The study identifies the AP2/ERF transcription factor GEMMIFER (MpGMFR) as essential for asexual reproduction in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, showing that loss of MpGMFR via genome editing or amiRNA abolishes gemma and gemma cup formation, while dexamethasone‑induced activation triggers their development. Transient strong activation of MpGMFR initiates gemma initial cells at the meristem, which mature into functional gemmae, indicating MpGMFR is both necessary and sufficient for meristem‑derived asexual propagule formation.

Using diverse Mexican maize varieties and a MAGIC population, the study demonstrated that leaf vein density is both variable and plastic, correlating positively with photosynthetic rates for small intermediate veins and increasing under heat in drought-adapted lines. Twelve QTLs linked to vein patterning were identified, highlighting candidate genes for intermediate vein development and shedding light on the evolution of high-efficiency C4 leaf architecture.

The study identifies the cysteine‑rich receptor‑like kinase CRK5 as a negative regulator of salicylic‑acid‑mediated cell death and a positive regulator of antioxidant homeostasis during dark‑induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis. Loss‑of‑function crk5 mutants display accelerated senescence, elevated ROS and electrolyte leakage, and altered antioxidant enzyme activities, phenotypes that are rescued by suppressing SA biosynthesis or catabolism. Transcriptome analysis reveals extensive deregulation of senescence‑ and redox‑related genes, highlighting CRK5’s central role in coordinating hormonal and oxidative pathways.

The study assessed 17 morphological, biochemical, and salt‑stress tolerance traits in 19 maize (Zea mays) landrace accessions from northern Argentina, revealing substantial variation both within and among accessions. Redundancy analysis linked phenotypic variation to the altitude of the collection sites, underscoring the potential of these landraces as sources of diverse biochemical and stress‑related traits for breeding.

The study tests whether heavy‑metal stress contributed to maize domestication by exposing teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) and the Palomero toluqueno landrace to sublethal copper and cadmium, then analysing genetic diversity, selection signatures, and transcriptomic responses of three chromosome‑5 heavy‑metal response genes (ZmHMA1, ZmHMA7, ZmSKUs5). Results reveal strong positive selection on these genes, heavy‑metal‑induced phenotypes resembling modern maize, and up‑regulation of Tb1, supporting a role for volcanic‑derived metal stress in early maize evolution.

The study examined how DNA methylation influences cold stress priming in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that primed plants exhibit distinct gene expression and methylation patterns compared to non-primed plants. DNA methylation mutants, especially met1 lacking CG methylation, showed altered cold memory and misregulation of the CBF gene cluster, indicating that methylation ensures transcriptional precision during stress recall.

The study identified 12 SABATH methyltransferase genes in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and demonstrated that MpSABATH2 is crucial for normal thallus growth and gemma cup formation. Loss‑of‑function mutants displayed developmental phenotypes reminiscent of far‑red light responses, which were linked to gibberellin metabolism and could be partially rescued by inhibiting GA biosynthesis or supplying the GA precursor ent‑kaurenoic acid. These findings suggest that SABATH enzymes independently evolved regulatory roles in land‑plant development.

The study demonstrates that carbon availability promotes gemma cup formation in Marchantia polymorpha by activating cytokinin signaling, which up‑regulates the transcription factors MpGCAM1 and MpSTG. Pharmacological and genetic manipulations showed that cytokinin accumulation in response to sucrose and high light is sufficient to overcome low‑sucrose repression, and that this pathway operates independently of KAI2A‑MAX2 mediated karrikin signaling. The findings suggest a conserved carbon‑cytokinin interaction governing developmental plasticity across land plants.

The study used paired whole‑genome bisulphite sequencing and RNA‑seq on wheat landraces to investigate how DNA methylation patterns change during drought stress, revealing antagonistic trends across cytosine contexts and a key demethylation role for ROS1a family members. Gene‑body methylation correlated positively with expression but negatively with stress‑responsive changes, while drought‑induced hyper‑methylation of specific transposable elements, especially the RLX_famc9 LTR retrotransposon, appears to modulate downstream gene regulation via siRNA precursors.

The study demonstrates that subfamily I ethylene receptors form the core ethylene‑sensing module and act epistatically over subfamily II receptors, uniquely possessing Ca2+‑permeable channel activity that drives ethylene‑induced cytosolic calcium influx. This reveals a mechanistic link whereby subfamily I receptors integrate hormone perception with calcium signaling in plants.