Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-10-01Epub Date: 2026-05-22DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.031
Javier Buezo, Marina Urra, Esther M González, Jose F Moran
{"title":"Oximes, peroxidases, and oxidative nitric oxide production: a new framework for plant NO metabolism?","authors":"Javier Buezo, Marina Urra, Esther M González, Jose F Moran","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nitric oxide (NO) is a small, gaseous reactive species that plays key roles in plant development and responses to environmental stimuli. In mammals, NO is produced via both nitrate/nitrite reduction and the oxidation of l-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). In plants, while the reductive pathway was identified early on, a NOS-like equivalent remained elusive for decades. In this opinion article, we describe recent discoveries that suggest a modular oxidative pathway, in which peroxidases may play a key role. Together with earlier observations, this model supports a broader conceptual framework for oxidative NO production in plants, moving beyond the expectation of animal-like homologs. This serves as a reminder that plants often solve biochemical challenges in innovative ways.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1303-1313"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148006813","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}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-10-01Epub Date: 2026-06-04DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.002
Adriana E Cisneros, Alberto Carbonell
{"title":"Minimal small RNA precursors unlock virus-based precision RNAi.","authors":"Adriana E Cisneros, Alberto Carbonell","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial small RNAs (art-sRNAs) mediate highly specific RNAi in plants, but their broader use has been constrained by long precursor architectures and dependence on transgenic delivery. Recent work shows that accurate and efficient art-sRNA biogenesis can be achieved using precursors of minimal size rather than full-length endogenous scaffolds, without compromising silencing efficacy. We discuss how minimal art-sRNA precursors represent a versatile platform for precision RNAi and, critically, unlock RNA viruses as stable, programmable platforms for the production of highly specific art-sRNAs. In other words, minimal art-sRNA precursors transform RNA viruses from generators of heterogeneous small RNA populations into nontransgenic, programmable vectors that deliver defined art-sRNAs for precision gene silencing and antiviral protection.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1282-1291"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148164706","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}
Robert Hasterok, Natalia Borowska-Zuchowska, Bozena Kolano, Hina Shimomai, Zujun Yin, Kai Wang, Luis A J Mur
{"title":"Have we entered a 'post-model' era in plant biology?","authors":"Robert Hasterok, Natalia Borowska-Zuchowska, Bozena Kolano, Hina Shimomai, Zujun Yin, Kai Wang, Luis A J Mur","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Models such as arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have underpinned genomic and physiological research in plant science. Advances in genome sequencing, pangenomics, and genome editing have prompted claims of a 'post-model' era, with model-crops and crops such as rice and bread wheat combining agricultural relevance with experimental tractability. We argue that the 'simplicity-to-complexity' approach remains valid, although model systems have evolved. Arabidopsis remains indispensable for interpreting multi-omics data, testing developmental hypotheses, and generating mechanistic insights difficult to obtain in crops. Linking these strengths to model-crops adds translational value by bridging discovery and breeding, while niche models such as Brachypodium distachyon and legumes address grass cell wall biology and nitrogen fixation. Future progress depends on diverse species with complementary strengths across fundamental and applied plant biology.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991545","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":"Advances of N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine RNA methylation in tree species.","authors":"Huihui Wang, Huiyuan Wang, Xiaoxia Jin, Yusen Wang, Liangzhen Zhao, Bochen Jiang, Lianfeng Gu","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A) is a pivotal post-transcriptional regulator in plants, but most mechanistic studies derive from arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and annual crops. While core m<sup>6</sup>A machinery is conserved in plants, emerging studies in poplar, bamboo, and other tree species suggest that m<sup>6</sup>A modulates lignification and stress adaptation, likely reflecting perennial traits including long life cycle, secondary growth, seasonal developmental transitions. The major challenge of m<sup>6</sup>A research in trees is the shift from global m<sup>6</sup>A profiling to site-specific causal mechanism. New approaches like targets of RNA-binding proteins identified by editing, direct RNA sequencing, and dCas13-based programmable RNA epigenetic editors provide a practical resolution. In summary, this review extends m<sup>6</sup>A regulation from model plants to trees and highlights m<sup>6</sup>A's potential for improving tree traits.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978011","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}
Stephan Grunewald, Alisdair R Fernie, Mustafa Bulut
{"title":"Chloroplast sunscreen wardrobe: condensates meet protective plant metabolism.","authors":"Stephan Grunewald, Alisdair R Fernie, Mustafa Bulut","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sunlight is indispensable for photosynthesis but becomes hazardous when photon input exceeds the capacity of the photosynthetic machinery. A recent study by Shao and colleagues identifies protein condensates as a novel means of phytoprotection.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148971511","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}
Muhammad Jawad Akbar Awan, Sameer H Qari, Zujun Yin, Niaz Ahmad, Shahid Mansoor
{"title":"From feasibility to predictability: prime editing redefines precision breeding in plants.","authors":"Muhammad Jawad Akbar Awan, Sameer H Qari, Zujun Yin, Niaz Ahmad, Shahid Mansoor","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Originally developed in mammalian systems as a genome editing strategy without double-strand breaks, prime editing (PE) has been adapted for precise genome modifications. However, its deployment revealed key limitations, including reduced efficiency, strong locus dependency, low germline transmission, and somatic chimerism. Consequently, diverse PE variants have emerged, resulting in fragmented landscape of architectures with context-dependent and inconsistent performance. This review consolidates these advances and outlines emerging design principles behind plant PE systems. It evaluates optimization strategies at multiple levels, discusses their applications in monocots and eudicots, and highlights persistent bottlenecks and future directions, including AI-guided protein engineering and improved delivery strategies. These advances position PE as a rapidly evolving platform toward enabling precision breeding in plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148971422","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":"Calcium in agriculture and crop production.","authors":"Christian Zörb, Christoph-Martin Geilfus","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>) is an essential mineral for plants, functioning both as a nano- to micromolar signaling ion in gene regulation and, at millimolar levels, in nutrition-supporting structural integrity and enzyme activation. These functions depend on adequate fertilization. However, Ca<sup>2+</sup> problems stem mainly from hydraulic access and local availability within specific tissues and compartments rather than bulk supply; thus, deficiency can occur even in Ca<sup>2+</sup>-rich soils due to soil immobilization and physiological constraints. Because Ca<sup>2+</sup> is poorly phloem-mobile and moves mainly via transpiration-driven xylem flow, its distribution is uneven. By binding to cell walls, calcium also enhances plant stability and fruit firmness. Here we review deficiency symptoms, management strategies, developmental roles, soil interactions, detoxification, and recent fertilizer approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148956612","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}
Xiaojun Chang, Yao Gong, Jian Zheng, Liangsheng Zhang
{"title":"Ancient polyploidization waves as evolutionary shields for angiosperms.","authors":"Xiaojun Chang, Yao Gong, Jian Zheng, Liangsheng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chen et al. identified 132 whole-genome duplications (WGDs) clustered around environmental crises. We highlight how, over longer evolutionary timescales, ancient WGDs convergently retained MADS-box, MYB, WRKY and HSF transcription factors, building stress-adaptation networks. These insights guide climate-resilient crop improvement through comparative genomics and CRISPR engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921124","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}
Shuo Duan, Ziyi Jiao, Huilin Lyu, Min Li, Huan Chen
{"title":"Immune activation drives citrus Huanglongbing.","authors":"Shuo Duan, Ziyi Jiao, Huilin Lyu, Min Li, Huan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.08.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by the phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) and considered the most destructive citrus disease worldwide, has long been regarded as a typical bacterial infection. However, recent compelling evidence shows that CLas drives HLB through chronic effector-triggered immunity, not via direct pathogenicity, thereby redefining HLB as an immune-mediated disease (Huang et al.).</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921147","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}