Genetius

The study shows that nitrogen deficiency markedly elevates the exudation of the triterpenoid Solanoeclepin A (SolA) from tomato roots, a process that requires non‑sterile soil and involves the rhizosphere microbiota. Transient silencing of two candidate biosynthetic genes (CYP749A19 and CYP749A20) reduced SolA levels and impaired recruitment of beneficial Massilia spp., which promote plant growth under nitrogen limitation, indicating that SolA acts as a microbe‑mediated recruitment signal that was co‑opted by cyst nematodes.

The study identified a heat‑responsive exon‑skipping event in the basic Helix‑Loop‑Helix domain of the transcription factor PIF4, which reduces PIF4 activity and promotes photomorphogenic traits in etiolated seedlings. This reveals a novel post‑transcriptional mechanism by which plants modulate PIF4 function during heat stress.

The study evaluated how stomatal anatomy and physiological efficiency influence wheat heat tolerance across multi‑environment field trials with 200 genotypes, using early versus delayed sowing to impose temperature stress. Findings revealed a decoupling between anatomical capacity (gsmax) and actual conductance (gs, gse) under heat, plastic shifts toward smaller, denser stomata, and identified 125 QTL linked to stomatal traits, suggesting targets for breeding climate‑resilient wheat.

The study used untargeted metabolomics and QTL mapping in a tomato recombinant inbred line population to characterize root exudate composition and identify genetic loci controlling specific metabolites. It reveals domestication-driven changes in exudate profiles and links metabolic QTLs with previously reported microbial QTLs, suggesting a genetic basis for shaping the root microbiome.

The study identified a critical two‑week window of elevated maternal temperature during weeks 4–5 after flowering that delays dormancy release in weedy rice seeds. Controlled‑environment and field transplant experiments showed that this late‑reproductive‑stage heat exposure postpones germination after after‑ripening, providing insight for predicting seed behavior and improving weed management strategies.

Using a forward genetic screen of 284 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions, the study identified extensive natural variation in root endodermal suberin and pinpointed the previously unknown gene SUBER GENE1 (SBG1) as a key regulator. GWAS and protein interaction analyses revealed that SBG1 controls suberin deposition by binding type‑one protein phosphatases (TOPPs), with disruption of this interaction or TOPP loss‑of‑function altering suberin levels, linking the pathway to ABA signaling.

The study demonstrates that subfamily I ethylene receptors form the core ethylene‑sensing module and act epistatically over subfamily II receptors, uniquely possessing Ca2+‑permeable channel activity that drives ethylene‑induced cytosolic calcium influx. This reveals a mechanistic link whereby subfamily I receptors integrate hormone perception with calcium signaling in plants.

The study examined DNA methylation dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana shoots and roots under heat, phosphate deficiency, and combined stress using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, small RNA‑seq, and RNA‑seq. Distinct stress‑specific methylation patterns were identified, with heat and combined stress causing CHH hypomethylation, phosphate deficiency causing hyper‑ and hypomethylation in shoots and roots respectively, and the combined stress exhibiting a unique signature independent of additive effects. Methylation changes were concentrated in transposable elements and regulatory regions, implicating RdDM and CMT2 pathways and suggesting a role in chromatin accessibility rather than direct transcriptional control.

The study reveals that heat tolerance of meiotic division in Arabidopsis thaliana depends on sustained translation of cell‑cycle genes mediated by the protein TAM, which forms specialized condensates under high temperature. Natural variation was used to identify heat‑sensitive and heat‑tolerant TAM alleles, and boosting TAM translation with complementary peptides rescued heat‑induced meiotic defects, highlighting a potential mechanism driving polyploidisation under climate stress.

The study investigates the molecular basis of heat‑tolerant pollen tube growth in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) by comparing thermotolerant and sensitive cultivars. Using live imaging, transcriptomics, proteomics, and genetics, the authors identified the Rapid Alkalinization Factor (RALF) signaling pathway as a key regulator of pollen tube integrity under high temperature, with loss of a specific RALF peptide enhancing tube integrity in a thermotolerant cultivar.