Although boron (B) is an element that has long been assumed to be an essential plant micronutrient, this assumption has been recently questioned. Cumulative evidence has demonstrated that the players associated with B uptake and translocation by plant roots include a sophisticated set of proteins used to cope with B levels in the soil solution. Here, we summarize compelling evidence supporting the essential role of B in mediating plant developmental programs. Overall, most plant species studied to date have exhibited specific B transporters with tight genetic coordination in response to B levels in the soil. These transporters can uptake B from the soil, which is a highly uncommon occurrence for toxic elements. Moreover, the current tools available to determine B levels cannot precisely determine B translocation dynamics. We posit that B plays a key role in plant metabolic activities. Its importance in the regulation of development of the root and shoot meristem is associated with plant developmental phase transitions, which are crucial processes in the completion of their life cycle. We provide further evidence that plants need to acquire sufficient amounts of B while protecting themselves from its toxic effects. Thus, the development of in vitro and in vivo approaches is required to accurately determine B levels, and subsequently, to define unambiguously the function of B in terrestrial plants.Pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs) are a class of proteins that accumulate in response to biotic and abiotic stresses to protect plants from damage. In this study, a gene encoding a PR-like protein (PnPR-like) was isolated from Panax notoginseng, which is used in traditional Chinese herbal medicines. An analysis of gene expression in P. notoginseng indicated that PnPR-like was responsive to an infection by the root rot pathogen Fusarium solani. The expression of this gene was induced by several signaling molecules, including methyl jasmonate, ethephon, hydrogen peroxide, and salicylic acid. The PnPR-like-GFP fusion gene was transiently expressed in onion (Allium cepa) epidermal cells, which revealed that PnPR-like is a cytoplasmic protein. The purified recombinant PnPR-like protein expressed in Escherichia coli had antifungal effects on F. solani and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides as well as inhibited the spore germination of F. solani. Additionally, the in vitro ribonuclease (RNase) activity of the recombinant PnPR-like protein was revealed. The PnPR-like gene was inserted into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) to verify its function. The gene was stably expressed in T2 transgenic tobacco plants, which exhibited more RNase activity and greater disease resistance than the wild-type tobacco. Moreover, the transient expression of hairpin RNA targeting PnPR-like in P. notoginseng leaves increased the susceptibility to F. solani and decreased the PnPR-like expression level. In conclusion, the cytoplasmic protein PnPR-like, which has RNase activity, is involved in the P. notoginseng defense response to F.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ak-7.html  solani.Phenolamides represent one of the largest classes of plant-specialized secondary metabolites and function in diverse physiological processes, including defense responses and development. The biosynthesis of phenolamides requires the BAHD-family acyltransferases, which transfer acyl-groups from different acyl-donors specifically to amines, the acyl-group acceptors. However, the mechanisms of substrate specificity and multisite-acylation of the BAHD-family acyltransferases remain poorly understood. In this study, we provide a structural and biochemical analysis of AtSHT and AtSDT, two representative BAHD-family members that catalyze the multisite acylation of spermidine but show different product profiles. By determining the structures of AtSHT and AtSDT and using structure-based mutagenesis, we identified the residues important for substrate recognition in AtSHT and AtSDT and hypothesized that the acyl acceptor spermidine might adopt a free-rotating conformation in AtSHT, which can undergo mono-, di-, or tri-acylation; while the spermidine molecule in AtSDT might adopt a linear conformation, which only allows mono- or di-acylation to take place. In addition, through sequence similarity network (SSN) and structural modeling analysis, we successfully predicted and verified the functions of two uncharacterized Arabidopsis BAHD acyltransferases, OAO95042.1 and NP_190301.2, which use putrescine as the main acyl-acceptor. Our work provides not only an excellent starting point for understanding multisite acylation in BAHD-family enzymes, but also a feasible methodology for predicting possible acyl acceptor specificity of uncharacterized BAHD-family acyltransferases.Over the last decade, LED lighting has gained considerable interest as an energy-efficient supplemental light source in greenhouse horticulture that can change rapidly in intensity and spectral composition. Spectral composition not only affects crop physiology but may also affect the biology of pathogens, pests, and their natural enemies, both directly and indirectly through an impact on induced plant resistance. In this study, we investigated the effects of light spectrum against a background of sunlight on growth and development of Solanum melongena. These effects were related to the spectral effects on the establishment of populations of the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii and plant resilience against the biotrophic fungus powdery mildew, the necrotrophic fungus botrytis, and the herbivorous arthropod Western flower thrips. The effects of a reduced red/far-red (RFR) ratio were studied under two ratios of red to blue light. Far-red light either was supplied additionally to the photosynthetic photon flux differences might be due to the plant defenses acting against these pathogens evolving from two different regulatory pathways. These results show that positive effects of altered spectral compositions on physiological responses were only moderately compensated by increased susceptibility to fungal pathogens, which offers perspective for a sustainable greenhouse horticulture.The economic viability and energy use of vertical farms strongly depend on the efficiency of the use of light. Increasing far-red radiation (FR, 700-800 nm) relative to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) may induce shade avoidance responses including stem elongation and leaf expansion, which would benefit light interception, and FR might even be photosynthetically active when used in combination with PAR. The aims of this study are to investigate the interaction between FR and planting density and to quantify the underlying components of the FR effects on growth. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. Expertise RZ) was grown in a climate chamber under two FR treatments (0 or 52 μmol m-2 s-1) and three planting densities (23, 37, and 51 plants m-2). PAR of 89% red and 11% blue was kept at 218 μmol m-2 s-1. Adding FR increased plant dry weight after 4 weeks by 46-77% (largest effect at lowest planting density) and leaf area by 58-75% (largest effect at middle planting density). Radiation use efficiency (RUE plant dry weight per unit of incident radiation, 400-800 nm) increased by 17-42% and incident light use efficiency (LUEinc plant dry weight per unit of incident PAR, 400-700 nm) increased by 46-77% by adding FR; the largest FR effects were observed at the lowest planting density.