The study created a system that blocks root‑mediated signaling between wheat varieties in a varietal mixture and used transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling to reveal that root chemical interactions drive reduced susceptibility to Septoria tritici blotch, with phenolic compounds emerging as key mediators. Disruption of these root signals eliminates both the disease resistance phenotype and the associated molecular reprogramming.
The authors used a bottom‑up thermodynamic modelling framework to investigate how plants decode calcium signals, starting from Ca2+ binding to EF‑hand proteins and extending to higher‑order decoding modules. They identified six universal Ca2+-decoding modules that can explain variations in calcium sensitivity among kinases and provide a theoretical basis for interpreting calcium signal amplitude and frequency in plant cells.
The authors compiled and standardized published data on Rubisco dark inhibition for 157 flowering plant species, categorizing them into four inhibition levels and analyzing phylogenetic trends. Their meta‑analysis reveals a complex, uneven distribution of inhibition across taxa, suggesting underlying chloroplast microenvironment drivers and providing a new resource for future photosynthesis improvement efforts.
The study evaluated a transgenic soybean line (VPZ-34A) expressing Arabidopsis VDE, PsbS, and ZEP for combined improvements in light‑use efficiency and carbon assimilation under ambient and elevated CO2 in a FACE experiment. While VPZ‑34A showed enhanced maximum quantum efficiency of PSII under fluctuating light, it did not increase carbon assimilation efficiency or yield, and transcriptome analysis revealed limited gene expression changes. The results suggest that VPZ‑mediated photosynthetic gains are insufficient to boost productivity under elevated CO2.
The study evaluated whether integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and drone-derived phenomic data improves prediction of 129 maize traits across nine environments, using both linear (rrBLUP) and nonlinear (SVR) models. Multi-omics models consistently outperformed single-omics models, with transcriptomic data especially enhancing cross‑environment predictions and capturing genotype‑by‑environment interactions. The results highlight the added value of combining transcriptomics and phenomics with genotypes for more accurate and generalizable trait prediction in maize.
The study genotyped 1,013 hard red spring wheat lines using SNP arrays and targeted KASP markers to track changes in genetic diversity and the distribution of dwarfing Rht alleles over a century of North American breeding. It found shifts from Rht‑D1b to Rht‑B1b dominance, identified low‑frequency dwarf alleles at Rht24 and Rht25 that have increased recently, and revealed gene interactions that can fine‑tune plant height, along with evidence of recent selection for photoperiod sensitivity.
The study presents an optimized Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for bread wheat that incorporates a GRF4‑GIF1 fusion to enhance regeneration and achieve genotype‑independent transformation across multiple cultivars. The approach consistently improves transformation efficiency while limiting pleiotropic effects, offering a versatile platform for functional genomics and gene editing in wheat.
Authors: Ramires, M. J., Netherer, S., Schebeck, M., Hummel, K., Schlosser, S., Razzazi-Fazeli, E., Ertl, R., Ahmad, M., Espinosa-Ruiz, A., Carrera, E., Arc, E., Martinez-Godoy, M. A., Banos, J., Caballero, T., Ledermann, T., van Loo, M., Trujillo-Moya, C.
Using a controlled field experiment on clonal 35‑year‑old Norway spruce trees, the study examined molecular defense responses to Ips typographus attacks. A multi‑omics approach revealed rapid local increases in jasmonic acid and other phytohormones, leading to differential expression of up to 1,900 genes and corresponding proteomic and metabolomic changes that elevated deterrent compounds such as phenolic aglycones, diterpene resin acids, terpenes, and lignin.
Using integrated metabolomics, fluxomics, and proteomics, the study shows that Bamboo mosaic virus infection in Nicotiana benthamiana redirects carbon flux toward glycolysis and the TCA cycle, enhancing mitochondrial metabolism. Silencing the mitochondrial NAD⁺-dependent malic enzyme 1 disrupts cytoplasmic NADH/NAD⁺ balance and alters defense gene expression, indicating that mitochondrial redox regulation is crucial for antiviral defense.
Multi-Omics Analysis of Heat Stress-Induced Memory in Arabidopsis
Authors: Thirumlaikumar, V. P. P., Yu, L., Arora, D., Mubeen, U., Wisniewski, A., Walther, D., Giavalisco, P., Alseekh, S., DL Nelson, A., Skirycz, A., Balazadeh, S.
The study uses a high‑throughput comparative multi‑omics strategy to profile transcript, metabolite, and protein dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings throughout the heat‑stress memory (HSM) phase following acquired thermotolerance. Early recovery stages show rapid transcriptional activation of memory‑related genes, while protein levels stay elevated longer, and distinct metabolite patterns emerge, highlighting temporal layers of the memory process.