In vivo binding by Arabidopsis SPLICING FACTOR 1 shifts 3' splice site choice, regulating circadian rhythms and immunity in plants
Authors: Agrofoglio, Y. C., Iglesias, M. J., de Leone, M. J., Hernando, C. E., Lewinski, M., Torres, S. B., Contino, G., Yanovsky, M. J., Staiger, D., Mateos, J. L.
The study characterizes the plant spliceosomal protein AtSF1 in Arabidopsis thaliana, using iCLIP and RNA‑seq to map its in vivo branch point binding sites and demonstrate that loss of AtSF1 causes widespread 3' splice‑site mis‑selection. Structural comparison reveals a plant‑specific domain architecture, and the identified AtSF1 targets are enriched for circadian and defense genes, linking splicing regulation to timing and immunity.
The study evaluated how stomatal anatomy and physiological efficiency influence wheat heat tolerance across multi‑environment field trials with 200 genotypes, using early versus delayed sowing to impose temperature stress. Findings revealed a decoupling between anatomical capacity (gsmax) and actual conductance (gs, gse) under heat, plastic shifts toward smaller, denser stomata, and identified 125 QTL linked to stomatal traits, suggesting targets for breeding climate‑resilient wheat.
The study identifies MtFTb1 and MtFTb2 as essential, redundant regulators of long‑day flowering in the legume Medicago truncatula, demonstrating that they are required for up‑regulating MtFTa1 under vernalised long‑day conditions. Using CRISPR/Cas9‑generated single and double mutants, the authors show that double mutants are specifically delayed in flowering under long days while retaining vernalization responsiveness, and transcriptomic analyses reveal that MtFTb1/2 activate MADS‑box genes and other flowering regulators.
The study identified a critical two‑week window of elevated maternal temperature during weeks 4–5 after flowering that delays dormancy release in weedy rice seeds. Controlled‑environment and field transplant experiments showed that this late‑reproductive‑stage heat exposure postpones germination after after‑ripening, providing insight for predicting seed behavior and improving weed management strategies.
The study presents an optimized Agrobacterium-mediated transformation toolkit for Sorghum bicolor that achieves up to 95.7% editing efficiency using CRISPR/Cas9 targeting the SbPDS gene, and demonstrates comparable performance with a PAM‑broadened SpRY variant. This platform enables multiplex genome editing and is positioned for integration of advanced tools such as prime and base editors to accelerate sorghum breeding.
Vacuolar invertase knockout enhances drought tolerance in potato plants
Authors: Roitman, M., Teper-Bamnolker, P., Doron-Faigenboim, A., Sikron, N., Fait, A., Vrobel, O., Tarkowski, P., Moshelion, M., Bocobza, S., Eshel, D.
CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of the vacuolar invertase gene (StVInv) in potato enhanced drought resilience, with mutants maintaining higher stomatal conductance, transpiration, and photosynthetic efficiency, leading to improved agronomic water-use efficiency and biomass under water limitation. Metabolomic profiling showed accumulation of galactinol and raffinose, while ABA levels were reduced, indicating altered osmoprotective and hormonal responses that support sustained growth during drought.
The complete chloroplast genome of the endemic fruit species Dillenia philippinensis was sequenced, assembled, and annotated, revealing a 161,591‑bp quadripartite structure with 113 unique genes. Comparative analyses identified simple sequence repeats, codon usage patterns, and phylogenetic placement close to D. suffroticosa, providing a genomic resource for future breeding and conservation efforts.
Identification of a putative RBOHD-FERONIA-CRK10-PIP2;6 plasma membrane complex that interacts with phyB to regulate ROS production in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Mohanty, D., Fichman, Y., Pelaez-Vico, M. A., Myers, R. J., Sealander, M., Sinha, R., Morrow, J., Eckstein, R., Olson, K., Xu, C., An, H., Yoo, C. Y., Zhu, J.-K., Zhao, C., Zandalinas, S. I., Liscum, E., Mittler, R.
The study demonstrates that FERONIA and phytochrome B physically interact with the NADPH oxidase RBOHD, and that FERONIA-mediated phosphorylation of phyB is essential for RBOHD-driven ROS production under excess light stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Additional membrane proteins CRK10 and PIP2;6 also associate with this complex, forming a plasma‑membrane assembly that integrates multiple signaling pathways to regulate stress‑induced ROS.
The authors compiled and standardized published data on Rubisco dark inhibition for 157 flowering plant species, categorizing them into four inhibition levels and analyzing phylogenetic trends. Their meta‑analysis reveals a complex, uneven distribution of inhibition across taxa, suggesting underlying chloroplast microenvironment drivers and providing a new resource for future photosynthesis improvement efforts.
Proline transporters balance the salicylic acid-mediated trade-off between regeneration and immunity in plants
Authors: Yang, L., Xu, D., Belew, Z. M., Cassia Ferreira Dias, N., Wang, L., Zhang, A., Chen, Y.-F. S., Newton, C. J., Kong, F., Zheng, Y., Yao, Y., Brewer, M. T., Teixeira, P. J. P. L., Nour-Eldin, H. H., Xu, D.
The study identifies wound‑induced proline transporters ProT2 and ProT3 as central regulators that link salicylic acid signaling to the suppression of de novo root regeneration (DNRR) via modulation of reactive oxygen species dynamics. Genetic loss of these transporters or pharmacological inhibition of proline transport alleviates SA‑mediated regeneration inhibition across several plant species without compromising disease resistance.