mechanism that co-regulates multiple traits in peaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Niaz Ahmad, Muhammad Jawad Akbar Awan, Imran Amin, Shahid Mansoor
{"title":"Let the BOOSTER boost photosynthesis and plant productivity.","authors":"Niaz Ahmad, Muhammad Jawad Akbar Awan, Imran Amin, Shahid Mansoor","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.04.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recently, Feyissa et al. discovered an orphan gene, BOOSTER (BSTR), in Populus species, which has been shown to optimize photosynthesis and enhance CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation and biomass accumulation. Integrating BSTR into breeding programs holds promise for boosting crop yields and contributing to food security, increased biofuel production, and sustainable agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144011832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Integrating 'cry for help' strategies for sustainable agriculture.","authors":"Hongwei Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plants recruit specific soil microbes through a sophisticated 'cry for help' strategy to mitigate environmental stresses. Recent advances highlight the potential of leveraging this mechanism to develop microbe-based approaches for enhancing crop health, but challenges remain in refining the criteria and conceptual frameworks to effectively investigate and harness these plant-microbe interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144055192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insights from natural rubber biosynthesis evolution for pathway engineering.","authors":"Yinhong Cao, Qingwen Chen, Xia Xu, Alisdair R Fernie, Jiayang Li, Youjun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural rubber (NR), valued for its elasticity and impact resistance, is essential for numerous industrial and medical applications, with global demand continuously rising. While approximately 2500 plant species from more than 40 families can produce rubber, the majority is sourced from Hevea brasiliensis grown in tropical regions. Alternative rubber-producing plants, such as Parthenium argentatum and Taraxacum kok-saghyz, offer enhanced environmental adaptability and species diversity, making them promising candidates for rubber production. Recent genome sequencing has shed light on rubber biosynthesis pathways, although the mechanisms involved in producing different forms of polyisoprene across species remain unclear. We explore the evolution of rubber biosynthesis and discuss synthetic biological strategies for enhancing NR-production in subtropical plants and a broader range of plant materials (e.g., Manilkara zapota).</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144049627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Harnessing transposable elements for plant functional genomics and genome engineering.","authors":"Xiao-Yuan Tao, Shou-Li Feng, Lu Yuan, Yan-Jun Li, Xin-Jia Li, Xue-Ying Guan, Zhong-Hua Chen, Sheng-Chun Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transposable elements (TEs) constitute a large portion of many plant genomes and play important roles in regulating gene expression and in driving genome evolution and crop domestication. Despite advances in understanding the functions and mechanisms of TEs, a comprehensive review of their integrated knowledge and cutting-edge biotechnological applications of TEs is still needed. We provide a thorough overview that connects discoveries, mechanisms, and technologies associated with plant TEs. We discuss the identification and function of TEs driven by functional genomics, epigenetic regulation of TEs, and utilization of active TEs in plant functional genomics and genome engineering. In summary, expanding the knowledge and application of TEs will be beneficial to crop breeding and plant synthetic biology in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144014468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring plant protein functions through structure-based clustering.","authors":"Minxiang Yu, Jie Wu, Cuihuan Zhao, Jin-Long Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The upsurge in new plant protein sequences has far outpaced experimental functional characterization efforts. Prediction of protein function based on sequence homology often falls short when dealing with proteins that have low sequence similarity. Artificial intelligence (AI) programs, such as AlphaFold, have transformed computational protein structure prediction with remarkable accuracy. By leveraging the availability of predicted structures for nearly all protein sequences, clustering proteins based on their similarity in structural features has become a powerful tool for function annotation and discovery. Structure-based protein clustering enables the identification of distant evolutionary relationships and novel protein families, and offers an effective strategy for exploring plant protein functions, bridging the gap between sequence data and function annotation while also assisting in protein design.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144024865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caroline Ivsic, Sergey Shabala, Frances C Sussmilch
{"title":"Evolutionary insights into light-induced stomatal opening mechanisms.","authors":"Caroline Ivsic, Sergey Shabala, Frances C Sussmilch","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Light-induced stomatal opening pathways are essential for regulating gas exchange and water loss in response to dynamic environmental light cues. While stomatal signalling pathways are well characterised at the genetic level in Arabidopsis thaliana (arabidopsis), much less is known about these mechanisms in non-flowering plant groups. We discuss recent advances in our knowledge of key components - photoreceptors, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), phosphatases, H<sup>+</sup>-ATPases and ion channels - across plant lineages, highlighting the gaps in knowledge particularly in non-flowering species. Addressing these gaps will provide valuable insights into stomatal evolution and a deeper understanding of the functional diversity of the plants alive today.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143987954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhifeng Lu, Tao Ren, Yong Li, Ismail Cakmak, Jianwei Lu
{"title":"Nutrient limitations on photosynthesis: from individual to combinational stresses.","authors":"Zhifeng Lu, Tao Ren, Yong Li, Ismail Cakmak, Jianwei Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Liebig's law of the minimum states that increasing photosynthetic productivity on nutrient-impoverished soils depends on addressing the most limiting nutrient. Research has identified the roles of different mineral nutrients in photosynthetic processes. However, diffusional and biochemical regulation of photosynthesis both feature patterns of cumulative effects that jointly determine photosynthetic capacity. More importantly, responses to multiple nutrient stresses are not simply additive and require a comprehensive understanding of how these stresses interact and impact photosynthetic performance. In this review we highlight key macroelements for photosynthesis - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium - focusing on their unique functions and interactions in regulating carbon fixation under multiple nutrient deficiencies, with the goal of enhancing crop productivity through balanced nutrient applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144062161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Selenobacteria: the unsung friends of plants.","authors":"Rishav Sahil, Mukesh Jain","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Excessive use of agrochemicals poses an ongoing threat to ecosystems. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Sun et al. recently revealed that selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) biosynthesized by selenobacteria recruit beneficial microbes via chemotaxis and biofilm formation, enriching rhizosphere diversity. This ability to manipulate plant-microbe interactions using SeNPs offers a novel approach for sustainable agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144000888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A metabolon at the heart of steroidal biosynthesis.","authors":"Tsubasa Shoji, Satoru Sawai","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2025.03.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Metabolons, dynamic enzyme assemblies critical for substrate channeling, underpin specialized metabolism. Recent studies by Boccia et al. and Jozwiak et al. in Solanum uncovered a cellulose synthase-like protein that orchestrates metabolon formation, functioning dually as a scaffold and glucuronosyltransferase in steroidal glycoalkaloid (SGA) and steroidal saponin (SS) biosynthesis, offering profound opportunities for metabolic engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144027882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}