CRISPR-Cas platforms have transformed plant functional genomics, yet nucleases such as Cas9 and Cas12a remain constrained by two seemingly distinct limitations: imperfect target discrimination and inefficient intracellular delivery. Here, this review proposes that these constraints are functionally coupled through the intracellular abundance, nuclear access, and chromatin residence time of active Cas-gRNA complexes. Off-target activity arises from guide-target mismatch tolerance during R-loop formation, whereas rigid plant cell walls constrain the delivery of RNP and DNA cargo. These processes can become coupled when delivery limitations alter the concentration or duration of active Cas-gRNA... More >

The Squamosa Promoter Binding Protein (SBP) family comprises plant-specific transcription factors widely distributed across green plant lineages and holds significant value for agricultural improvement by regulating key traits including yield, flowering, and stress tolerance. Here, we performed a genome-wide analysis of Medicago truncatula and identified 22 SBP-box genes (MtSBP). These genes are irregularly distributed across seven chromosomes, with chromosome 6 devoid of any SBP-box gene. Sequence alignment confirmed that all MtSBP proteins share conserved nuclear localization signals and two zinc finger structures essential for transcriptional regulation. Phylogenetic analysis grouped thes... More >

Plants are rich in phenolic chemicals, which have been demonstrated to have antibacterial activities. The current study aims to track changes in phenolic compound accumulation in Prosopis farcta organs (leaf, root, flower, pod, and seed) at various growth stages (vegetative, flowering, and seed maturity) and investigate the antibacterial activity of its extracts. At all growth stages, the highest total amount of phenolic compounds and flavonoids was observed in leaves, followed by roots, with the highest quantities measured at maturity. Flowers had the highest concentrations of several phenolics (caffeic acid, coumaric acid, luteolin, and diosmin). In P. farcta, there was a strong link betwe... More >

Pakistan's `50 Million Olive Tree Tsunami' targets ~10 million acres of olive expansion by grafting commercial cultivars onto wild Olea ferruginea rootstocks, but physiological/ecological impacts are unknown. This 2023--2025 field study sampled 450 trees across three Balochistan sites (wild: \( n = 150 \); Arbequina, Coratina, Picual: \( n = 100 \) each) with \( n = 1{,}240 \) leaf measurements. Wild leaves were 56--63% smaller (\( 9.8 \) vs. \( 22.4 \)--\( 26.8 \, \text{cm}^2 \); \( P < 0.001 \); \( \eta^2 = 0.926 \)), but had 83--118% higher stomatal density (\( 285 \) vs. \( 131 \)--\( 156 \, \text{mm}^{-2} \); \( \eta^2 = 0.934 \)) and 36--40% smaller stomata. This strategy reduced trans... More >

Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) act as transcriptional regulators that mediate the defense responses against heat stress. Castanea dentata plays a major role in sustaining forest and landscape ecosystems and also exhibits medicinal properties. In this study, we identified 23 CadenHSFs genes from the genome of C. dentata. In silico approaches were employed to analyze gene structure, conserved domains, chromosomal locations, motif organization, comparative evolutionary analyses, synteny analyses, subcellular localization, and cis-regulatory element analysis. Cis-regulatory element analysis revealed that the promoters of CadenHSFs genes are associated with stress responses, light signal... More >

Drought stress is one of the most devastating abiotic stresses threatening global food security. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 5 (MKK5) are independently recognized as central regulators of plant stress adaptation; however, the molecular intersection of their signaling axes remains poorly characterized. This review proposes and examines a coherent molecular framework wherein melatonin, perceived via the phytomelatonin receptor PMTR1/CAND2, may converge on MKK5-containing MPK3/6 signaling modules as part of a broader MKK4/5/7/9 MAPK response network to orchestrate an integrated drought stress response. Key convergence points include the A... More >

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is a vital enzyme in plant carbon metabolism, catalyzing the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to oxaloacetate (OAA), a key intermediate in numerous biosynthetic pathways. PEPC family members are usually classified into PTPC and BTPC subfamilies, and PTPC subfamily is characterized by a conserved N-terminal serine phosphorylation site, while BTPC lacks this site. In this study, we identified 10 Salix matsudana PEPC genes (SmPEPCs), which were classified into two subfamilies, PTPC and BTPC, based on phylogenetic tree. Our findings highlighted significant gene duplication events that contributed to the expansion of the SmPEPC gene family, shedding l... More >

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) serve as biochemical factories producing valuable secondary metabolites, yet their potential is limited by low yields, tissue-specific accumulation, and co-production of toxic compounds. Traditional improvement methods have achieved only incremental gains, highlighting the need for precision metabolic engineering. CRISPR/Cas genome editing has revolutionized this field by enabling targeted modifications from gene knockouts to single-nucleotide changes. This review examines core strategies in applying genome editing to engineer MAP metabolic pathways, including gene disruption, transcriptional modulation, and multiplex editing to redirect flux, eliminate c... More >