The study identifies the Arabidopsis phospholipases LCAT3 and LCAT4 as essential components that hydrolyze membranes of autophagic bodies within the vacuole, a critical step for autophagy completion. Double mutants lacking both enzymes accumulate autophagic bodies and display diminished autophagic activity, while in vivo reconstitution shows LCAT3 initiates membrane hydrolysis, facilitating LCAT4’s function.

The study presents a high-quality genome assembly for the nickel hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens and uses it as a reference for comparative transcriptomic analyses across different N. caerulescens accessions and the non‑accumulating relative Microthlaspi perfoliatum. It identifies a limited set of metal transporters (NcHMA3, NcHMA4, NcIREG2, and NcIRT1) whose elevated expression correlates with hyperaccumulation, and demonstrates that frameshift mutations in NcIRT1 can abolish the trait, indicating an ancient, transporter‑driven origin of nickel hyperaccumulation.

The study examined how osmotic stress and cytosolic Ca²⁺ signaling regulate autophagy in plants by monitoring the dynamics of RFP‑tagged ATG8i. Both stimuli altered the accumulation of RFP‑ATG8i‑labeled autophagosomes in an organ‑specific way, and colocalization with the ER marker HDEL indicated that ATG8i participates in ER‑phagy during stress.

The study identifies the transcription factor MdBRC1 as a key inhibitor of bud growth during the ecodormancy phase in apple (Malus domestica), directly regulating dormancy‑associated genes and interacting with the flowering promoter MdFT2 to modulate bud break. Comparative transcriptomic analysis and gain‑of‑function experiments in poplar demonstrate that MdFT2 physically binds MdBRC1, attenuating its repressive activity and acting as a molecular switch for the transition to active growth.

The study introduced full-length SOC1 genes from maize and soybean, and a partial SOC1 gene from blueberry, into tomato plants under constitutive promoters. While VcSOC1K and ZmSOC1 accelerated flowering, all three transgenes increased fruit number per plant mainly by promoting branching, and transcriptomic profiling revealed alterations in flowering, growth, and stress‑response pathways.

The study examines how autophagy-related genes AtATG5 and AtATG7 influence Arabidopsis seed germination and ABA responses, revealing that atg5 and atg7 mutants germinate more slowly and display altered lipid droplet and protein storage vacuole organization. Transcriptomic and immunolocalization analyses show delayed ABI5 decay and a direct interaction between ATG8 and the autophagy machinery, implicating autophagy in seed reserve mobilization via transcription factor turnover.

The study reveals that root hair cells rely on elevated autophagy to extend their lifespan, and that loss-of-function mutations in autophagy genes ATG2, ATG5, or ATG7 trigger premature, cell-autonomous death mediated by NAC transcription factors ANAC046 and ANAC087. This uncovers an antagonistic interaction between autophagy and a developmentally programmed cell death pathway that controls root hair longevity, highlighting a potential target for improving nutrient and water uptake in crops.

The study reveals that root hair-forming trichoblast cells in Arabidopsis thaliana display higher autophagic flux than adjacent atrichoblast cells, a difference linked to cell fate determination. Elevated autophagy in trichoblasts is required for vacuolar sodium sequestration, contributing to salt‑stress tolerance, whereas disrupting autophagy in these cells impairs ion accumulation and survival. Cell‑type‑specific genetic complementation restores both autophagy and stress resilience, highlighting a developmental program that tailors autophagy for environmental adaptation.

The study reveals that the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae suppresses host plant translation by targeting processing bodies (P‑bodies) through two liquid-like effectors, linking this repression to the ER stress response. It further demonstrates that autophagic clearance of P‑bodies is essential for balancing translationally active and inactive mRNAs, uncovering new connections among translation, ER stress, and autophagy during plant immunity.

The study investigated melatonin priming on methylglyoxal detoxification and autophagy during PEG‑induced drought stress in seed germination of drought‑sensitive (L‑799) and tolerant (Suraj) upland cotton. Melatonin increased endogenous melatonin, reduced MGO and AGEs, up‑regulated glyoxalase enzymes and autophagy markers, and improved cell viability in the sensitive variety, while the tolerant variety showed limited response.