An Oryza orphan gene confers trans-species drought tolerance.

July 23, 2026| Source: Cell

Drought threatens crop productivity, yet enhancing tolerance often compromises yield. Abscisic acid (ABA) signaling is central to drought response, but its deep conservation can constrain adaptive flexibility. Here, we identify ROAD1 (rice orphan gene adapted for drought 1), an Oryza-specific orphan gene that confers robust drought tolerance without obvious growth defects under normal conditions. ROAD1 originated from Oryza meridionalis, and its functional allele, ROAD1 C , was selected during japonica domestication. In field trials, elite rice lines carrying ROAD1 C exhibited up to 34.75% higher grain yield than corresponding controls under drought. Mechanistically, ROAD1 bypasses the canonical ABA receptor-ligand complex by binding the phosphatase OsPP2C68, preventing sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinases 2 (SnRK2) dephosphorylation and activating downstream responses. ROAD1 also interacts with protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) orthologs from maize, wheat, and Arabidopsis, and heterologous expression of ROAD1 C enhances drought tolerance in Arabidopsis, rapeseed, maize, wheat, and poplar. These findings reveal that an Oryza-specific orphan gene can co-opt conserved signaling for potential trans-species drought tolerance.

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The honey bee stinger: An unusual pump with collapsible double pistons.

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Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Chronic cigarette smoke exposure induces distinct stem cell states driving genetic driver-specific non-small cell lung cancer subtypes.

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Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Cell identity competes with surface tension to determine stromal organization in tumor spheroids beyond the CAF shell paradigm.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are often found forming a peripheral stromal barrier around tumors. Here, this paradigm is challenged using microfabricated 3D cancer-CAF spheroid models combined with quantitative magnetic force tensiometry. A surface tension atlas is established for eight cancer cell lines, three CAF populations, and heterotypic tumor-CAF assemblies, spanning nearly two orders of magnitude. Surface tension is first shown to govern spheroid morphology and modulate drug respo

Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Controlled functionalization of cellulose nanocrystals directs polymer-specific protein coronas and immune cell interactions.

Polymer coatings are widely used to suppress nonspecific protein adsorption and modulate nanoparticle-cell interactions. However, the biological outcomes of polymer-functionalized nanoparticles remain difficult to predict in complex biological environments because protein corona formation rapidly alters nanoparticle identity. This challenge is particularly pronounced when hydrophobic moieties are incorporated for imaging or therapeutic applications, as they can promote nonspecific interactions a

Health & MedicineOctober 20, 2026

Dynamic partitioning shapes the in vivo organization of the Escherichia coli RNA degradosome.

The bacterial RNA degradosome is a central mediator of RNA turnover, yet how its components are organized and regulated in living cells remains unclear. Using live-cell single-molecule imaging, we quantified the spatial distribution and dynamics of the four major Escherichia coli degradosome components: RNase E, RhlB, PNPase, and enolase. These proteins occupied distinct membrane-associated and cytoplasmic pools whose relative abundance varied among proteins and changed with physiological state.