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 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.

An induced mutant line of the rice cultivar Samba Mahsuri shows broad-spectrum resistance to bacterial blight, linked to a novel missense SNP (S84P) in the OsMAPK6 gene on chromosome 6. Multi-omics analyses indicate that this mutation confers constitutive immunity, likely through reduced brassinosteroid signaling, offering a new resistance allele for rice breeding.

The study performed integrative small RNA sequencing and transcriptomic profiling across ten anther developmental stages of Kitaake rice to map sRNA‑related gene expression and phasiRNA production. It uncovered previously undescribed post‑meiotic 21‑nt and 24‑nt phasiRNA loci with distinct accumulation patterns and nucleotide compositions, suggesting diverse biogenesis mechanisms and specialized roles in pollen development.