The study examined how DNA methylation influences cold stress priming in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that primed plants exhibit distinct gene expression and methylation patterns compared to non-primed plants. DNA methylation mutants, especially met1 lacking CG methylation, showed altered cold memory and misregulation of the CBF gene cluster, indicating that methylation ensures transcriptional precision during stress recall.

The study reveals that rice perceives Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae outer membrane vesicles through a rapid calcium signal that triggers plasma‑membrane nanodomain formation and the re‑organisation of defence‑related proteins, establishing an early immune response. Without this Ca2+ signal, OMVs are not recognized and immunity is weakened.

The study compares the iron-poor oceanic diatom Thalassiosira oceanica with the iron-rich coastal species T. pseudonana to uncover how diatoms adapt to low-iron conditions. Using photo‑physiological measurements, proteomic profiling, and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, the researchers show that each species remodels chloroplast compartments and exhibits distinct mitochondrial architectures to maintain chloroplast‑mitochondrial coupling under iron limitation.

The study demonstrates that the plastid chaperone CLPC2, but not its paralogue CLPC1, is essential for Arabidopsis responsiveness to microbial volatile compounds and for normal seed and seedling development. Loss of CLPC2 alters the chloroplast proteome, affecting proteins linked to growth, photosynthesis, and embryogenesis, while overexpression of CLPC2 mimics CLPC1 deficiency, highlighting distinct functional roles within the CLP protease complex.

The study investigated how barley (Hordeum vulgare) adjusts mitochondrial respiration under salinity stress using physiological, biochemical, metabolomic and proteomic approaches. Salt treatment increased respiration and activated the canonical TCA cycle, while the GABA shunt remained largely inactive, contrasting with wheat responses.

The study generated deep proteome and phosphoproteome datasets from guard cell‑enriched tissue to examine how phosphorylation regulates stomatal movements. Comparative analysis revealed increased phosphorylation of endomembrane trafficking and vacuolar proteins in closed stomata, supporting a role for phospho‑regulated trafficking in stomatal dynamics.

The study examined short‑term and transannual drought memory in cambium tissues of two Populus genotypes and four epitypes with modified DNA‑methylation machinery, revealing persistent hormone, transcript, and methylation changes one week after stress relief. Trees previously stressed in Year 1 displayed distinct physiological and molecular responses to a second drought in Year 2, indicating long‑term memory linked to stable CG‑context DNA methylation, with genotype‑dependent differences in plasticity and stability. These findings position the cambium as a reservoir for epigenetic stress memory and suggest exploitable epigenetic variation for tree breeding under drought.

The study examined seed maturation and germination in the endangered legume Paubrasilia echinata using proteomic and polyamine analyses at 4, 6, and 8 weeks post-anthesis, identifying over 2,000 proteins and linking specific polyamines to developmental stages. Mature seeds (6 weeks) showed elevated proteasome components, translation machinery, LEA proteins, and heat shock proteins, while polyamine dynamics revealed putrescine dominance in early development and spermidine/spermine association with desiccation tolerance and germination. These findings uncover dynamic molecular shifts underlying seed development and provide insights for conservation and propagation.

The study identifies and functionally characterizes an acetyl‑CoA:monolignol transferase gene in Populus, showing that its overexpression elevates acetate incorporation into lignin without harming plant growth. Elevated lignin acetylation correlates with gene expression levels and markedly improves biomass pretreatability for biofuel production.

The study compared physiological and transcriptomic responses of poplar trees colonized by the ectomycorrhizal fungi Paxillus involutus or Cenococcum geophilum under normal, drought, and recovery conditions. Cenococcum-colonized plants showed constitutive up‑regulation of heat‑shock proteins, galactinol synthase, and aquaporins and maintained water status and photosynthesis during severe drought, whereas Paxillus colonization promoted growth and nitrogen‑use efficiency and enabled rapid recovery through drought‑induced leaf shedding. These contrasting strategies illustrate species‑specific positions on the growth‑defense trade‑off in ectomycorrhizal symbiosis.