Wang et al. report #cotton bollworm effector HYPB1 targets dirigent protein GhDIR15, suppressing lignin #biosynthesis and weakening cell wall-mediated defense.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.70270
@WileyLifeSci
#PlantSci #botany
🚨Special issue alert!
Our latest focus issue, "Advances in Plant Natural Products: Biosynthesis, Bioengineering, and Applications," is out now!
Find it here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17447909/2026/68/4
@WileyLifeSci
#PlantScience #JIPB #biosynthesis #bioengineering #botany
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-millions-birth-uncover-autism-surge.html
(if past is prologue US litigiousness will not take long to board this train, this time perhaps deservedly)
Prenatal exposure to medications that inhibit #sterol #biosynthesis, including certain #antidepressants, #antipsychotics, #betablockers, and #statins, is associated with a significantly increased risk of #autism spectrum disorder in offspring, with risk rising in a dose-dependent manner…pregnancies with such exposure increased from 4.3% in 2014 to 16.8% in 2023.

A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.
Now in Chem Sci! 🎉
We investigated how #enzymes in the #nonribosomal #biosynthesis of life-saving #peptide #antibiotics can be engineered.
Assuming that #promiscuity serves as a springboard for #evolution, we measured the specificity profiles of hundreds of mutants. The results revealed remarkable shifts in substrate specificity in multiple directions, highlighting the evolutionary potential of these enzymes and leading the way for engineering antibiotic biosynthesis.

Abstract Data on the biological activity of nanoparticles of various natures—metallic (Ag, Cu, Zn, Ti), silicon (Si), and carbon nanomaterials—on plants are summarized. Their influence on the growth, development, and resistance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels is considered. Special attention is paid to nanoparticles obtained by “green” synthesis, which are characterized by high bioactivity, biocompatibility, stability, and environmental safety. The physiological and biochemical effects of the action of nanoparticles are analyzed, in particular their influence on seed germination, photosynthetic activity, antioxidant system, expression of stress-induced genes, etc. It has been demonstrated that biosynthesized nanoparticles cause a positive effect without toxicity in most cases, while chemically synthesized analogues can cause significant negative changes in plants. The advantages of biosynthesized nanoparticles are emphasized: their high level of environmental safety, fungicidal, antibacterial, and antiviral activity. The need for further research to optimize dosage, methods of application, and assessment of long-term effects of nanomaterials, taking into account the balance between efficiency and environmental safety, is emphasized. The obtained results demonstrate the prospects for the use of nanomaterials in cell biology, physiology, and biotechnology of plants.