The study used untargeted metabolomics and QTL mapping in a tomato recombinant inbred line population to characterize root exudate composition and identify genetic loci controlling specific metabolites. It reveals domestication-driven changes in exudate profiles and links metabolic QTLs with previously reported microbial QTLs, suggesting a genetic basis for shaping the root microbiome.

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 characterizes the liverwort-specific NPR protein (MpNPR) in Marchantia polymorpha, demonstrating that it controls oil body formation and confers resistance to gastropod herbivory through interaction with the transcription factor MpERF13. Loss- or gain-of-function of MpNPR disrupts MpERF13‑dependent gene expression and compromises defense against snail feeding, revealing a lineage‑specific immune pathway distinct from tracheophyte NPR functions.

The study investigates the molecular basis of heat‑tolerant pollen tube growth in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) by comparing thermotolerant and sensitive cultivars. Using live imaging, transcriptomics, proteomics, and genetics, the authors identified the Rapid Alkalinization Factor (RALF) signaling pathway as a key regulator of pollen tube integrity under high temperature, with loss of a specific RALF peptide enhancing tube integrity in a thermotolerant cultivar.

The study demonstrates that red and blue light have opposing effects on thallus growth orientation in Marchantia polymorpha, with red light promoting epinasty and blue light promoting hyponasty. Loss-of-function mutants in the respective photoreceptors and BBX transcription factors reveal antagonistic interactions that balance thallus flatness under white light. Time‑resolved transcriptomics identified rapid light‑induced genes, including all six MpBBX members, whose mutant phenotypes support this antagonistic model.

The study reveals that the Auxin Response Factor MpARF2 in Marchantia polymorpha forms nanoscopic clusters within the plant nucleus, representing a distinct mode of DNA binding distinct from monomeric/oligomeric binding and liquid phase-separated condensates. These nanoclusters provide high‑affinity, switch‑like, sequence‑specific DNA interaction, suggesting a novel mechanism for transcriptional regulation by TF nanoclustering.

The study reveals that in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, the UV‑B photoreceptor MpUVR8 forms homodimers that monomerize and accumulate in the nucleus upon UV‑B exposure, activating COP1‑dependent growth inhibition, gene expression reprogramming, and UV‑absorbing metabolite production. MpRUP promotes redimerization of MpUVR8, acting as a negative regulator, while MpSPA also negatively modulates UVR8 signaling, indicating lineage‑specific diversification of UV‑B signaling components that originated over 400 Myr ago.

The study investigates the role of the chromatin regulator MpSWI3, a core subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. A promoter mutation disrupts male gametangiophore development and spermiogenesis, causing enhanced vegetative propagation, and transcriptomic analysis reveals that MpSWI3 regulates genes controlling reproductive initiation, sperm function, and asexual reproduction, highlighting its ancient epigenetic role in balancing vegetative and reproductive phases.

The study investigates the role of two ATP-binding cassette transporters, MpABCG1 and MpABCG36, in the sequestration of specialized metabolites within oil bodies of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. Loss‑of‑function mutants displayed reduced accumulation of sesquiterpenes and, specifically for MpABCG1, decreased levels of bis‑bibenzyls, while oil‑body formation remained largely unaffected, indicating these transporters are essential for metabolite accumulation rather than organelle biogenesis.