Horticulture Research is a new Open Access, fully peer-reviewed journal which will publish the best and most interesting research focusing on all major horticultural crops from around the world.

Glutaredoxins (GRXs) modulate redox-dependent signaling pathways and have emerged as key mediators in plant responses to environmental stimuli. Here we report that RNAi-mediated suppression of Oryza sativa GRXS17 (OsGRXS17) improved drought tolerance in rice. Gene expression studies showed that OsGRXS17 was present throughout the plant and that transcript abundance increased in response to drought stress and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Localization studies, utilizing GFP-OsGRXS17 fusion proteins, indicated that OsGRXS17 resides in both the cytoplasm and the nuclear envelope. Under drought stress conditions, rice plants with reduced OsGRXS17 expression showed lower rates of water loss and stomatal conductance, higher relative water content, and enhanced survival compared to wild-type controls. Further characterization of the OsGRXS17 down-regulated plants revealed an elevation in H₂O₂ production within the guard cells, increased sensitivity to ABA, and a reduction in stomatal apertures. The findings demonstrate a critical link between OsGRXS17, the modulation of guard cell H₂O₂ concentrations, and stomatal closure, expanding our understanding of the mechanisms governing plant responses to drought.

Fungi and oomycetes deliver effectors into living plant cells to suppress defenses and control plant processes needed for infection. Little is known about the mechanism by which these pathogens translocate effector proteins across the plasma membrane into the plant cytoplasm. The blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae secretes cytoplasmic effectors into a specialized biotrophic interfacial complex (BIC) before translocation. Here, we show that cytoplasmic effectors within BICs are packaged into punctate membranous effector compartments that are occasionally observed in the host cytoplasm. Live cell imaging with fluorescently labeled proteins in rice (Oryza sativa) showed that these effector puncta colocalize with the plant plasma membrane and with CLATHRIN LIGHT CHAIN 1, a component of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). Inhibiting CME using virus-induced gene silencing and chemical treatments resulted in cytoplasmic effectors in swollen BICs lacking effector puncta. By contrast, fluorescent marker colocalization, gene silencing, and chemical inhibitor studies failed to support a major role for clathrin-independent endocytosis in effector translocation. Effector localization patterns indicated that cytoplasmic effector translocation occurs underneath appressoria before invasive hyphal growth. Taken together, this study provides evidence that cytoplasmic effector translocation is mediated by CME in BICs and suggests a role for M. oryzae effectors in coopting plant endocytosis.

Summary: Vegetables represent an attractive means of providing increased calcium nutrition to the public. In this study, it was demonstrated that lettuce expressing the deregulatedArabidopsisH⁺/Ca²⁺transporter sCAX1 (cation exchanger 1) contained 25%–32% more calcium than controls. These biofortified lettuce lines were fertile and demonstrated robust growth in glasshouse growth conditions. Using a panel of highly trained descriptive panellists, biofortified lettuce plants were evaluated and no significant differences were detected in flavour, bitterness or crispness when compared with controls. Sensory analysis studies are critical if claims are to be made regarding the efficacy of biofortified foods, and may be an important component in the public acceptance of genetically modified foods.