The study introduced full-length SOC1 genes from maize and soybean, and a partial SOC1 gene from blueberry, into tomato plants under constitutive promoters. While VcSOC1K and ZmSOC1 accelerated flowering, all three transgenes increased fruit number per plant mainly by promoting branching, and transcriptomic profiling revealed alterations in flowering, growth, and stress‑response pathways.

The study combined long‑read whole‑genome assembly, multi‑omics profiling (DNA methylation, mRNA, ribosome‑associated transcripts, tRNA abundance, and protein levels) in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions to evaluate how genomic information propagates through the Central Dogma. Codon usage in gene sequences emerged as the strongest predictor of both mRNA and protein abundance, while methylation, tRNA levels, and ribosome‑associated transcripts contributed little additional information under stable conditions.

Reduced activity of methylthioadenosine (MTA) nucleosidase causes MTA over‑accumulation in reproductive tissues, leading to lowered cysteine, methionine, and S‑adenosylmethionine levels and altered sulfur and energy metabolism. These metabolic disturbances trigger misregulation of cell‑cycle progression, widespread down‑regulation of developmental genes, and genome‑wide changes in DNA methylation patterns, highlighting the extensive role of MTA recycling in plant growth and methyl‑index maintenance.

The study identifies four Arabidopsis REM transcription factors (VDD, VAL, REM12, REM13) that bind specific DNA sequences and, together with GDE1, recruit RNA polymerase IV to produce 24‑nt siRNAs that direct DNA methylation at designated loci. Loss of GDE1 causes Pol IV complexes to relocalize to sites bound by REM8, indicating that REM proteins provide sequence‑specific cues for epigenetic patterning.

The study reveals that a set of REPRODUCTIVE MERISTEM (REM) transcription factors, termed RIMs, are essential for directing RNA‑directed DNA methylation (RdDM) to CLSY3 targets in a sex‑specific manner in Arabidopsis reproductive tissues. Disruption of RIM DNA‑binding domains or their target motifs abolishes RdDM at these loci, demonstrating that genetic cues can guide de novo methylation patterns.

The study generated two allotriploid Brassica hybrids (ArAnCn) to investigate asymmetric subgenome dominance, finding that the Cn subgenome dominates despite the An subgenome showing highest expression levels. Increased density of accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) in the Cn subgenome correlates with dominant gene expression, while changes in CHH methylation and specific RNA‑directed DNA methylation pathway mutants affect subgenome bias.

The study generated de‑novo genome assemblies for the resistant wild relative Solanum dulcamara and the susceptible Solanum nigrum using a hybrid Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing strategy. Comparative genomic analyses identified auxin‑transport genes and novel pattern recognition receptor orthogroups unique to resistant species, as well as differential gene‑body methylation that may underlie resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum.

The study examined transposable element (TE) silencing in the duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza, which exhibits unusually low DNA methylation, scarce 24‑nt siRNAs, and missing RdDM components. While degenerated TEs lack DNA methylation and H3K9me2, they retain heterochromatin marks H3K9me1 and H3K27me1, whereas the few intact TEs show high DNA methylation and H3K9me2, indicating a shift in RdDM focus toward potentially active TEs and suggesting heterochromatin can be maintained independently of DNA methylation in flowering plants.