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In the past, the Silk Road was a vital trade route that spanned Eurasia, connecting East Asia to the Mediterranean Sea. The genus Prunus, belonging to the Rosaceae family and encompassing plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, and almonds, thrived as human travel along the Silk Road increased. The majority of fruits within this genus, whether wild or cultivated, are naturally sweet and easily preserved by drying for storage and transport. The interaction along the Silk Road between wild populations and diverse varieties of Prunus fruits led to the development of various hybrids. This article provides a summary of archaeological findings related to prominent Prunus fruits such as peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, and almonds, shedding light on their evolutionary history, genetic diversity, population structure, and historical dynamics crucial for species conservation. The origins of biodiversity may involve factors like migration of pre-adapted lineages, in situ variation, or the persistence of ancestral lineages. Furthermore, climate change is affecting spatial genetic patterns and potentially further threatening rare Prunus species. Evaluating the scope and composition of genetic diversity within germplasm collections is essential for enhancing plant breeding initiatives and preserving genetic resources in this changing context. From a molecular point of view, techniques such as genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genes responsible for phenotypic changes in cultivars and germplasm collections should be of great interest in these breeding programs, while genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) derived from genome-wide DNA polymorphism information can facilitate the selection of superior genotypes. 

Abstract Polyploidy (genome duplication) is a pivotal force in evolution. However, the interactions between parental genomes in a polyploid nucleus, frequently involving subgenome dominance, are poorly understood. Here we showcase analyses of a bamboo system (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) comprising a series of lineages from diploid (herbaceous) to tetraploid and hexaploid (woody), with 11 chromosome-level de novo genome assemblies and 476 transcriptome samples. We find that woody bamboo subgenomes exhibit stunning karyotype stability, with parallel subgenome dominance in the two tetraploid clades and a gradual shift of dominance in the hexaploid clade. Allopolyploidization and subgenome dominance have shaped the evolution of tree-like lignified culms, rapid growth and synchronous flowering characteristic of woody bamboos as large grasses. Our work provides insights into genome dominance in a remarkable polyploid system, including its dependence on genomic context and its ability to switch which subgenomes are dominant over evolutionary time. 

Plant fatty acids (FAs) and lipids are essential in storing energy and act as structural components for cell membranes and signaling molecules for plant growth and stress responses. Acyl Carrier Proteins (ACPs) are small acidic proteins that covalently bind the fatty acyl intermediates during the elongation of FAs. The Arabidopsis thaliana ACP family has eight members. Through reverse genetic, molecular, and biochemical approaches, we have discovered that ACP1 localizes to the chloroplast and limits the magnitude of pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato (Pto). The mutant acp1 plants have reduced levels of linolenic acid (18:3), which is the primary precursor for the biosynthesis of the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA), and a corresponding decrease in the abundance of JA. Consistent with the known antagonistic relationship between JA and salicylic acid (SA), acp1 mutant plants also accumulate higher level of SA and display the corresponding shifts in JA- and SA-regulated transcriptional outputs. Moreover, the methyl JA and linolenic acid treatments cause an apparently enhanced decrease of resistance against Pto in acp1 mutants than that in wild-type plants. The ability of ACP1 to prevent this hormone imbalance likely underlies its negative impact on PTI in plant defense. Thus, ACP1 links FA metabolism to stress hormone homeostasis to be negatively involved in PTI in Arabidopsis plant defense.