Research Highlights

This study reveals that while brassinosteroid receptors BRI1 and BRL3 both impact drought response, BRL3 promotes drought tolerance in sorghum through osmotic protection, whereas BRI1 signaling is associated with drought susceptibility due to growth-related sensitivities.

A bloomless mutant gene in sorghum was implicated in regulating cuticular wax biosynthesis, linking environmental stress signals to wax production pathways that enhance drought resistance.

Plants use non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) to protect themselves from light-induced damage by dissipating excess energy as heat, and genetic studies in crops like maize and sorghum have identified key genes regulating NPQ, offering potential for improving photosynthetic efficiency and yield.

This study explores the functional diversity of sorghum CYP79A genes, revealing their roles in amino acid metabolism, plant defense, growth regulation, and environmental adaptation.

Improving iWUE in sorghum involves balancing water conservation and productivity through genetic traits, particularly aquaporin-linked mechanisms, that enhance photosynthesis and hydraulic efficiency under varying water conditions.

Researchers showed that mutating the Lsi1 Si transporter in sorghum increases lignin content in mature plants, suggesting a compensatory response for reduced silica that could be useful in developing bioenergy crops with optimized lignin and lower Si content.

Researchers revealed that lncRNAs, particularly lncRNA 15962 and lncRNA 11558, play critical roles in regulating cell wall metabolism and Cd transporter gene expression, respectively, contributing to Cd stress responses in sweet sorghum.

The sbyr1 mutant in sorghum, with a Thr4Met mutation in the SbYR1 NLR protein, enhances resistance to head smut disease while inhibiting growth by regulating hormone synthesis and flavonoid metabolism.

Expressing AdoMetase in sorghum reduces lignin content and improves sugar release for biofuel production, though it also causes growth limitations and impacts other metabolic pathways.

Tropical soils’ low phosphate availability and aluminum toxicity constrain sorghum cultivation, making P efficiency and root system architecture critical for enhancing grain yield in these challenging environments.