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.

A genome-wide survey of the white jute (Corchorus capsularis) identified 34 laccase genes, with expression profiling indicating most are active in phloem and some are up‑regulated during development and under abiotic stress. Comparative analysis with Arabidopsis and reduced expression in a low‑lignin mutant highlighted CcaLAC28 and CcaLAC32 as key candidates for regulating fibre lignification, offering targets for breeding low‑lignin jute varieties.

A comprehensive multi‑environment trial of 437 maize testcross hybrids derived from 38 MLN‑tolerant lines and 29 testers identified additive genetic effects as the primary driver of grain yield, disease resistance, and drought tolerance. Strong general combining ability and specific combining ability patterns were uncovered, with top hybrids delivering up to 5.75 t ha⁻¹ under MLN pressure while maintaining high performance under optimum and drought conditions. The study provides a framework for selecting elite parents and exploiting both additive and non‑additive effects to develop resilient maize hybrids for sub‑Saharan Africa.

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.

The study examined how tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants respond hormonally to infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 at two different temperatures, revealing temperature‑dependent expression of marker genes for salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid pathways, while ethylene‑related genes remained unchanged. These results underscore the intricate interplay between host, pathogen, and environmental conditions in shaping plant defence.

The study compared tissue‑specific transcriptomes of the Australian pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis with existing data from the Asian pitcher plant Nepenthes gracilis to assess molecular convergence underlying their similar leaf morphologies. Both species showed overlapping gene expression in functionally equivalent tissues and shared transcriptional activation of amino‑acid metabolism and protein synthesis after feeding, while exhibiting distinct regulation of digestive enzyme genes and several cases of combined expression and protein‑sequence convergence in glandular tissues.

The study investigated whether expression of Dormancy-Associated MADS-BOX genes DAM3 and DAM4 inversely correlates with vegetative growth during semi-dormancy induction and breaking in cultivated strawberry. DAM3 and DAM4 expression showed negative correlations with leaf area and petiole length, with DAM4 particularly reflecting growth during dormancy breaking, while no cultivar-specific chill requirement or leaf-type differences were detected. These findings support DAM3 and DAM4 as regulators of semi‑dormancy in Fragaria × ananassa.

Kinase fusion proteins (KFPs) act as immune receptors conferring disease resistance in wheat and barley. The study identified an extended β‑finger motif, a Poaceae-specific feature that arose approximately 98 million years ago, present in functionally confirmed KFPs. These receptor genes are among the most highly expressed members of the KFP family, indicating that high transcript levels are linked to their resistance function.

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.

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.