Genetius

The study used single‑cell transcriptomics to compare Arabidopsis thaliana leaf cell responses during pattern‑triggered and effector‑triggered immunity, revealing that core defense modules are broadly shared but differ in timing, intensity, and cell‑type specific receptor dynamics. Distinct mesophyll subpopulations showed divergent resilience patterns, and gene regulatory network analysis identified WRKY‑regulated and salicylic‑acid biosynthesis modules, with the cue1-6 mutant confirming robustness of core immune responses while exposing cryptic sucrose‑responsive pathways.

The study reveals that a conserved clade of pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) genes in Arabidopsis thaliana generates secondary siRNAs that contribute to plant immunity, with these PPR loci undergoing extensive duplication and diversification to create a varied siRNA pool for pathogen defense. This PPR‑siRNA system is proposed as a novel family of defense genes with potential for engineering broad‑spectrum disease resistance.

The study used proximity labeling, co‑immunoprecipitation, and fluorescence microscopy to dissect the protein components and pathways governing distinct extracellular vesicle (EV) subpopulations in Arabidopsis, identifying roles for EXO70 exocyst subunits, RIN4, and VAP27. Mutant analyses revealed that disruptions in exo70 family genes, rin4, rabA2a, scd1, and vap27 reduce EV secretion and increase susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum, highlighting EV secretion as a key facet of plant immunity.

The study investigates the conserved EDVID motif in the coiled‑coil domain of plant CC‑NLR immune receptors, revealing its role as a predictor of canonical CC‑NLR function and oligomeric assembly. It identifies a preceding acidic “preEDVID” motif in certain Arabidopsis‑related CC‑NLRs and shows that loss of the EDVID motif defines a distinct NLR subgroup, while acidic residues in the helper NLR NRG1.1 are crucial for cell‑death activity.

The study identifies the RNA‑binding protein AtG3BP1 as a phosphorylation target of MAPKs MPK3, MPK4, and MPK6 at Ser257 in Arabidopsis thaliana and shows that this modification promotes susceptibility to bacterial pathogens, suppresses ROS accumulation and salicylic acid biosynthesis, and maintains stomatal opening. Phospho‑mimic and phospho‑dead mutants reveal that phosphorylation stabilizes AtG3BP1 by preventing proteasomal degradation, highlighting a novel post‑translational control layer in plant immunity.

The study reveals that Arabidopsis actin depolymerization factors (ADF2/3/4) have a nuclear moonlighting role, directly interacting with WRKY transcription factors to regulate immune‑related gene expression. Nuclear, rather than cytosolic, ADFs are essential for defense against both virulent and avirulent Pseudomonas syringae, highlighting a non‑canonical mechanism linking actin dynamics to transcriptional control in plant immunity.

The study shows that the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 directs tissue-specific growth‑defense programs in Arabidopsis thaliana by reshaping transcriptomes. kin10 knockout mutants exhibit altered root transcription, reduced root growth, and weakened defense against Pseudomonas syringae, whereas KIN10 overexpression activates shoot defense pathways, increasing ROS and salicylic acid signaling at the cost of growth.

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.

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 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.