Genetius

The study used genome‑wide ribosome profiling together with RNA‑seq to dissect translational regulation during the shift from seed dormancy to germination in Arabidopsis thaliana. It found that dormant seeds maintain a poised translational state with ribosomes pre‑positioned on stored mRNAs, and that selective changes in translational efficiency—particularly involving uORF‑mediated repression—drive germination independent of transcript levels. Functional assays confirmed that specific uORFs act as translational checkpoints during early imbibition.

The study reveals that the Kelch phosphatase BSU1, previously thought to act as a tyrosine phosphatase in brassinosteroid signaling, actually functions as a PP1-like serine/threonine phosphatase whose activity is inhibited by CDK-mediated phosphorylation of its C‑terminal tail. Structural analysis, mutagenesis, and genetic experiments in Arabidopsis and Marchantia demonstrate that this regulatory mechanism links BSU1 to cell‑cycle control, affecting stomatal patterning, fertility, and undifferentiated cell mass formation.

The study characterizes the chloroplast‑localized protein AT4G33780 in Arabidopsis thaliana using CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and overexpression lines, revealing tissue‑specific expression and context‑dependent effects on seed germination, seedling growth, vegetative development, and root responses to nickel stress. Integrated transcriptomic (RNA‑seq) and untargeted metabolomic analyses show extensive transcriptional reprogramming—especially of cell‑wall genes—and altered central energy metabolism, indicating AT4G33780 coordinates metabolic state with developmental regulation rather than controlling single pathways.

The study re-analyzed AtGenExpress microarray data to profile expression of Arabidopsis papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) and cystatins under bacterial infection, wounding, and drought, and performed in vitro assays to determine cystatin inhibition specificity for abundant PLCPs. Integrating co‑expression and inhibition data with support vector machine modeling revealed distinct PLCP‑cystatin modules for virulent versus avirulent bacterial infections and overlapping modules between drought and basal defense, indicating shared regulatory programs across stress types.

The study investigates the role of the SNF1-related kinase 1 (SnRK1) in conferring quantitative resistance to clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae in Arabidopsis thaliana. Increased nuclear SnRK1 activity suppresses disease development by down‑regulating sucrose transporter and cell wall invertase expression and activity, thereby reducing sink strength, while the pathogen effector PBZF1 interferes with SnRK1 nuclear translocation.

The study investigated the role of the ABA transporter NPF4.6 in Arabidopsis thaliana by analyzing loss-of-function mutants under steady and fluctuating light. Mutants displayed faster stomatal opening, higher CO2 assimilation, and increased shoot biomass under well‑watered, dynamic‑light conditions, while showing no advantage under drought stress, indicating NPF4.6 fine‑tunes stomatal kinetics in variable light environments.

The study introduced charge-altering mutations into the N‑terminal region of Lhcb2 in Arabidopsis thaliana lacking native Lhcb2 to assess how intrinsic charge affects LHCII phosphorylation, state‑transition efficiency, and PSI‑LHCII complex formation. The R2E mutation drastically reduced Lhcb1/2 phosphorylation, impaired state transitions, and prevented PSI‑LHCII assembly, whereas the Q9E mutation had no measurable impact, and neither mutation altered thylakoid ultrastructure. Residual state transitions in the R2E line suggest that other Stn7 substrates can partially compensate for the loss of Lhcb2 phosphorylation.

Arabidopsis pub41 mutants display reduced root hair number and length, while auxin up‑regulates PUB41 transcript and protein levels. A catalytically inactive PUB41ΔU construct rescues the mutant phenotype and makes plants hyper‑responsive to auxin, localizing preferentially to trichoblasts and colocalizing with the auxin exporter PIN2. Biochemical and microscopy analyses reveal that PUB41 physically interacts with the cytoplasmic loop of PIN2, stabilizing its abundance, indicating that PUB41 modulates root hair development through PIN2 regulation.

The study reveals that salt stress dynamically regulates REMORIN family genes, with REM1.2 rapidly relocalizing into static plasma membrane nanodomains that co‑localize with the actin-nucleating protein FORMIN 6. Overexpression of REM1.2 impairs early salt signaling and cell morphological adaptations, leading to heightened salt sensitivity, linking REMORIN nanodomains to both biotic and abiotic signaling pathways.

The study identifies members of the REMORIN protein family as inhibitors of plasma membrane H⁺‑ATPases, leading to extracellular pH alkalinization that modulates cell surface processes such as steroid hormone signaling and coordinates root developmental transitions in Arabidopsis thaliana. This inhibition represents an ancient mechanism predating root evolution, suggesting that extracellular pH patterning has shaped plant morphogenesis.