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Plants reinforce their cell walls as a first line of defense against invading pathogens. A key part of this defense involved Pectin Methylesterase (PME) Inhibitors (PMEIs), which maintain a strong, degradation-resistant cell wall. Research on the corn smut fungus (Ustilago maydis) by Dr. Lay-Sun Ma's team at the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology reveals a sophisticated strategy used by the fungus to overcome this defense. The fungus secretes the effector protein Nge1, which targets specific PMEIs (PMEI45 and PMEI46) and suppresses their ability to inhibits PMEs. The reactivated PMEs then demethylesterify pectin, making the cell wall more susceptible to degradation and paving the way for fungal entry. The secret of this strategy is N-glycosylation, a post-translational modification that attaches specific sugar chains to Nge1. These glycan modifications are essential for Nge1 to specifically interact with the evolved PMEI45, allowing the effector to neutralize PMEI-mediated defenses. Remarkably, engineering N-glycosylation sites into a naturally non-glycosylated Nge1 ortholog enabled it to neutralize host PMEIs and restore virulence in an U. maydis Δnge1 deletion mutant. This research reveals that post-translational sugar modifications act as adaptation drivers, fine-tuning effector specificity and shaping the co-evolutionary arms race between crops and their fungal pathogens.

The issue contains 3 articles and 2 book reviews

The newest issue of Disquisitions on the Past & Present has been published by the Institute of History and Philology

Understanding how maize leaves develop is crucial for global food security. Overcoming the limitations of traditional short-read sequencing, the research team led by Dr. Mei-Yeh Jade Lu and Dr. Wen-Hsiung Li at the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica pioneered the integration of high-resolution spatial transcriptomics and long-read isoform sequencing to depict the transcriptome landscape of maize embryonic leaf development.

A research team led by Dr. Wen-Hao Chang at the Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, in collaboration with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company(TSMC), National Taiwan University and the National Center for Instrumentation Research, has developed an epitaxial interface engineering strategy for high-performance two-dimensional transistors. The team grew an ultrathin epitaxial Al film directly on monolayer MoS₂ and converted it into a subnanometer Al₂O₃ interfacial layer, enabling uniform integration of high-κ HfO₂ while suppressing dielectric-induced scattering. The resulting MoS₂ top-gate transistors achieved an equivalent oxide thickness of approximately 1 nm and a peak transconductance of 0.45 mS μm⁻¹ with a gate length of approximately 100 nm. This work demonstrates a promising approach for further scaling and improving the performance of two-dimensional semiconductor devices. The research has been published on July 31, 2026 in Nature Electronics. The research was supported by Academia Sinica and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

We are proud to announce the publication of Words of the Puyuma Elders (Nanwang), Taiwan, edited by Dr. Josiane Cauquelin. An introduction to this book is provided below.

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) is a vital molecular machine that every eukaryotic cell uses to produce short but essential RNA molecules needed to make proteins and sustain life. However, one of its key domain in Rpc34 subunit, has evaded detection by conventional structural biology methods including cryo-EM because of its being highly mobile. A research team led by Dr. Wei-Hau Chang (Institute of Chemistry), Dr. Hung-Ta Chen (Institute of Molecular Biology), together with Dr. I-Ping Tu (Institute of Statistical Science) at Academia Sinica innovated a new labeling method based on Bertozzi click chemistry and developed efficient and accurate FRET data analysis to allow them to track this tiny Rpc34 winged-helix domain in real time, one molecule at a time. They discovered that this domain moves among three preferred positions, helping keeping the transcription machinery stable and prime the machine ready for quickly start a new round of RNA production. Beyond deepening our understanding of how Pol III works, the new labeling technique provides a powerful tool for studying the dynamics of functional parts in many large biological machines. The research has been published on June 29, 2026 in PNAS. The research was supported by Academia Sinica and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

We are pleased to announce the new publication of issue 27.3 of Language and Linguistics

Centered on two anthologies of statecraft essays compiled between the late Qianlong reign and the early Daoguang reign, this book examines how a statecraft learning—one with concerns with practical questions in governance—emerged as an alternative to the evidential scholarship, which had been the mainstream since the Qian-Jia period.

The latest issue of《Bulletin of the Institute of Mathematics Academia Sinica New Series》has been published

The newest issue of Bulletin of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica has just been published by the Institute of History and Philology

本院歷史語言研究所編印之Asia Major, Volume 38 Part 1已出版