Genetius

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.

The study demonstrates that the Nicotiana benthamiana NLR Roq1, previously known to recognize the XopQ/HopQ1/RipB effector family, also detects the structurally distinct HopAG1 effector, leading to reduced bacterial growth and disease symptoms. Roq1-HopAG1 interaction was confirmed by co‑immunoprecipitation and attributed to the Nudix domain of HopAG1 binding a similar receptor interface as XopQ, suggesting broader effector recognition potential for Roq1 and other TNLs.

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 examined how elevated atmospheric CO₂ (550 ppm) affects immunity in the C₄ cereal maize (Zea mays L.) by exposing plants grown under ambient and elevated CO₂ to a range of pathogens. Elevated CO₂ increased susceptibility to sugarcane mosaic virus, decreased susceptibility to several bacterial and fungal pathogens, and left susceptibility to others unchanged, with reduced bacterial disease linked to heightened basal immune responses. These findings provide a baseline for future investigations into CO₂‑responsive defense mechanisms in C₄ crops.

The study characterizes the plant spliceosomal protein AtSF1 in Arabidopsis thaliana, using iCLIP and RNA‑seq to map its in vivo branch point binding sites and demonstrate that loss of AtSF1 causes widespread 3' splice‑site mis‑selection. Structural comparison reveals a plant‑specific domain architecture, and the identified AtSF1 targets are enriched for circadian and defense genes, linking splicing regulation to timing and immunity.

The study demonstrates that infiltrating Nicotiana benthamiana leaves with specific nopaline-type Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains dramatically increases local glandular trichome density within 15 days, an effect linked to the bacterial trans-zeatin synthase (tzs) gene that produces the cytokine trans‑zeatin. This simple Agrobacterium‑mediated approach enables direct comparison of high‑density trichome regions with adjacent isogenic tissue on the same leaf.

Infiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 carrying the pMP90 Ti plasmid triggers de novo formation of capitate glandular trichomes and elevates acyl‑sugar production, an effect absent with other strains. The responsible factor is the trans‑zeatin synthase (tzs) gene on pMP90, and exogenous application of cytokinins (trans‑zeatin or benzylaminopurine) alone can reproduce trichome induction, linking cytokinin signaling to trichome development. The study highlights that Agrobacterium-mediated transient assays can have unintended developmental and biochemical impacts, recommending strain testing to mitigate such effects.

The study demonstrates that FERONIA and phytochrome B physically interact with the NADPH oxidase RBOHD, and that FERONIA-mediated phosphorylation of phyB is essential for RBOHD-driven ROS production under excess light stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Additional membrane proteins CRK10 and PIP2;6 also associate with this complex, forming a plasma‑membrane assembly that integrates multiple signaling pathways to regulate stress‑induced ROS.

The study identifies wound‑induced proline transporters ProT2 and ProT3 as central regulators that link salicylic acid signaling to the suppression of de novo root regeneration (DNRR) via modulation of reactive oxygen species dynamics. Genetic loss of these transporters or pharmacological inhibition of proline transport alleviates SA‑mediated regeneration inhibition across several plant species without compromising disease resistance.

The study systematically examines sources of variability in Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana, analyzing a large dataset of 1,915 plants collected over three years. It demonstrates that normalization methods must be validated for each experimental context and provides a statistical model and power analysis framework to determine appropriate sample sizes for detecting specific effect sizes, offering practical guidelines to improve reproducibility in quantitative plant and synthetic biology studies.