Journal of Experimental Botany
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Founded in 1950, the Journal of Experimental Botany (JXB) is a top-ranking journal owned by the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) and dedicated to publishing advances in plant science. https://academic.oup.com/jxb [email protected]
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📣 NEW SPECIAL ISSUE 📣

🔬Plant Proteases - Guardians of Proteome Integrity & Function
🌱 Exploring the fascinating diversity, function & regulation of proteases in plants

📘 Edited by Pitter Huesgen, Annick Stintzi & Andreas Schaller

🔗 academic.oup.com/jxb... #JXBspecialissues #PlantScience 🧪
Vol 76 Issue 15 2025
Journal of
Experimental Botany
Plant Proteases: Guardians of Proteome Integrity and Function
Cover illustration: Proteases play key roles in guarding proteome integrity and regulating protein function. The reviews and research articles in this special issue put a timely spotlight on the fascinating diversity, function and regulation of proteases in plants. Selected topics rise as bubbles above University of Hohenheim, where they were first presented at the 6th International Conference on Plant Proteases (photo courtesy of Universität Hohenheim/Maximilian Pircher; logo by Renier van der Hoorn). See Jeran et al., pp. 4294–4312; Peiyi Wang et al., pp. 4359–4373; Mantz et al., pp. 4279–4293; Calvanese et al., pp. 4326–4339; Fei Wang et al., pp. 4220–4231.
Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany
ucdflowerpower.bsky.social
Check out the new flowering newsletter and why California poppy flowers are @plantevodevo-ab.bsky.social's 'favourite flowering image'.
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌾🌼 Flowering Newsletter 2025 🌼🌾

"Flowers come in all shapes and sizes, from inconspicuous wind-pollinated grass flowers to the large flowers of California poppy with its bright petals" - @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social

🔗 bit.ly/JXBFNL?utm_so...

A 🧵 incoming...

#FNL25 #PlantScience 🧪
1/9
Flowers of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Two fused sepals form a hat-like structure that has already dehisced, while four free bright orange petals adorn the blossom. Inside the flower, though not visible from this perspective, are numerous stamens arranged in several whorls and a gynoecium composed of two carpels. The gynoecium is surrounded by a floral cup forming a wide rim, which can be seen on the lower left, once all other organs have fallen off. (Image credit: Annette Becker.)
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🌸 Want to subscribe to the Flowering Newsletter? 🌸

If you’d like to receive an email notification when the latest FNL is compiled, please email us at j.exp.bot@lancaster.... with your name, email address, and the subject line ‘Flowering Newsletter’ ✉️

#FNL25 #PlantScience 🧪
9/9
Home - Lancaster University
Lancaster University is among the best in the UK. A Top 15 university in the UK league tables, we are also highly ranked in international league tables such as the QS World Rankings.
lancaster.ac.uk
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Last but not least...
🌾 Overcoming physiological trade-offs between flowering time and crop yield: strategies for a changing climate
@ucc.ie
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

A huge thanks to all contributing authors and to FNL editor Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social
#FNL25 #PlantScience 🧪
8/9
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌾 Investigating how reproductive traits in rice respond to abiotic stress
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

🌼 Dancing molecules: group A bZIPs and PEBPs at the heart of plant development and stress responses
@mpipz.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#FNL25 #PlantScience 🧪
7/9
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌾 Plant sex-determining genes & the genetics of the evolution towards dioecy
@cnrsbiologie.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

🌼 A brief look into protein–protein interactions orchestrating flower & fruit development
@defolter-lab.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪
6/9
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌾 Seasons and shape: inflorescences from autumn to summer
@pablidopsis.bsky.social @txmlock.bsky.social @coolcabbage.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

🌼 Multiple gatekeeping steps in pollination lock species specificity
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#FNL25 #PlantScience 🧪
5/9
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌾 Unraveling Novel Mechanisms Controlling Heterosis in seeds: Advances and Biotechnological Applications in crops
🔗doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

🌼 How to lose a whorl: the evolutionary and developmental biology of apetaly
@ubcbotany.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#FNL25 #PlantScience 🧪
4/9
jxbotany.bsky.social
Check out this year's articles:
🌾 Editorial
@ucdflowerpower.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

🌼 My Favourite Flowering Image. The brightest orange: California poppy flowers as windows into evolutionary developmental genetics
@plantevodevo-ab.bsky.social
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
3/9
jxbotany.bsky.social
Since 2006, the Journal of Experimental Botany has published the Flowering Newsletter (FNL). FNL aims to be an authoritative source of information on the latest research developments concerning flowering & flowers 🌼

Diversity in floral form is a recurring theme in #FNL25 🌾

#PlantScience 🧪
2/9
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌾🌼 Flowering Newsletter 2025 🌼🌾

"Flowers come in all shapes and sizes, from inconspicuous wind-pollinated grass flowers to the large flowers of California poppy with its bright petals" - @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social

🔗 bit.ly/JXBFNL?utm_so...

A 🧵 incoming...

#FNL25 #PlantScience 🧪
1/9
Flowers of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Two fused sepals form a hat-like structure that has already dehisced, while four free bright orange petals adorn the blossom. Inside the flower, though not visible from this perspective, are numerous stamens arranged in several whorls and a gynoecium composed of two carpels. The gynoecium is surrounded by a floral cup forming a wide rim, which can be seen on the lower left, once all other organs have fallen off. (Image credit: Annette Becker.)
Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany
Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany
planteditors.bsky.social
Some very nice #OpenAccess #grapevine #reviews in that @jxbotany.bsky.social issue, on rootstock ideotypes, #ClimateChange, and grapevine–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi interactions!
Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany
planteditors.bsky.social
And ok this is a bit older than a week, but cheers to @jxbotany.bsky.social for this paper from their special issue! bsky.app/profile/jxbo...
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🧬 SPECIAL ISSUE RESEARCH 🍇

Metabolic QTL analysis reveals the genetic architecture underlying grape berry wax formation and identifies VvTTPS12 as a β-amyrin synthase contributing to the formation of the triterpene oleanolic acid - Vervalle et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 1.Sampling strategy utilized in this study. Overview of the strategy used to sample the grape population ‘Deckrot’×G1-7720 indicating the sampling year (Y1 or Y2), number and description of individuals, and the phenological developmental stages of sampling. Furthermore, the analyses and results for which these samples were used are provided. Berry colour segregated in the progeny: white berries are indicated in green (e.g. DG225) and black berries are indicated in purple (e.g. DG133). Image created in BioRender.com/x3015jc. DR, ‘Deckrot’; G1, G1-7720; QTL, quantitative trait locus.
jxbotany.bsky.social
🍅🌱 SPECIAL ISSUE RESEARCH 🌱🍅

Resistance against bacterial wilt in tomato is linked to variety-specific proteomic changes; the CAPE1 peptide restricts Ralstonia solancearum growth in planta - Zhang et al. 🦠🍅

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪 @bactodeath.bsky.social
Fig. 3.PR1 protein features and alignment. (A) Representation of the tomato PR1 protein domains and conserved features. SP, signal peptide; CAP, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, and pathogenesis-related 1 protein domain, highlighting CAP3, CAP4, CAP1, CAP2, and CBM motifs; CAPE, CAP-derived peptide (Han et al., 2023). (B) Alignment of the representative PR1 proteins across different plant species. Amino acid alignment generated from ClustalO alignment of the representative PR1 proteins from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), pepper (Capsicum anuum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Red and blue highlighted regions show the last amino acid before the putative CAPE peptide cleavage. The conserved CAPE peptide sequence is shown in red.
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌱 SPECIAL ISSUE RESEARCH 🌱

Thylakoid protein EGY1 interacts with the magnesium chelatase H subunit to regulate chlorophyll accumulation, balance chlorophyll synthesis and protein homeostasis, and influence chloroplast development in var2 - Zhang et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 6 (shortened, full legend in paper): Mutation of cpSRP54/PGA4 alleviates the chloroplast development defect in var2-4 evr4-1. (A) Representative 2-week-old wild type (WT), var2-4, evr4-1, pga4-1, var2-4 pga4-1, evr4-1 pga4-1, var2-4 evr4-1, and var2-4 evr4-1 pga4-1 plants. Scale bar: 1.0 cm. (B) Accumulation of photosynthetic proteins (D1, LhcB2, PsaD, Cytf, AtpA, and RbcL) in the rosette leaves from (A). Protein loading was normalized to equal fresh tissue weight and confirmed by CBB-stained polyvinylidene difluoride membranes. The experiments in (B) were repeated independently twice with similar results. (C) The observation of chlorophyll fluorescence in the rosette leaves from (A). ms, milliseconds. The exposure time was labeled in order to compare apparent fluorescence signal intensities from different genotypes. Fluorescence is merged with the differential interference contrast image. Scale bar: 10.0 μm.
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌱 📖 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 📖 🌱

Qi et al. address current challenges in revealing protease roles in biological processes and present systematic methodologies for identifying bona fide protease–substrate pairs in plants 🔬

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪 @simonstael.bsky.social
Fig. 1.Guidelines for a bona fide protease–substrate pair.
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🌱 SPECIAL ISSUE RESEARCH 🌱

26S proteasome disassembly occurs during leaf senescence. While proteasomal subunit genes are up-regulated, proteasome protein levels do not increase. However, cytokinin application enhances proteasome activity - Wang et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 3 (shortened, full legend in paper): Regulation of proteasomal subunits during proteotoxic stress and leaf senescence. (A) Transcriptional response to proteotoxic stress of genes coding for proteasome subunits as assayed by promoter–GUS lines. Seedlings grown for 10 d on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with or without 15μM MG132 were stained for GUS activity and imaged. (B) Proteasomal subunit abundance during proteotoxic stress. Total protein extracts from 10-day-old wild-type seedlings treated for 2 d with either 30 μM MG132, 2 μM bortezomib, or DMSO were assessed by western blotting using protein-specific antibodies. Coomassie Brilliant Blue- (CBB) stained gels were used as loading control. (C) Expression of proteasomal subunit genes during leaf senescence as visualized by promoter–GUS reporter lines. Shown are the results for the first leaf pair, harvested from either 15-day-old plants (young) or 43-day-old plants (old).
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌱 SPECIAL ISSUE RESEARCH 🌱

🔬 ECLIPSE is a potential adaptor protein that links ubiquitinated inner nuclear membrane proteins to the CDC48 complex, facilitating their degradation and maintaining nuclear membrane integrity in plants - Calvanese et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): ECLIPSE is closely associated with plant INMAD components. (A) Schematic diagram illustrating the identification of potential INMAD components using proximity labeling with SUN1 and PUX5 as baits. SUN1, a substrate of the INMAD pathway, undergoes polyubiquitination by unidentified E3 ligases. The ubiquitinated SUN1 is recognized by a potential adaptor protein, which facilitates the recruitment of CDC48 for subsequent retrotranslocation and degradation of SUN1. PUX5 is a previously reported negative regulator of the INMAD pathway, which interacts with CDC48 and functions to prevent SUN1 degradation. (B) Reanalysis of previously published MS data obtained from proximity labeling proteomics using HA-BioID2-SUN1 and PUX5-BioID2-HA transgenic plants. Specific proteins probed by each bait were identified using biotin mock-treated transgenic plants as controls.
Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌱 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 🌱

Jeran et al discuss the trafficking of plastid-targeted proteins, focusing on regulatory bottlenecks and mislocalization. PSBO, a PSII subunit, may link proplastid-to-chloroplast differentiation with plastid quality control 🔬

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 3.Chloroplast quality control and degradation pathways. Accumulation of damaged proteins within chloroplasts triggers the nuclear expression of cpUPR-related genes, encoding plastid-targeted chaperones and proteases, in an attempt to restore chloroplast proteostasis. However, the prolonged presence of faulty proteins and aggregates, exacerbated by ROS and other stressors, activates chloroplast-dismantling mechanisms. These include whole-chloroplast autophagosome-mediated degradation (chlorophagy), chloroplast vesiculation-mediated pathways (CV), or fission-type microautophagy, similar to those observed in mitochondria. Ubiquitin (light blue circles, Ub) and ATG8-dependent pathways (ATG8 purple circles; autophagosome depicted in blue) play crucial roles in marking chloroplasts for degradation. Ultimately, the accumulation of damaged chloroplasts within the cell leads to vacuole-mediated programmed cell death.
Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌱 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 🌱

Jeran et al discuss the trafficking of plastid-targeted proteins, focusing on regulatory bottlenecks and mislocalization. PSBO, a PSII subunit, may link proplastid-to-chloroplast differentiation with plastid quality control 🔬

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 3.Chloroplast quality control and degradation pathways. Accumulation of damaged proteins within chloroplasts triggers the nuclear expression of cpUPR-related genes, encoding plastid-targeted chaperones and proteases, in an attempt to restore chloroplast proteostasis. However, the prolonged presence of faulty proteins and aggregates, exacerbated by ROS and other stressors, activates chloroplast-dismantling mechanisms. These include whole-chloroplast autophagosome-mediated degradation (chlorophagy), chloroplast vesiculation-mediated pathways (CV), or fission-type microautophagy, similar to those observed in mitochondria. Ubiquitin (light blue circles, Ub) and ATG8-dependent pathways (ATG8 purple circles; autophagosome depicted in blue) play crucial roles in marking chloroplasts for degradation. Ultimately, the accumulation of damaged chloroplasts within the cell leads to vacuole-mediated programmed cell death.
jxbotany.bsky.social
🌱 📖 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 📖 🌱

🔬 Mantz et al. review current methods and developments for mass spectrometry-based identification of protein termini and discuss their use for plant protease substrate identification 🔬

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪 @degradomics.bsky.social
Fig. 2.Plant proteases involved in various stages of plant life cycle, organelle import, and responses to abiotic or biotic stress. Important processes and pathways regulated by proteases mentioned in the text are indicated, and proteases investigated by N-terminome approaches are named. Green cells represent healthy cells, while (dark) brown cells represent dying/dead cells. The apoplast is displayed in grey color. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are schematically depicted in red colour, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis is indicated in the puddle next to the plant, and the green alga C. reinhardtii in the soil. Blue and violet ‘Pac-Mans’ depict plant and pathogen proteases, respectively. Created in BioRender. Huesgen Lab (2025) https://BioRender.com/6aue2gv.
jxbotany.bsky.social
📝 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 📝

Hoernstein et al. consolidate information on Acylamino acid-releasing enzyme, a serine protease affecting plant development & aging, & emphasize its conserved features across all kingdoms of life 🌱🦠🧫

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪 @reskilab.bsky.social
Fig. 3 (shortened, full legend in paper): Summary of the current knowledge of acylamino acid-releasing enzyme (AARE) localization and function in plants and animals. AtAARE (green) is depicted as plant AARE and human AARE (blue) as animal AARE. Structures of both isoforms (AF-Q84LM4-F1, AF-P13798-F1; https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/) were predicted with AlphaFold (Jumper et al., 2021; Varadi et al., 2024). Middle shows commonalities between plants and animals: Localization of AARE to the nucleus and to the cytosol has been shown in Arabidopsis and human cell lines (Shimizu et al., 2003; Nakai et al., 2012; Zeng et al., 2017; Hoernstein et al., 2023). AARE functions as part of the antioxidant defence system in plants and animals (Shimizu et al., 2003; Nakai et al., 2012; Gogliettino et al., 2014; Riccio et al., 2015; Zeng et al., 2017). Left (only plants): AARE localizes to both plastids and mitochondria in plants (Hoernstein et al., 2023).
Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany