Genetius

The study demonstrates that short‑term low phosphate treatment delays leaf senescence in rice by increasing photosynthetic pigments, enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, and reducing oxidative damage, whereas high phosphate accelerates senescence. CRISPR/Cas9 editing of MIR827 to lower Pi levels also postpones senescence, while overexpression of MIR827 or MIR399, which raises Pi, speeds it up. Transcriptomic profiling reveals coordinated changes in senescence‑associated and metabolic pathways underlying the low‑phosphate response.

The study demonstrates that plasmodesmata‑located protein 5 (PDLP5) interacts with plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) to inhibit H2O2 transport across the plasma membrane in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of PDLP5 reduces H2O2 uptake and diminishes H2O2‑induced root growth inhibition, whereas pdlp5 mutants show enhanced sensitivity, with PIP2;5 identified as a key target of this regulation.

The study generated the first single‑nucleus RNA‑sequencing dataset of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) roots colonized by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis, revealing distinct transcriptional programs in epidermal and cortical cells across stages of arbuscule development. Using unsupervised subclustering and a Motif‑Informed Network Inference (MINI‑EX) approach, the authors identified candidate transcription factors that may coordinate cell‑cycle reactivation and nutrient integration during symbiosis, offering a resource for future functional genetics.

The study assessed three savory essential oil–based formulations for controlling early blight caused by Alternaria solani in tomato, finding that formulation CC2020 most effectively reduced disease severity in both in vitro and greenhouse trials. CC2020 also helped maintain tomato fruit vitamin C levels and lowered fungal melanin production, indicating dual benefits for disease suppression and fruit quality.

The study used live-cell fluorescence imaging of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes co-expressing labeled tubulin and actin to reveal partial co-localization of the two cytoskeletal networks. Pharmacological disruption showed that microtubules depend on actin for stability in the medial region, while actin remains unaffected by microtubule loss, indicating spatially dependent cytoskeletal crosstalk. Tracking of the microtubule plus‑end binding protein EB1b demonstrated that the microtubule array is primarily parallel with plus ends oriented away from the apex.

The study demonstrates that invasion of Arabidopsis thaliana roots by the parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum induces a phosphate‑starvation response in the host, which in turn leads to systemic suppression of immunity. This immunosuppression makes Arabidopsis more vulnerable to secondary microbial infections, highlighting the importance of multitrophic interactions in crop resilience.

The study identifies the circadian clock component ELF3 as a temporal gatekeeper that limits hormone‑induced pericycle proliferation and lateral root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Time‑resolved transcriptomics, imaging, and genetic analyses show that ELF3 maintains rhythmic expression of key regulators via LNK1 and MADS‑box genes, and that loss of ELF3 disrupts this rhythm, enhancing callus growth and accelerating root organogenesis.

The study demonstrates that cytokinin (CK) signaling strength is governed by the interplay of receptor preference and metabolic stability of individual CK isoforms, affecting tissue-specific responses in Arabidopsis. Using physiological, genetic, and multi-omics approaches, the authors show that dihydrozeatin compensates for lower receptor affinity with higher persistence during senescence, while N‑glucoside CKs modulate signaling intensity in a ratio‑dependent manner.

The study demonstrates that the interaction between spliceosomal proteins STA1 and DOT2 controls nuclear speckle organization, pre‑mRNA splicing efficiency, and heat‑stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. A missense mutation in DOT2 restores the weakened STA1‑DOT2 interaction in the sta1‑1 mutant, linking interaction strength to speckle formation and transcriptome‑wide intron retention under heat stress, while pharmacological inhibition of STA1‑associated speckles reproduces the mutant phenotypes. These findings reveal a heat‑sensitive interaction node that couples spliceosome assembly to nuclear speckle dynamics and splicing robustness.

The study generated ten phosphomimetic variants of the Arabidopsis G protein subunit GPA1 to examine how phosphorylation influences its biochemical activity and developmental functions. In vitro binding assays showed that mutations at S49 and S52 disrupt GTP/GDP binding, while in vivo analyses revealed that distinct phosphomutants differentially rescue gpa1 null phenotypes, supporting a multi‑state signaling model for plant G proteins.