{"title":"The genomic design of fruit metabolomes.","authors":"Hui Xue, Zhongjie Liu, Wenwen Liu, Guizhou Huang, Xu Wang, Mengrui Du, Chaochao Li, Xiaodong Xu, Jiacui Li, Xuanwen Yang, Hua Xiao, Yanling Peng, Yongfeng Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101484","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101484","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a major source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, fruits are critical to global nutritional security. Domestication and crop improvement have increased fruit yield and disease resistance but reduced flavor and aroma. With the rapid development of multi-omics, including genomics and metabolomics, and gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, it has become feasible to improve fruit quality through genome design. However, the sensory traits of fruits, including sweetness, sourness, aroma, and color, are complex and regulated by multiple genes, presenting challenges for the study of their genetic basis. Metabolomics, when combined with reverse genetics, reflects gene expression and protein-protein interactions underlying fruit sensory traits more intuitively than other omics approaches. Establishing correlations between metabolites and phenotypic changes and integrating metabolomics with other omics data are crucial aspects of metabolomics research on fruit quality and genomics-assisted breeding. This paper provides a comprehensive review of research on the metabolomics of fruit sensory traits, alongside future prospects for integrating genomic design with metabolomics. It aims to deepen the understanding of multi-omics technologies, promote the application and advancement of metabolomics in fruit research, and establish a robust theoretical foundation for improving fruit sensory quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":52373,"journal":{"name":"Plant Communications","volume":" ","pages":"101484"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144876749","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 GhSnRK10-GhRopGEF5-GhROP10 signaling pathway regulates cotton fiber cell growth.","authors":"Zhuolin Shi, Yiqian Li, Qi Mou, Hongyu Wu, Yue Shi, Yongyan Zhao, Wanying Zhang, Yiwen Cao, Yan Hu, Fei Li, Tianzhen Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101483","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101483","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Directional cell growth is central to cellular morphogenesis and is regulated by intra- and extracellular signaling pathways. Cotton fiber, the most important natural textile material, exemplifies a linear unidirectional cell growth that combines diffuse and polar growth patterns. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern polar growth of cotton fibers remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified a novel signaling pathway in which a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GhRopGEF5) functions as a negative regulator of fiber polar growth. GhRopGEF5 is phosphorylated at threonine 398 by the SNF1-related protein kinase GhSnRK10, which in turn activates the fiber tip-localized GhROP10 to regulate reactive oxygen species and free Ca<sup>2+</sup> levels for repressing polar growth of cotton fibers. Transcriptome analysis showed that GhRopGEF5 modulates microtubule- and cytoskeleton-related genes and affects hormone regulatory pathways, including auxin and ABA signaling, as well as small G-protein networks, ultimately regulating fiber elongation. Gene-edited transgenic cotton lines targeting GhRopGEF5 and its interaction partners, GhSnRK10 and GhROP10, consistently exhibited enhanced fiber length, revealing an evolutionarily adapted growth-restraining mechanism distinct from the typical Rho-of-plants (ROP)-mediated growth promotion in other tip-growing cells. This work reveals a GhRopGEF5-centered regulatory pathway that significantly affects the polar growth of cotton fibers, addressing a critical knowledge gap in the molecular mechanisms underlying this process. These findings provide valuable genetic resources for the development of superior cotton varieties with improved fiber quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":52373,"journal":{"name":"Plant Communications","volume":" ","pages":"101483"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144849598","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":"OsBRK1-mediated phosphorylation of OsPFN2 regulates meiotic spindle-actin assembly and rice fertility.","authors":"Hai Zheng, Zhigang Zhao, Shanshan Zhu, Yulong Ren, Jiangfeng Shen, Ziqi Xun, Xiaowen Yu, Chaolong Wang, Bowen Yao, Siqi Cheng, Yang Hu, Shihao Zhang, Qiming Wang, Jiayu Lu, Zhenwei Xie, Dekun Lei, Anqi Jian, Minrui Chen, Keyi Chen, Shijia Liu, Xi Liu, Yunlu Tian, Lin Jiang, Zhijun Cheng, Cailin Lei, Qibing Lin, Xiupin Guo, Xin Wang, Chuanyin Wu, Haiyang Wang, Shanjin Huang, Jianmin Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101417","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Formation of a meiotic spindle structure is crucial for chromosome segregation and fertility in plants. Previous studies have shown that actin decorates spindle microtubules in mammalian oocytes, forming spindle actin, which is indispensable for genome stability and gamete segregation. However, the regulatory mechanisms that underlie spindle-actin assembly remain unknown. Here, we report that dysfunction of OsPFN2, a rice profilin protein, disrupts meiotic spindle-actin assembly and spindle microtubule structure and causes errors in chromosome alignment and segregation in pollen mother cells, resulting in male sterility. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that OsPFN2 interacts with Rice Morphology Determinant (OsRMD), a rice formin protein whose depletion also affects spindle-actin assembly and the structure of meiotic spindle microtubules. Intriguingly, we identified an interaction between OsPFN2 and Bub1-Related Kinase 1 (OsBRK1) and demonstrated that OsBRK1 depletion enhances spindle-actin assembly. In addition, we found that OsBRK1 phosphorylates OsPFN2 and that the resulting phosphorylated OsPFN2 retains its capability to bind actin. However, these phospho-mimetic actin-OsPFN2 complexes are not used by OsRMD. Our findings thus reveal that the OsPFN2-OsRMD module controls the assembly of meiotic spindle actin and that OsBRK1 fine-tunes this process through phosphorylation of OsPFN2.</p>","PeriodicalId":52373,"journal":{"name":"Plant Communications","volume":" ","pages":"101417"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12365840/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144295370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plant CommunicationsPub Date : 2025-08-11Epub Date: 2025-06-18DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101420
Lu Rui, Sen-Qi Yang, Xing-Huang Zhou, Wei Wang
{"title":"The important role of chloroplasts in plant immunity.","authors":"Lu Rui, Sen-Qi Yang, Xing-Huang Zhou, Wei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101420","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101420","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In nature, plants are under attack by a range of pathogens. To cope with these pathogens, plants have evolved a sophisticated immune system, including pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) initiated by pattern recognition receptors on the cell surface and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) activated by intracellular nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat receptors. In recent years, increasing evidence has demonstrated that organelles such as the chloroplast play crucial roles in complete activation of plant immunity. In this review, we focus on the chloroplast and summarize its role in regulating the activation of immune events, including influx of calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>), accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), biosynthesis of phytohormones, and expression of defense-related genes. Because information exchange between the chloroplast and the nucleus is very important during plant immunity, we also highlight the importance of chloroplast-nucleus communication via stromules in plant immunity. This review reveals the function of the chloroplast in maintaining the trade-off between plant growth and immunity, and expands our understanding of how chloroplasts enable complete activation of plant immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":52373,"journal":{"name":"Plant Communications","volume":" ","pages":"101420"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12365846/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144327729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plant CommunicationsPub Date : 2025-08-11Epub Date: 2025-06-21DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101424
Minting Liang, Shulin Deng, Yi Zhang, Jingyuan Guo, Zhiyang Lie, Yongyi Yang, Guangyi Dai, Xuncheng Liu
{"title":"Histone deacetylase 9 modulates the acetylation dynamics of phototropin 1 to fine-tune phototropic responses in plants.","authors":"Minting Liang, Shulin Deng, Yi Zhang, Jingyuan Guo, Zhiyang Lie, Yongyi Yang, Guangyi Dai, Xuncheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101424","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phototropism is essential for optimizing plant growth and development, with the blue light receptor phototropin 1 (phot1) acting as the primary photoreceptor. Although downstream components of phot1-mediated phototropic signaling have been studied extensively, the upstream regulatory mechanisms that control phot1 activity remain to be clarified. Here, we demonstrate that lysine acetylation dynamically modifies phot1 under both dark and light conditions. Site-directed mutagenesis of acetylated lysines revealed that acetylation regulates the light-induced autophosphorylation and kinase activity of phot1. Genetic screening of histone deacetylase (HDAC) mutants identified HDA9 as a key regulator of phototropism that physically interacts with phot1, modulating its acetylation and phosphorylation levels in response to light. We pinpointed K636 as the critical acetylation site targeted by HDA9, linking deacetylation to phot1 activation. Our findings reveal a regulatory paradigm in which HDA9-mediated deacetylation fine-tunes the phosphorylation dynamics of phot1 to control phototropic responses. This acetylation-phosphorylation crosstalk appears to be evolutionarily conserved, underscoring its broad significance in light signaling. Our study provides insight into the mechanisms by which antagonistic post-translational modifications precisely regulate photoreceptor sensitivity and signal transduction in plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":52373,"journal":{"name":"Plant Communications","volume":" ","pages":"101424"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12365830/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144369531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Programmable genome engineering and gene modifications for plant biodesign.","authors":"Jialin Liu, Ruixiang Zhang, Nan Chai, Liying Su, Zhiye Zheng, Taoli Liu, Ziming Guo, Yuanhao Ma, Yongyao Xie, Xianrong Xie, Qiupeng Lin, Letian Chen, Yao-Guang Liu, Qinlong Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101427","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101427","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant science has entered a transformative era as genome editing enables precise DNA modifications to address global challenges such as climate adaptation and food security. These modifications are primarily driven by the integration of three modular components-DNA-targeting modules, effector modules, and control modules-that can be selectively activated or suppressed. The field has evolved from protein-based systems (e.g., zinc finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases) to RNA-guided systems (e.g., CRISPR-Cas) that can control both genetic and epigenetic states. Modular pairing of DNA-targeting and effector domains, with or without inducible control, enables precise transcriptional regulation and chromatin remodeling. The present review examines these three modules and highlights strategies for their optimization. It also outlines innovative tools, such as optogenetic and receptor-integrated systems, that enable spatiotemporal control over genome editor expression. These modular approaches bypass traditional limitations and allow scientists to create plants with desirable traits, decipher complex gene networks, and promote sustainable agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":52373,"journal":{"name":"Plant Communications","volume":" ","pages":"101427"},"PeriodicalIF":11.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12365832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144499117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}