Citrus have been cultivated more than 4,000 years and have become globally valued as fresh fruit and for making juice. Citrus fruits contain many types of antioxidants, including a diverse array of carotenoids, which contribute to their colors. The cover shows cross-sections of citrus fruits arranged in a spiral pattern and displaying a stunning array of colors, from white and pale yellow to grapefruit pink, blood red, golden yellow, and vibrant orange. These slices, varying in size and hue highlight the richness and diversity of citrus fruits and emphasizing the vibrant palette of citrus carotenoids. Sun et al. (pages 294-310) identified CitZAT4 as a key regulator of carotenoid accumulation, providing valuable strategies for breeding citrus varieties with enhanced quality and nutritional value, thereby boosting the economic benefits of the citrus industry.

Brief Communications

DNA-free base editing in lettuce viain vitrotranscribed base editors

Eunbin Lee, Yunsun Kim, Minju Kim, Donghui Lee, Beum‐Chang Kang

A newly developed RNA-based adenine and cytosine base editing system achieves targeted and efficient A-to-G and C-to-T conversions in lettuce. This DNA-free base editing method has potential uses in crop breeding and biotechnology.

Conferring non-strain-specific resistance to a potyvirus via overexpression of mutant potyviral coat proteins in soybean

Sun‐Jung Kwon, Myung‐Hwi Kim, Hye Jeong Kim, Phu‐Tri Tran, Young‐Soo Chung, Kook‐Hyung Kim, Jang‐Kyun Seo

Transgenic soybean (Glycine max) plants expressing mutant potyviral coat proteins that disrupt virion assembly exhibited non-strain-specific resistance against soybean mosaic virus.

Apple MIEL1/ABI5-MAX2 regulatory module links strigolactone and abscisic acid signals

Xiao‐Wei Zhang, Rui‐Rui Xu, Chun‐Xiang You, Xiao‐Fei Wang, Yuepeng Han, Yanru Hu, Jian‐Ping An

In apple (Malus domestica), the abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive factor ABA INSENSITIVE5 directly activates MORE AXILLARY GROWTH2 (MdMAX2), an important strigolactone signaling component; an abscisic acid-restricted E3 ubiquitin ligase modulates MdMAX2 turnover, thus linking strigolactone and abscisic acid signaling

Abiotic Stress Responses

TaGPAT6 enhances salt tolerance in wheat by synthesizing cutin and suberin monomers to form a diffusion barrier

Wenlong Wang, Menghan Chi, Shupeng Liu, Ying Zhang, Jiawang Song, Guangmin Xia, Shuwei Liu

During salt stress, increased Na+ and abscisic acid activate the transcription factor ABI5 to promote the expression of TaGPAT6, encoding a glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase involved in the synthesis of cutin and suberin polyesters, which functions as an apoplastic barrier to restrict the influx of Na+ into cells.

Tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses is mediated by interacting CNGC proteins that regulate Ca2+ influx and stomatal movement in rice

Lilin Luo, Yongmei Cui, Nana Ouyang, Shuying Huang, Xiaoli Gong, Lihui Wei, Baohong Zou, Jian Hua, Shan Lu

The closely related cyclic nucleotide-gated channel genes OsCNGC14, 15, and 16 positively regulate tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses including heat, chilling and drought in rice. They also promote stomatal closure and calcium ion influx in response to multiple stresses that are tightly associated with their function in stress tolerance.

The MYB61–STRONG2 module regulates culm diameter and lodging resistance in rice

Yong Zhao, Xianpeng Wang, Jie Gao, Muhammad Abdul Rehman Rashid, Hui Wu, Qianfeng Hu, Xingming Sun, Jinjie Li, Hongliang Zhang, Peng Xu, Qian Qian, Chao Chen, Zichao Li, Zhanying Zhang

The transcription factor MYB61 positively regulates the expression of the mannan synthase gene STRONG2, thus affecting cell wall composition, promoting secondary cell wall formation, and enhancing lodging resistance. In addition, STRONG214931253T could be a valuable haplotype for genetic improvement of lodging tolerance in rice.

Cell and Developmental Biology

Dual regulation of stomatal development by brassinosteroid in Arabidopsis hypocotyls

Tae‐Ki Park, Se‐Hwa Lee, So‐Hee Kim, Yeong‐Woo Ko, Eunkyoo Oh, Yun Ju Kim, Tae‐Wuk Kim

Low to moderate brassinosteroid concentrations promote stomatal formation in Arabidopsis hypocotyls via upregulation of SPEECHLESS independently of BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE2 (BIN2) and high brassinosteroid concentrations or direct BIN2 inhibition suppress stomatal development. BIN2 promotes stomatal formation by inactivating BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1, revealing distinct regulatory pathways between hypocotyls and cotyledons.

Molecular Ecology and Evolution

Haplotype-resolved genome of a papeda provides insights into the geographical origin and evolution ofCitrus

Fusheng Wang, Shaohua Wang, Yilei Wu, Dong Jiang, Qian Yi, Manman Zhang, Hong Yu, Xiaoyu Yuan, Mingzhu Li, Guijie Li, Yujiao Cheng, Jipeng Feng, Xiaoli Wang, Chunzhen Cheng, Shiping Zhu, Renyi Liu

A haplotype-resolved genome of a primitive papeda (Citrussp.) was assembled. Population and phylogenetic analyses of 378 Citrus species suggest that the origin center of Citrus is the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains, and the evolution of Citrus followed two radiations through two routes—to East China and Southeast Asia—along river systems.

Molecular Physiology

A novel C2H2-type zinc-finger transcription factor, CitZAT4, regulates ethylene-induced orange coloration in Satsuma mandarin flavedo (Citrus unshiuMarc.)

Quan Sun, Zhengchen He, Junli Ye, Ranran Wei, Di Feng, Yingzi Zhang, Lijun Chai, Yunjiang Cheng, Qiang Xu, Xiuxin Deng

The ethylene-induced C2H2-type zinc-finger transcription factor CitZAT4 activates phytoene synthase expression to provide sufficient substrates for downstream carotenoid biosynthesis, CitZAT4 inhibits α-branch carotenoid biosynthesis, promotes β-branch carotenoid accumulation, and regulates carotenoid metabolic flow into the β-branch, thus increasing the content of orange-colored carotenoids in ethylene-treated Satsuma mandarin flavedo.

Vacuolar phosphate efflux transporter ZmVPEs mediate phosphate homeostasis and remobilization in maize leaves

Zhenhui Guo, Chaonan Zhang, Hongyu Zhao, Yu Liu, Xiyao Chen, Hanshu Zhao, Limei Chen, Wenyuan Ruan, Yifang Chen, Lixing Yuan, Keke Yi, Lei Xu, Jingbo Zhang

In maize, phosphorus remobilization from older to younger leaves is mediated by vacuolar phosphate efflux transporters, which are potential targets for developing crops with higher phosphate usage efficiency.

CBL1/CIPK23 phosphorylates tonoplast sugar transporter TST2 to enhance sugar accumulation in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)

Mengdi Li, Zuolin Mao, Zeqi Zhao, Siyang Gao, Yanrou Luo, Ziyan Liu, Xiawei Sheng, Xiawan Zhai, Ji‐Hong Liu and Chunlong Li

The tonoplast-localized sugar transporter CsTST2 has sucrose and hexose transporter activity and contributes to sugar accumulation in the vacuole. Furthermore, the calcium sensor complex CsCBL1/CIPK23 interacts with and phosphorylates CsTST2 to regulate its transporter activity, which in turn controls the sugar content in citrus fruit.

Identification of new salicylic acid signaling regulators for root development and microbiota composition in plants

Xianqing Jia, Zhuang Xu, Lei Xu, Juan P. Frene, Mathieu Gonin, Long Wang, Jiahong Yu, Gabriel Castrillo, Keke Yi

Salicylic acid attenuates root growth via a NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED1- and WRKY45-independent pathway, which mediates salicylic acid signaling in regulating a subset of root growth responses and the root-associated microbiome.

TaDL interacts with TaB3 and TaNF‐YB1 to synergistically regulate the starch synthesis and grain quality in bread wheat

Guoyu Liu, Runqi Zhang, Ziyan Wu, Jiazheng Yu, Hongyao Lou, Jun Zhu, Jie Liu, Jinying Gou, Zhongfu Ni, Qixin Sun, Rongqi Liang

In wheat, TaDL physically interacts with TaB3 and TaNF-YB1 to synergistically improve grain quality by promoting starch synthesis through direct binding to the promoter region of genes involving starch biosynthesis.

Photosynthesis and Crop Physiology

Light signaling-dependent regulation of plastid RNA processing inArabidopsis

Lili Hu, Qian Wu, Chunyu Wu, Chunmei Zhang, Ziying Wu, Meihui Shi, Man Zhang, Sujuan Duan, Hong‐Bin Wang, Hong‐Lei Jin

Light signals are perceived by photoreceptors and transduced to downstream effectors that regulate the expression of genes encoding key factors involved in plastid RNA processing, including RNA editing and splicing, to promote chloroplast biogenesis.

Plant Biotic Interactions

RBB1 negatively regulates rice disease resistance by modulating protein glycosylation

Bin Zhang, Mingliang Guo, Xiangpei Liu, Bintao Zhang, Yan Cui, Xinglan Cao, Zhipeng Zhang, Chuanlin Shi, Hua Wei, Huiying He, Hong Zhang, Yiwang Zhu, Xianmeng Wang, Yang Lv, Xiaoman Yu, Dandan Chen, Qiaoling Yuan, Sheng Teng, Tongjun Sun, Qian Qian, Lianguang Shang

RESISTANCE TO BLAST AND BACTERIAL BLIGHT 1 (RBB1) negatively regulates rice disease resistance by affecting protein glycosylation. The rbb1 mutant exhibits enhanced rice blast and bacterial blight resistance, up-regulated defense gene expression and reduced N-glycosylation of the peroxidase Prx4/13.

The AMS/DYT1–MYB module interacts with the MED25–MYC–MYB complexes to inhibit jasmonate-regulated floral defense inArabidopsis

Junqiao Song, Shihai Pang, Bingjie Xue, Deqing Rong, Tiancong Qi, Huang Huang, Susheng Song

Signaling cascades involving receptors, Mediator complex components, JASMONATE-ZIM DOMAIN repressors, and transcription factors regulate floral defenses against insects. The AMS/DYT1-MYB module interacts with the MED25-MYC-MYB complexes to inhibit jasmonate-regulated floral defense in Arabidopsis.