We present here a revision of the APG classification that considers the extensive recent analyses of hundreds of nuclear and plastid genes for many angiosperm species. Although previous versions of t...

The apoplast is a primary location for interactions between plants and invasive pathogens and is the site where many pathogen-secreted effectors are perceived by cell surface immune receptors to activ...

Nonexhaustive overview of empirically validated nondefense functions caused by or correlated with variation in four well-studied classes of plant specialized metabolites (PSMs) – glucosinolates (gree...

Using untargeted metabolomics and herbivore bioassays, the authors demonstrate that plants exhibit species-specific metabolic defense against multiple herbivore species. This process depends on both p...

Pathogens target and degrade the extracellular matrix surrounding plant cells. A central question is how cell wall-derived damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are recognized and integrated to...

How morphological complexity evolves is still enigmatic. While there is evidence in algae and plants as well as animals that diversification of the repertoire of transcription factors (TF) is causativ...

Here the authors describe cell-type-specific responses of Arabidopsis seedlings to nine phytohormones. They characterize transcriptional crosstalk among them, and identify a guard-cell MYB60 module li...

Insect herbivores have driven plants to evolve complex chemical defenses, including mimics of the arthropod molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Many distantly related plants produce 20E, suggest...

The new laws break away from 20-year-old restrictive GMO directives to give an official nod to plants made with new genomic techniques.

As a labor-augmenting technology, large language models (LLMs) have the potential to accelerate scientific activity across the research pipeline. But even if LLMs perform on par with human experts at ...

The European oil beetle's parasitic larvae emit a floral scent that attracts wild bees. This allows the larvae to sneak into the bees' nests

Nicotine is among the most consequential of plant alkaloids, yet how tobacco joins its two nitrogen-containing rings has gone unsolved for over a century. Two new studies complete the pathway, reveali...

The larvae of the European oil beetle mimic floral scents to attract wild bees and thus infiltrate their nests. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have identified monoterpeno...

Background Plant roots are hotspots for interactions with soil microbes, where a characteristic bacterial community structure is formed. Plant specialized metabolites often play pivotal roles in this assembly process. However, the molecular basis underlying root microbiota responses to these bioactive compounds, and how such metabolic interactions shape the assembly of host-specific root microbiota, remain largely unknown. Nicotine is a toxic alkaloid predominantly produced by the genus Nicotiana, and the genus Arthrobacter is known as one of the nicotine-degrading bacteria in the tobacco root microbiota. In this study, we used the tobacco–Arthrobacter interaction system as a model and integrated comparative genomics and experimental genetic manipulation assays to uncover the role of bacterial catabolism capacity for host specialized metabolites in shaping host-specific root microbiota. Results Nicotine catabolism genes are uniquely found in the Arthrobacter strains derived from nicotine-containing environments, and this restricted gene distribution is driven by a plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer. To assess the ecological consequences of this genomic adaptation in Arthrobacter fitness in tobacco roots, we characterized the nicotine utilization ability of Arthrobacter and conducted adaptation assays under in planta conditions using genetically manipulated Arthrobacter strains and tobacco mutants impaired in nicotine catabolism and biosynthesis, respectively. Nicotine improves Arthrobacter colonization of tobacco roots through a catabolism-dependent mechanism. Bacterial community analysis using a synthetic community approach further demonstrated that this metabolic adaptation enhances Arthrobacter fitness within tobacco root microbiota. Conclusions Our findings illustrated that bacterial catabolic capacity toward host-derived plant specialized metabolites is key for successful root colonization. This metabolic adaptation is driven by plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer and ultimately shapes the structure of the root microbiota community. Video Abstract

Monoterpenes (C10) are a large group of specialized metabolites important for plant interactions with the environment. Their biosynthesis is well understood in seed plants, where geranyl diphosphate s...

Homoharringtonine (HHT) is a plant-derived anticancer drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Here, the authors elucidate a root-tip-specific biosynthetic pathway to its alkaloid core, i...

This little memoir is not a review; the reader is directed to current authoritativeAgrobacterium reviews with genetic (23) or cell biology emphasis (24). L

The evolutionary emergence of complex multicellularity in bacteria and fungi, such as the ability for mycelial growth, is strongly associated with increased genomic carriage of biosynthetic machinery ...

The plant kingdom is rich with medicinal natural products that are complex and difficult to access. Discovering how plants build these molecules can be challenging, especially for biosynthetic pathway...

Enzyme assemblies can enhance metabolic efficiency, yet the ways in which transient interactions fine tune catalytic outcomes remain poorly understood. This study demonstrates that a flexible partner ...

Monoterpene indole alkaloids encompass a diverse class of plant natural products. Many of these valuable compounds, including the anticancer medici...

Scientists have long worried about the reliability of commercial antibodies, and the latest findings have sparked fresh concerns.

Researchers managed to collect just three seeds of the woollyhead herb in one season - two of which germinated.