Phosphite (Phi) and phosphate (Pi) share the same root uptake system, but Phi acts as a biostimulant that modulates plant growth and disease resistance in a species‑ and Pi‑dependent manner. In Arabidopsis, Phi induces hypersensitive‑like cell death and enhances resistance to Plectosphaerella cucumerina, while in rice it counteracts Pi‑induced susceptibility to Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium fujikuroi, accompanied by extensive transcriptional reprogramming.
The study generated a dataset of 420 sgRNAs targeting promoters, exons, and introns of 137 tomato genes in protoplasts, linking editing efficiency to chromatin accessibility, genomic context, and sequence features. Open chromatin sites showed higher editing rates, while transcriptional activity had little effect, and a subset of guides produced near‑complete editing with microhomology‑mediated deletions. Human‑trained prediction models performed poorly, highlighting the need for plant‑specific guide design tools.
The study genotyped 545 accessions from 17 Urochloa species using genome-wide SNP and SilicoDArT markers generated via DArTseq, revealing two major groups separating the brizantha complex from other wild species and identifying four phylogenetic clades. Population structure and admixture analyses highlighted distinct genetic clusters, extensive admixture in the cultivated brizantha complex, and high diversity with geographic structuring in wild apomictic species, informing conservation and breeding strategies.
The authors produced a chromosome‑scale genome assembly for an Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica) using long‑read sequencing, optical mapping, and a high‑density genetic map, resulting in nine pseudomolecules covering >97% of the genome. Resequencing of 132 Asian and Oceanian citrus accessions enabled high‑resolution SNP discovery and identification of species‑specific markers, revealing strong population structure and complex hybridization patterns that inform breeding and evolutionary studies.
Scaling up orphan crop research: A global genetic perspective of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) diversity from 10,617 accessions
Authors: Pearson, S. M., Hathorn, A., Sun, S., Cruickshank, A., Shatte, T. L., Munisse, P., Macharia, M., Conner, J., Koltunow, A. M. G., Vielle-Calzada, J. P., Ozias-Akins, P., Ishii, T., Dell Acqua, M., Norton, S., Tao, Y., Jordan, D., Mace, E.
The study performed the most extensive genetic diversity analysis of cowpea to date, genotyping 10,617 accessions from seven worldwide collections using genotyping-by-sequencing. It identified nine geographically associated genetic groups, revealed considerable redundancy across collections, and highlighted untapped diversity outside sub‑Saharan Africa, providing a foundation for more effective germplasm utilization and breeding.
The study examines how ectopic accumulation of methionine in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, driven by a deregulated AtCGS transgene under a seed‑specific promoter, reshapes metabolism, gene expression, and DNA methylation. High‑methionine lines exhibit increased amino acids and sugars, activation of stress‑hormone pathways, and reduced expression of DNA methyltransferases, while low‑methionine lines show heightened non‑CG methylation without major transcriptional changes. Integrated transcriptomic and methylomic analyses reveal a feedback loop linking sulfur‑carbon metabolism, stress adaptation, and epigenetic regulation.
The study integrates genome, transcriptome, and chromatin accessibility data from 380 soybean accessions to dissect the genetic and regulatory basis of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). Using GWAS, TWAS, eQTL mapping, and ATAC-seq, the authors identify key loci, co‑expression modules, and regulatory elements, and validate the circadian clock gene GmLHY1b as a negative regulator of nodulation via CRISPR and CUT&Tag. These resources illuminate SNF networks and provide a foundation for soybean improvement.
FvFT1-FvTFL1 epistasis drives flowering time adaptation in woodland strawberry
Authors: Lembinen, S., Koskela, E., Fan, G., Toivainen, T., Zhou, Q., Andres, J., Vaattovaara, A., Rastas, P. M. A., De Kort, H., Elomaa, P., Hytonen, T.
The study examined flowering time variation across geographically and climatically diverse populations of the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), revealing that population structure and winter temperature adaptations shape floral transition timing. Increased expression of the florigen gene FvFT1 is linked to delayed flowering, and its interaction with functional alleles of FvTFL1 determines sensitivity to photoperiod and vernalization, highlighting a genetic basis for adaptive flowering in a perennial Rosaceae species.
The study shows that the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 directs tissue-specific growth‑defense programs in Arabidopsis thaliana by reshaping transcriptomes. kin10 knockout mutants exhibit altered root transcription, reduced root growth, and weakened defense against Pseudomonas syringae, whereas KIN10 overexpression activates shoot defense pathways, increasing ROS and salicylic acid signaling at the cost of growth.
The study examines how the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 integrates carbon availability with root growth regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Loss of KIN10 reduces glucose‑induced inhibition of root elongation and triggers widespread transcriptional reprogramming of metabolic and hormonal pathways, notably affecting auxin and jasmonate signaling under sucrose supplementation. These findings highlight KIN10 as a central hub linking energy status to developmental and environmental cues in roots.