The study identified a major QTL (qDTH3) on chromosome 3 responsible for a 7‑10‑day earlier heading phenotype in the rice line SM93, using QTL‑seq, KASP genotyping, association mapping, and transcriptomic analysis to fine‑map the locus to a 2.53 Mb region and pinpoint candidate genes. SNP markers linked to these genes were proposed as tools for breeding early‑maturing, climate‑resilient rice varieties.
The study compares transcriptional, proteomic, and metabolomic responses of wild‑type Arabidopsis and a cyp71A27 mutant to a plant‑growth‑promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens strain and a pathogenic Burkholderia glumeae strain, revealing distinct reprogramming and an unexpected signaling role for the non‑canonical P450 CYP71A27. Mutant analysis showed that loss of CYP71A27 alters gene and protein regulation, especially during interaction with the PGP bacterium, while having limited impact on root metabolites and exudates.
The genome of the vining fern Lygodium microphyllum highlights genomic and functional differences between life phases of an invasive plant
Authors: Pelosi, J., Davenport, R., Kuo, L.-Y., Gray, L. N., Dant, A. J., Kim, E. H., Li, F.-W., Dlugosch, K. M., Krabbenhoft, T. J., Barbazuk, W. B., Sessa, E. B.
The study presents a chromosome-level reference genome for the invasive fern Lygodium microphyllum and compares the transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles of its haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte phases, revealing differential regulation of developmental genes and similar methylation patterns across tissues. Base‑pair resolution methylome data and freezing‑stress experiments show that each life phase employs distinct molecular pathways for stress response, emphasizing the importance of considering both phases in invasive‑species management.
Authors: Anumalla, M., Khanna, A., Catolos, M., Ramos, J., Sta. Cruz, M. T., Venkateshwarlu, C., Konijerla, J., Pradhan, S. K., Dash, S. K., Das, Y., Chowdhury, D., Chetia, S. K., Das, J., Nath, P., Merugumala, G. R., Roy, B., Pradhan, N., Jana, M., Dana, I., Debnath, S., Nath, A., Prasad Singh, S., Iftekharuddaula, K. M., Ghosal, S., Ali, M., Khanam, S., Ul Islam, M. M., Faruquee, M., Tonny, H. J., Hasan, M. R., Rahman, A., Ali, J., Sinha, P., Singh, V., Rafiqul Islam, M., Bhosale, S., Kohli, A., Bhardwaj, H. R., Hussain, W.
The study screened 6,274 elite rice genotypes for submergence and stagnant flooding tolerance, identifying 89 lines with superior performance, including 37 that outperformed SUB1A introgression lines by 40‑50%. These elite lines harbor 86 key QTLs/genes and were used in a novel Transition from Trait to Environment (TTE) breeding strategy, achieving a 65% genetic gain for submergence tolerance and demonstrating strong performance in flood‑prone regions of India and Bangladesh.
A biparental Vicia faba mapping population was screened under glasshouse conditions for resistance to a mixture of Fusarium avenaceum and Fusarium oxysporum, revealing several families with moderate to high resistance. Using the Vfaba_v2 Axiom SNP array, a high-density linkage map of 6,755 SNPs was constructed, enabling the identification of a major QTL on linkage group 4 associated with partial resistance to foot and root rot.
The study investigates how miR394 influences flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana by combining transcriptomic profiling of mir394a mir394b double mutants with histological analysis of reporter lines. Bioinformatic analysis identified a novel lncRNA overlapping MIR394B (named MIRAST), and differential promoter activity of MIR394A and MIR394B suggests miR394 fine‑tunes flower development through transcription factor and chromatin remodeler regulation.
A maize near-isogenic line population designed for gene discovery and characterization of allelic effects
Authors: Zhong, T., Mullens, A., Morales, L., Swarts, K., Stafstrom, W., He, Y., Sermons, S., Yang, Q., Lopez-Zuniga, L. O., Rucker, E., Thomason, W., Nelson, R., Jamann, T. M., Balint-Kurti, P., Holland, J. B.
The study characterized 1,264 maize near‑isogenic lines derived from 18 donor inbreds crossed to the recurrent parent B73, using genotyping‑by‑sequencing and SNP‑chip data to detect 2,972 introgression segments via a novel hidden Markov model pipeline. Disease phenotyping enabled QTL mapping for foliar disease resistance, revealing extensive allelic variation among donor lines, and establishing the nNIL population as a valuable resource for dissecting complex traits in maize.