Genetius

The study shows that during drought, rice (Oryza sativa) downregulates nutrient acquisition and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis genes, causing the fungal partner to enter metabolic quiescence and retract hyphae, but upon re-watering the symbiosis is rapidly reactivated. This reversible dynamic suggests that plant‑fungus mutualisms are fragile under fluctuating water availability.

The study employed computational approaches to characterize the SUMOylation (ULP) machinery in Asian rice (Oryza sativa), analyzing phylogenetic relationships, transcriptional patterns, and protein structures across the reference genome, a population panel, and wild relatives. Findings reveal an expansion of ULP genes in cultivated rice, suggesting selection pressure during breeding and implicating specific ULPs in biotic and abiotic stress responses, providing resources for rice improvement.

The study evaluated barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) and foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) vectors for virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and virus-mediated overexpression (VOX) in several Oryza sativa cultivars, finding that neither vector altered gene expression despite successful assays in wheat and extensive optimization. The lack of photobleaching with BSMV-PDS and absent GFP fluorescence with FoMV suggest intrinsic resistance mechanisms in rice, highlighting species-specific limitations of virus-enabled reverse genetics and the need for alternative vectors.

The study demonstrates that jasmonate (JA) enhances Arabidopsis thaliana responses to extracellular ATP (eATP) by upregulating the eATP receptor P2K1 and amplifying eATP‑induced cytosolic Ca²⁺ spikes and transcriptional reprogramming in a COI1‑dependent manner, whereas salicylic acid pretreatment suppresses these responses. These findings reveal a JA‑mediated priming mechanism that potentiates eATP signaling during stress.

The study measured flower opening time and flower exposure duration (FED) in rice cultivars and performed controlled crossing experiments under short‑day and long‑day conditions, finding that when FED overlap exceeds ~20 min, cross‑pollination frequency often exceeds 60 % and can reach 100 %. These results overturn the long‑standing view that rice cross‑pollination is <2 % and highlight the need to investigate genetic factors underlying F1 sterility.

The study characterizes a plasma membrane-localized, calcium‑permeable force‑gated channel named Rapid Mechanically Activated (RMA) in plants, using patch‑clamp and pressure‑clamp to elucidate its rapid activation, inactivation, and irreversible adaptation upon repeated mechanical stimulation. Kinetic modeling shows the channel functions as a pass‑band filter for frequencies between 10 Hz and 1 kHz, supporting its role in transducing high‑frequency mechano‑stimuli such as insect vibrations.

The study demonstrates that a beta‑1,3‑glucan‑binding protein from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae interacts with the rice thaumatin‑like protein OsPR5, which sequesters the fungal protein to trigger immunity, while the fungus secretes thaumatin‑binding proteins to counteract this defense. Additionally, a rice cell‑surface receptor kinase containing a thaumatin domain has evolved to detect the fungal GBP, highlighting a complex coevolutionary arms race in the rice apoplast.

The study visualizes subcellular dynamics following activation of the NRC4 resistosome, showing that NRC4 enrichment at the plasma membrane triggers calcium influx, followed by sequential disruption of mitochondria, plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, and cytoskeleton, culminating in plasma membrane rupture and cell death. These observations define a temporally ordered cascade of organelle and membrane events that execute plant immune cell death.

The study identified a suppressor mutation (sune42) in the Golgi-localized Ca2+ transporter CCX4 that alleviates the dominant‑negative root hair phenotype caused by the extensin‑less LRX1ΔE14 protein in Arabidopsis. Detailed Ca2+ imaging showed that LRX1ΔE14 disrupts tip‑focused cytoplasmic Ca2+ oscillations, a defect rescued by the sune42 mutation, highlighting the role of Golgi‑mediated Ca2+ homeostasis in root hair growth.

The study used transcriptomic and lipidomic profiling to investigate how chia (Salvia hispanica) leaves respond to short‑term (3 h) and prolonged (27 h) heat stress at 38 °C, revealing rapid activation of calcium‑signaling and heat‑shock pathways and reversible changes in triacylglycerol levels. Nearly all heat‑responsive genes returned to baseline expression after 24 h recovery, highlighting robust thermotolerance mechanisms that could inform improvement of other oilseed crops.