Tomato triumph: unraveling the genetic loss of saline-alkaline tolerance

A pivotal study has identified a natural genetic variation in the promoter of the tomato gene SlSCaBP8 that has resulted in reduced saline-alkaline tolerance in modern tomato cultivars. This discovery is key to understanding the genetic basis of stress response and could guide future breeding programs to enhance crop resilience against soil salinization.

Study identifies new pathway to suppressing autoimmunity

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, and the Hospital for Special Surgery Research Institute have uncovered new details about how the immune system prevents the production of antibodies that can recognize and damage the body’s own, healthy tissues. The study, to be published September 29 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), also reveals how this process is impaired in autoimmune disorders such as systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus and suggests potential new strategies to treat these diseases.