Journal of Experimental Botany

Abstract Light serves as a fundamental factor in plant development, both as an energy source and as an environmental cue. With the advent of light-emitting diode (LED) technology, light can be precisely manipulated to influence key plant traits. Here, we assess effects of light intensity and spectral composition on the growth and physiology of Kale (Brassica oleracea). Kale is known for its pheno…

Protein homeostasis relies on chaperones such as HSP70 and HSP90, which assist in the folding, activation, and turnover of client proteins. Their activity is modulated by co-chaperones, many of which contain tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains. A subset of these, known as carboxylate clamp TPR (CC-TPR) domains, possess distinctive structural features that mediate interactions with the chaperon…

This Special Issue addresses how seed germination and early establishment are being reshaped by climate change, integrating advances in signaling, metabolism, seed structures, and seed technologies.It highlights recent conceptual and methodological breakthroughs that move the field from embryo-centric and stress-atgermination views toward an integrated, multi-tissue and life cycle perspective wit…

The Fusarium metabolite culmorin (CUL) frequently co-occurs with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) on cereals. While DON is recognized as a major Fusarium virulence factor on plants, the function of CUL is still unclear. Herein, we show that CUL-deficient F. graminearum mutants created by CLM1 deletion are less aggressive on wheat than the wild-type, accompanied by increased DON-3-glucoside/DON …

Mitochondria are central to plant metabolism, yet the diversity of mechanisms plants use to cope with mitochondrial stress and its implications in cellular signaling are not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed Arabidopsis noxy (nonresponding to oxylipins) mutants affected in 9-HOT (9(S)-hydroxy-10,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid) signaling, mitochondrial function and ethylene (ET) signaling …

Flowering marks a pivotal transition in a plant's life cycle, signalling the shift from vegetative growth to reproductive development. Over the years, extensive research has uncovered key genes and regulatory networks governing this process. Central to this regulation is the Florigen Activation Complex (FAC), along with its interacting partners and upstream and downstream components, which have b…

The co-evolutionary arms race between crops and their parasites requires continuous identification of new resistance mechanisms. Broomrape (Orobanche cumana), a root parasitic plant, poses a severe threat to sunflower (Helianthus annuus) production, yet the genetic architecture underlying host resistance remains poorly understood. To address this, we established a high-throughput phenotyping plat…

The functions of approximately one-third of the proteins in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana remain unknown. It is likely that some of the genes encoding these proteins are essential, and thus indispensable for the survival of the plant; furthermore, these genes would be included in the minimum viable set required for plant life. Evolutionarily conserved single copy genes in flowering plants …

Vitamin B1 is a vital cofactor in cellular metabolism, but must be obtained through the diet in humans. Polished (white) rice, a dietary staple for much of the global population, contains very low levels of vitamin B1, which contributes to widespread thiamin deficiency in regions that rely heavily on rice. To address this issue, we engineered rice to express the Saccharomyces cerevisiae thiamin t…

Present in various subcellular compartments, cysteine is the major source of reduced sulfur and thus represents a key metabolite for various biosynthetic pathways as well as for redox homeostasis as a component of glutathione. As photosynthetic organisms assimilate inorganic sulfate and reduce it into sulfide before its incorporation into cysteine, there are strong relationships between cysteine …

Although orchid pollination is often highly specialized, fully mycoheterotrophic orchids are generally thought to favor autonomous self-pollination because of carbon limitation, shaded habitats, and patchy population structure. Here, we investigated six nectarless, fully mycoheterotrophic Gastrodia species in Japan using long-term pollinator observations and hand-pollination experiments, together…

Plant cuticular waxes form a critical hydrophobic barrier covering aerial organs, serving as the first line of defense against abiotic and biotic stresses and playing a vital role in reproductive development. However, regulatory networks that orchestrate cuticular wax deposition in response to environmental cues and developmental programs, particularly in cereal crops, remain elusive. This review…

Hypoxia is integral to the plant life cycle, occurring during both development and environmental stresses like flooding. The class I phytoglobins (PGB1s) have emerged as important regulators of plant hypoxia responses in both these contexts due to their multifaceted roles in nitric oxide (NO) and ROS homeostasis, and alternative energy generation. Physiological PGB1 expression overlaps with devel…

Alternative splicing (AS) has emerged as a regulatory layer in plant adaptation to the environment. In particular, biotic stresses trigger a drastic remodeling of the plant AS landscape, with minimal overlap with changes at the gene expression level, suggesting an additional, albeit poorly understood, mechanism of regulation. Recent studies have revealed that effectors from unrelated pathogens ta…

White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) develops bottlebrush-like root structures called cluster roots (CRs) under phosphorus deficiency to mobilize sparingly soluble phosphates in soil. The development of CRs is a highly coordinated process mediated largely by the expression of thousands of genes, in which transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles. However, key TFs governing CR development and thei…

Suitable plant architecture is key to maximizing crop yield. Stem growth habit is a crucial characteristic of soybean plant architecture. Here, we investigated the combined effect of the Dt2 gene (producing semi-determinate growth habit) and a loss-of-function e1-nl allele of the floral repressor E1. Comparisons among near-isogenic lines with different maturity genotypes indicated that the loss o…

Understanding the genetic basis of root architecture and its relevance for crop productivity can contribute to the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Leveraging the phenotypic and allelic diversity of an Austrian maize landrace, we dissected the genetic basis of lateral root (LR) length across developmental stages. LR length, a relevant trait for breeding resource-efficient varieties, sh…

Increasing global population demands the development of oilseed crops such as canola-type Brassica napus L. and soybean varieties with high protein and oil content, despite the known negative correlation between them. We hypothesized that reallocating seed carbon from cellulose, a major compound of fiber, to these storage compounds via fine-tuned gene stacking could achieve this dual goal. We tes…

The tight coordination of sulfur metabolism and growth regulation is predicated upon nutrient availability. Central to this balancing act is the utilization of cysteine (Cys) for the formation of methionine (Met) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). Plants that are severely deficient in regenerating Met due to reduced methylthioadenosine (MTA) nucleosidase activity experience numerous developmental ab…

Angiosperms represent the most abundant and diverse lineage of land plants, and their evolutionary success is closely linked to major reproductive innovations, including the origin of flowers and the embryo-nourishing endosperm. Many of the genes underlying these innovations belong to the MADS-box transcription factor family. While the functions of MIKCC-type MADS-box genes in floral development …