Turning promise into practice: Crop biotechnology for increasing genetic diversity and climate resilience

Biodiversity-induced opposing shifts of tipping points in mutualistic ecological networks

While biodiversity is recognized as crucial for ecosystem stability, the mechanisms governing its dual role in collapse and restoration dynamics remain unclear. By analyzing ten empirical plant-pollinator mutualistic networks, we uncover a biodiversity paradox: increased biodiversity lowers the collapse threshold while enhancing restoration potential. This counterintuitive phenomenon is quantitatively linked to a significant negative correlation between biodiversity levels and hysteresis loop width. To understand this paradox, we develop a refined degree-weighted mean-field framework, reducing high-dimensional dynamics to a tractable two-dimensional system. By integrating potential landscape theory from nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, we uncover the physical basis of biodiversity-driven threshold shifts. Systematic modulation of mutualistic interaction degrees across stochastic networks further confirms the universal regulatory role of reduced biodiversity in collapse-restoration tipping points. Our findings provide a quantitative framework for predicting ecosystem resilience and optimizing restoration strategies across biodiversity gradients.

Past innovations and future possibilities in plant chromosome engineering

Plant chromosome engineering has emerged as a pivotal tool in modern plant breeding, facilitating the transfer of desirable traits through the incorporation of alien chromosome fragments into plants. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the past achievements, current methodologies and future prospects of plant chromosome engineering. We begin by examining the successful integration of specific examples such as the incorporation of rye chromosome segments (e.g. the 1BL/1RS translocation), Dasypyrum villosum segments (e.g. the 6VS segment for powdery mildew resistance), Thinopyrum intermedium segments (e.g. rust resistance genes) and Thinopyrum elongatum segments (e.g. Fusarium head blight resistance genes). In addition to trait transfer, advancements in plant centromere engineering have opened new possibilities for chromosomal manipulation. This includes the development of plant minichromosomes via centromere-mediated techniques, the generation of haploids through CENH3 gene editing, and the induction of aneuploidy using KaryoCreate. The advent of CRISPR/Cas technology has further revolutionized chromosome engineering, enabling large-scale chromosomal rearrangements, such as inversions and translocations, as well as enabling targeted insertion of large DNA fragments and increasing genetic recombination frequency. These advancements have significantly expanded the toolkit for genetic improvement in plants, opening new horizons for the future of plant breeding.

Applications of the wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system in plant biochemical studies

The development of cell-free protein synthesis technology has made it possible to easily and quickly synthesize recombinant proteins. Among cell-free protein synthesis systems, wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis using eukaryotic ribosomes is an efficient approach to synthesize proteins with diverse and complex structures and functions. However, to date, cell-free protein synthesis systems, including wheat germ cell-free systems, have not been widely used in plant research, and little is known about their applications. Here, I first introduce a basic overview of the cell-free protein synthesis system of wheat germ. Next, I will focus on our previous research examples on plants and present the applications in which the wheat germ cell-free system is used. We provide protein expression and protein function screening methods at the semi-genomic level and also introduce new approaches to enhance study of chemical biology by adapting the cell-free system of wheat germ. With this review, I would like to highlight the potential of the wheat germ cell-free system and position it as a widely used tool for the previously difficult task of recombinant protein preparation and functional analysis.

Occurrences of allergenicity to banana pathogenesis-related-10 (PR10) protein variants

Pathogenesis-related-10 (PR10) proteins play significant roles in plant defence against biotic and abiotic stresses. Recently, two banana PR10 proteins (MaPR10-BeB5 and MaPR10-GNA5) were characterised and shown to exhibit antifungal properties against Aspergillus fumigatus in vitro. In rice, transgenic overexpression of PR10 proteins conferred resistance to pathogen infection and drought tolerance without affecting productivity, highlighting their potential for agricultural applications. However, PR10 proteins also include the Bet v 1-like family of allergens implicated in pollen food allergy syndromes, raising concerns about potential adverse effects on human health. In this study, we evaluated the allergenic potential of the recently isolated banana PR10 proteins. We first predicted the presence of IgE epitopes of the Bet v 1 allergen family in the deduced PR10 peptide sequences in silico. We then predicted the structures of four human IgE scFv protein sequences and three plant PR10 protein sequences. Based on the quality of the predicted structures, one IgE scFv protein structure was selected for docking with the three plant PR10 proteins. We confirmed the docking results with immunoblot analysis performed using recombinant MaPR10-BeB5 and MaPR10-GNA5 proteins against the sera of banana-allergic patients. Our experimental results substantiated the notion that both protein variants are potentially allergenic since these proteins were recognised by 26.6% of banana-allergic patients with broad PR10 protein recognition. We caution that the allergenic potential of MaPR10 proteins should be carefully considered before implementing transgenic overexpression strategies to improve crops, with a suggestion to limit their expression to non-edible plant tissues.

Genetic modification strategies for enhancing plant resilience to abiotic stresses in the context of climate change

Enhancing the resilience of plants to abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, heat, and cold, is crucial for ensuring global food security challenge in the context of climate change. The adverse effects of climate change, characterized by rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, pose significant threats to agricultural systems worldwide. Genetic modification strategies offer promising approaches to develop crops with improved abiotic stress tolerance. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of various genetic modification techniques employed to enhance plant resilience. These strategies include the introduction of stress-responsive genes, transcription factors, and regulatory elements to enhance stress signaling pathways. Additionally, the manipulation of hormone signaling pathways, osmoprotectant accumulation, and antioxidant defense mechanisms is discussed. The use of genome editing tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9, for precise modification of target genes related to stress tolerance is also explored. Furthermore, the challenges and future prospects of genetic modification for abiotic stress tolerance are highlighted. Understanding and harnessing the potential of genetic modification strategies can contribute to the development of resilient crop varieties capable of withstanding adverse environmental conditions caused by climate change, thereby ensuring sustainable agricultural productivity and food security.

Engineering plants for a changing climate

Climate change is affecting the types of plant varieties we can cultivate, as well as how and where we can do so. A new collection of articles explores the twin challenges of engineering plants for resilience to climate change and enhancing their carbon-capture potential.

Mendel’s legacy in modern genetics

A new collection of articles celebrating the bicentennial of Gregor Mendel’s birth discuss his life, work and legacy in modern-day genetic research