Photosystem II (PSII) repair is a fundamental physiological process governing the resilience of photosynthetic organisms against high light (HL) stress. A recent study by Yao et al. (2025) provides significant mechanistic insights into this process within the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The authors characterize the lumenal immunophilin CYN38, a homolog of the Arabidopsis CYP38, identifying it as a critical auxiliary protein for the biogenesis and stabilization of PSII. Through the characterization of a unique insertion mutant, cyn38, which produces a C-terminally extended protein, the study elucidates that homodimerization of CYN38—mediated by its C-terminus—is a prerequi... More >

Huperzine A is an important drug for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment, which is mainly extracted from the medicinal plant Huperzia serrata (Thunb.) Trev (Huperzia serrata Trev.). In present study, a new endophytic fungus (NWUHS002) producing Huperzine A was isolated from the Huperzia serrata Trev. with a yield of 5.20 µg/g. NWUHS002 was identified as Staphylotrichum by morphology and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence. The discovery of NWUHS002 in Huperzia serrata Trev. can be used for the breeding of high-producing Huperzine A strains and the study of Huperzine A biosynthesis. More >