Q223L point mutation resulted in a constitutively active CT2 (CT2^CA).

<p><b>(A)</b> BODIPY-GTP assay for detecting the GTP-binding and GTPase activity of His-CT2 and His-CT2^CA proteins. Data are shown as means of four replicates and error bars represent S. D. <b>(B)</b> CT2^CA did not interact with a Gβγ dimer in a Y3H assay. Yeast growth on synthetic complete -Trp -Leu (-LW) medium confirmed transformation and cell viability. Interactions were assayed on SC -Trp -Leu -His (-LWH) medium supplemented with 1 mM 3-AT.</p

Expression of <i>CT2</i>^<i>CA</i><i>-mTFP1</i> enhanced agronomic traits.

<p>Expression of <i>CT2</i>^<i>CA</i><i>-mTFP1</i> in a <i>ct2</i> mutant background increased spikelet density (<b>A and B</b>), KRN <b>(C and D),</b> and ear inflorescence meristem (IM) size <b>(E and F)</b>. Expression of <i>CT2</i>^<i>CA</i><i>-mTFP1</i> in a <i>ct2</i> mutant background also significantly reduced the leaf angle <b>(G and H)</b>. The raw values are shown in <b>(B, D, F, H</b>), the horizontal black lines indicate the means, and the error bars represent 95% confidence intervals; for <b>(B)</b> n = 15, 27, 14, and 29, respectively; for <b>(D)</b> n = 7, 26, 13, and 28, respectively; for <b>(F)</b> n = 6, 7, 14, and 8, respectively; for <b>(H)</b> n = 11, 10, 16, and 14, respectively. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by the LSD test. The groups containing the same letter were not significantly different at the <i>p</i>-value of 0.05. NT, non-transgenic control.</p

Expression of <i>CT2</i>^<i>CA</i><i>-mTFP1</i> partially complemented the vegetative growth of <i>ct2</i> mutants.

<p><b>(A)</b> The <i>CT2</i>^<i>CA</i><i>-mTFP1</i> construct in a native context of the <i>CT2</i> genomic region. <b>(B)</b> CT2^CA-mTFP1 was co-localized with FM4-64 on the plasma membrane, scale bar = 50 μm. Expression of <i>CT2</i>^<i>CA</i><i>-mTFP1</i> partially complemented the <i>ct2</i> dwarf phenotype <b>(C and F)</b>, the leaf length phenotype <b>(D and G)</b>, and the enlarged SAM size phenotype <b>(E and H)</b>, scale bar = 100 μm. NT, non-transgenic control. The raw values are shown in <b>(F-H)</b>, the horizontal black lines indicate the means, and the error bars represent 95% confidence intervals; for (<b>F and G</b>) n = 21, 28, 20, and 24, respectively; for (<b>H</b>) n = 20, 27, 18, and 20, respectively. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by the LSD test. The groups containing the same letter are not significantly different at the <i>p</i>-value of 0.05.</p

Knocking out <i>ZmXLGs</i> led to developmental phenotypes.

<p><b>(A)</b> Generating lesions for <i>ZmXLGs</i> using CRISPR-Cas9. Red lines indicate the position of guide RNAs. 5’ and 3’-UTRs indicated in purple, exons indicated green, introns indicated by lines, and Gα domains are shaded. <b>(B)</b> <i>Zmxlg1;3a;b</i> triple mutants were lethal at the seedling stage. Scale bar = 5 cm. <b>(C and D)</b> Knocking out <i>ZmXLGs</i> reduced plant height, scale bar = 10 cm. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by the LSD test. ** means <i>p</i>-value < 0.01. The raw values are shown in <b>(D)</b>, the horizontal black lines indicate the means, and the error bars represent 95% confidence intervals; n = 29, 19, 33, and 12, respectively.</p

Knocking out <i>ZmXLGs</i> enhanced <i>ct2</i> phenotypes.

<p>Knocking out <i>ZmXLGs</i> in a <i>ct2</i> mutant background enhanced the dwarf phenotype <b>(A and B)</b> and increased SAM size <b>(C and D)</b>. Scale bars represent 10 cm <b>(A)</b> and 100 μm <b>(C</b>), respectively. Data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by the LSD test. ** means <i>p</i>-value < 0.01, *** means <i>p</i>-value < 0.001. The raw values are shown in <b>(B and D)</b>, the horizontal black lines indicate the means, and the error bars represent 95% confidence intervals; for <b>(B)</b> n = 31, 6, 18, and 7, respectively; for <b>(D)</b> n = 25, 8, 7, and 8, respectively.</p

Observing recommendations for JWST MIRI users

The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), a result of the collaborative work of a consortium of European and US institutes, is the only Mid-IR science instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The combination of MIRIs sensitivity and angular resolution over the 5-28.5 µm wavelength range will enable investigations into many different science topics, ranging from the local to the high-redshift Universe. The MIRI team has defined and published a set of”Recommended Strategies” to help observers optimally plan and execute their science programs. Some of these recommendations are generic and applicable to any science case; others are tailored to specific observing modes. Here we summarize key generic recommendations for MIRI observers, with emphasis on detector usage. All this information is available to observers as part of the James Webb Telescope User’s Documentation System and will be updated as needed

The Mid-infrared Instrument for JWST and Its In-flight Performance

The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) extends the reach of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to 28.5 μm. It provides subarcsecond-resolution imaging, high sensitivity coronagraphy, and spectroscopy at resolutions of λ/Δλ ∼ 100–3500, with the high-resolution mode employing an integral field unit to provide spatial data cubes. The resulting broad suite of capabilities will enable huge advances in studies over this wavelength range. This overview describes the history of acquiring this capability for JWST. It discusses the basic attributes of the instrument optics, the detector arrays, and the cryocooler that keeps everything at approximately 7 K. It gives a short description of the data pipeline and of the instrument performance demonstrated during JWST commissioning. The bottom line is that the telescope and MIRI are both operating to the standards set by pre-launch predictions, and all of the MIRI capabilities are operating at, or even a bit better than, the level that had been expected. The paper is also designed to act as a roadmap to more detailed papers on different aspects of MIRI.</p