The ScCas9++ variant expands the CRISPR toolbox for genome editing in plants

The development of clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas) variants with a broader recognition scope is critical for further improvement of CRISPR/Cas systems. The original Cas9 protein from Streptococcus canis (ScCas9) can recognize simple NNG-protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) targets, and therefore possesses a broader range relative to current CRISPR/Cas systems, but its editing efficiency is low in plants. Evolved ScCas9⁺ and ScCas9⁺⁺ variants have been shown to possess higher editing efficiencies in human cells, but their activities in plants are currently unknown. Here, we utilized codon-optimized ScCas9, ScCas9⁺ and ScCas9⁺⁺ and a nickase variant ScCas9n⁺⁺ to systematically investigate genome cleavage activity and cytidine base editing efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.). This analysis revealed that ScCas9⁺⁺ has higher editing efficiency than ScCas9 and ScCas9⁺ in rice. Furthermore, we fused the evolved cytidine deaminase PmCDA1 with ScCas9n⁺⁺ to generate a new evoBE4max-type cytidine base editor, termed PevoCDA1-ScCas9n⁺⁺. This base editor achieved stable and efficient multiplex-site base editing at NNG-PAM sites with wider editing windows (C₋₁–C₁₇) and without target sequence context preference. Multiplex-site base editing of the rice genes OsWx (three targets) and OsEui1 (two targets) achieved simultaneous editing and produced new rice germplasm. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ScCas9⁺⁺ represents a crucial new tool for improving plant editing.     

Suppression of DRR1 results in the accumulation of insoluble ubiquitinated proteins,which impairs drought stress tolerance

Drought stress has detrimental effects on plants. Although the abscisic acid (ABA)‐mediated drought response is well established, defensive mechanisms to cope with dehydration‐induced proteotoxicity have been rarely studied. DRR1 was identified as an Arabidopsis drought‐induced gene encoding an ER‐localized RING‐type E3 Ub ligase. Suppression of DRR1 markedly reduced tolerance to drought and proteotoxic stress without altering ABA‐mediated germination and stomatal movement. Proteotoxicity‐ and dehydration‐induced insoluble ubiquitinated protein accumulation was more obvious in DRR1 loss‐of‐function plants than in wild‐type plants. These results suggest that DRR1 is involved in an ABA‐independent drought stress response possibly through the mitigation of dehydration‐induced proteotoxic stress.     

Three‐dimensional reconstruction and comparison of vacuolar membranes in response to viral infection

The vacuole is a unique plant organelle that plays an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis under various environmental stress conditions. However, the effects of biotic stress on vacuole structure has not been examined using three‐dimensional (3D) visualization. Here, we performed 3D electron tomography to compare the ultrastructural changes in the vacuole during infection with different viruses. The 3D models revealed that vacuoles are remodeled in cells infected with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or tobacco necrosis virus A Chinese isolate (TNV‐A^C), resulting in the formation of spherules at the periphery of the vacuole. These spherules contain neck‐like channels that connect their interior with the cytosol. Confocal microscopy of CMV replication proteins 1a and 2a and TNV‐A^C auxiliary replication protein p23 showed that all of these proteins localize to the tonoplast. Electron microscopy revealed that the expression of these replication proteins alone is sufficient to induce spherule formation on the tonoplast, suggesting that these proteins play prominent roles in inducing vacuolar membrane remodeling. This is the first report of the 3D structures of viral replication factories built on the tonoplasts. These findings contribute to our understanding of vacuole biogenesis under normal conditions and during assembly of plant (+) RNA virus replication complexes.     

Autophagy in plants: Physiological roles and post‐translational regulation

In eukaryotes, autophagy helps maintain cellular homeostasis by degrading and recycling cytoplasmic materials via a tightly regulated pathway.Over the past few decades, significant progress has been made towards understanding the physiological functions and molecular regulation of autophagy in plant cells. Increasing evidence indicates that autophagy is essential for plant responses to several developmental and environmental cues, functioning in diverse processes such as senescence, male fertility, root meristem maintenance, responses to nutrient starvation,and biotic and abiotic stress. Recent studies have demonstrated that, similar to nonplant systems,the modulation of core proteins in the plant autophagy machinery by posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination,lipidation, S-sulfhydration, S-nitrosylation, and acetylation is widely involved in the initiation and progression of autophagy. Here, we provide an overview of the physiological roles and posttranslational regulation of autophagy in plants.     

Plant plasma membrane‐resident receptors: Surveillance for infections and coordination for growth and development

As sessile organisms, plants are exposed to pathogen invasions and environmental fluctuations. To overcome the challenges of their surroundings, plants acquire the potential to sense endogenous and exogenous cues, resulting in their adaptability. Hence, plants have evolved a large collection of plasma membrane-resident receptors, including RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASEs(RLKs) and RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEINs(RLPs) to perceive those signals and regulate plant growth,development, and immunity. The ability of RLKs and RLPs to recognize distinct ligands relies on diverse categories of extracellular domains evolved. Co-regulatory receptors are often required to associate with RLKs and RLPs to facilitate cellular signal transduction. RECEPTOR-LIKE CYTOPLASMIC KINASEs(RLCKs) also associate with the complex, bifurcating the signal to key signaling hubs, such as MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE(MAPK) cascades, to regulate diverse biological processes. Here, we discuss recent knowledge advances in understanding the roles of RLKs and RLPs in plant growth, development, and immunity, and their connection with co-regulatory receptors, leading to activation of diverse intracellular signaling pathways.