Application of the plastidic E3 ligase SP1 in crop improvement, using tomato and rice as models

人类人口正在迅速增长，到2050年将达到90亿，自然资源的压力也在不断增加。因此，提高作物产量和生产力以及抵御气候变化和次优生长条件的驱动力比以往任何时候都更强大。为了满足这些需求，开发新的改良作物品种至关重要。通过对模式植物拟南芥的研究，我们最近取得了重大突破，可能对作物产量和粮食安全产生重要影响。我们发现了一种叫做SP1的基因，它控制着植物发育的许多重要方面。更具体地说，SP1调节植物细胞内称为叶绿体的结构的发育，叶绿体负责光合作用。通过改变作物中SP1的活性，我们相信我们将能够控制作物发育的各个方面，包括果实成熟、谷物发育、胁迫耐受性、叶片老化和作物产量。

The human population is growing rapidly and set to reach 9bn by 2050, and there are ever-increasing pressures on natural resources. Thus, the drivers for increased crop yields and productivity, and for resilience to climate change and sub-optimal growing conditions, are stronger than ever. To meet these demands it will be essential to develop new, improved crop varieties. Through research on the model plant Arabidopsis, we recently made a significant breakthrough that may have important implications for crop yields and food security. We discovered a gene called SP1 that controls many important aspects of plant development. More specifically, SP1 regulates the development of structures inside plant cells called chloroplasts, which are responsible for photosynthesis. By altering SP1 activity in crops, we believe that we will be able to exert control over diverse aspects of crop development, including fruit ripening, grain development, stress tolerance, leaf aging, and crop yield.