In recent years, much progress has been made in elucidating the functional roles of plant glycine-rich RNA-binding proteins (GR-RBPs) during development and stress responses. Canonical GR-RBPs contain an RNA recognition motif (RRM) or a cold-shock domain (CSD) at the N-terminus and a glycine-rich domain at the C-terminus, which have been associated with several different RNA processes, such as alternative splicing, mRNA export and RNA editing. However, many aspects of GR-RBP function, the targeting of their RNAs, interacting proteins and the consequences of the RNA target process are not well understood. Here, we discuss recent findings in the field, newly defined roles for GR-RBPs and the actions of GR-RBPs on target RNA metabolism.

With the advent of advanced sequencing technologies, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are increasingly pivotal and play highly regulated roles in the modulation of diverse aspects of plant growth and stress response. This includes a spectrum of ncRNA classes, ranging from small RNAs to long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Notably, among these, lncRNAs emerge as significant and intricate components within the broader ncRNA regulatory networks. Here, we categorize ncRNAs based on their length and structure into small RNAs, medium-sized ncRNAs, lncRNAs, and circle RNAs. Furthermore, the review delves into the detailed biosynthesis and origin of these ncRNAs. Subsequently, we emphasize the diverse regulatory mechanisms employed by lncRNAs that are located at various gene regions of coding genes, embodying promoters, 5’UTRs, introns, exons, and 3’UTR regions. Furthermore, we elucidate these regulatory modes through one or two concrete examples. Besides, lncRNAs have emerged as novel central components that participate in phase separation processes. Moreover, we illustrate the coordinated regulatory mechanisms among lncRNAs, miRNAs, and siRNAs with a particular emphasis on the central role of lncRNAs in serving as sponges, precursors, spliceosome, stabilization, scaffolds, or interaction factors to bridge interactions with other ncRNAs. The review also sheds light on the intriguing possibility that some ncRNAs may encode functional micropeptides. Therefore, the review underscores the emergent roles of ncRNAs as potent regulatory factors that significantly enrich the regulatory network governing plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stimuli. There are yet-to-be-discovered roles of ncRNAs waiting for us to explore.

In this study, integrative metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on apple fruit quality during long-term cold storage. The results showed that 1-MCP (1 μL·L ^-1) treatment could maintain fruits’ apparent quality (i.e., external color and firmness), inhibit the increase of rot rate and soluble solids content/titratable acidity ratio, decrease ethylene release and respiratory intensity during cold storage, and extend shelf life. Moreover, 1-MCP had long-term effects on the accumulation of many qualities related to metabolites and genes expression in fruits. 1-MCP affected genes related to metabolism at the early stage of storage, specifically those of the glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways. Genes related to the degradation of sucrose, starch, and cellulose were inhibited, and some starch and cellulose synthesis genes were up-regulated by 1-MCP. Apart from ethylene synthesis and signal transduction being inhibited by 1-MCP, there were several enzymes (pectinesterase, pectate lyase, polygalacturonase) involved in pectin degradation, and degradation products of the cell wall (i.e., D-galacturonic acid and D-glucuronic acid) were also strongly inhibited, further maintaining fruit firmness. Cysteine, as precursor glutathione (GSH) related to plant resistance, the synthase gene was up-regulated. However, the expression of genes related to cyanoalanine synthase and amino acid utilization pathways were suppressed by 1-MCP. Collectively, 1-MCP could maintain the postharvest quality of apple fruits.

Glycine-rich RNA binding proteins (GR-RBPs), a branch of RNA binding proteins (RBPs), play integral roles in regulating various aspects of RNA metabolism regulation, such as RNA processing, transport, localization, translation, and stability, and ultimately regulate gene expression and cell fate. However, our current understanding of GR-RBPs has predominantly been centered on Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant for investigating plant growth and development. Nonetheless, an increasing body of literature has emerged in recent years, shedding light on the presence and functions of GRPs in diverse crop species. In this review, we not only delineate the distinctive structural domains of plant GR-RBPs but also elucidate several contemporary mechanisms of GR-RBPs in the post-transcriptional regulation of RNA. These mechanisms encompass intricate processes, including RNA alternative splicing, polyadenylation, miRNA biogenesis, phase separation, and RNA translation. Furthermore, we offer an exhaustive synthesis of the diverse roles that GR-RBPs fulfill within crop plants. Our overarching objective is to provide researchers and practitioners in the field of agricultural genetics with valuable insights that may inform and guide the application of plant genetic engineering for enhanced crop development and sustainable agriculture.

The tomato fruit of green-flesh (gf) mutant ripen to a muddy brown color and has been demonstrated previously to be a loss-of-function mutant. Here, we provide more evidence to support this view that SlSGR1 involved in color change in ripening tomato fruits. Knocking out SlSGR1 expression using a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 genome editing strategy showed obviously a muddy brown color with significantly higher chlorophyll and carotenoid content compared with WT fruits. To further verify the role of SlSGR1 in fruit color change, we performed RNA-seq analysis, where a total of 354 differentially expressed genes (124/230 down-/upregulated) were identified between WT and slsgr1. Additionally, the expression of numerous genes associated with photosynthesis and chloroplast function changed significantly when SlSGR1 was knocked out. Taken together, these results indicate that SlSGR1 is involved color change in ripening fruit via chlorophyll degradation and carotenoid biosynthesis.