The study genotyped 545 accessions from 17 Urochloa species using genome-wide SNP and SilicoDArT markers generated via DArTseq, revealing two major groups separating the brizantha complex from other wild species and identifying four phylogenetic clades. Population structure and admixture analyses highlighted distinct genetic clusters, extensive admixture in the cultivated brizantha complex, and high diversity with geographic structuring in wild apomictic species, informing conservation and breeding strategies.
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 produced a chromosome‑scale genome assembly for an Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica) using long‑read sequencing, optical mapping, and a high‑density genetic map, resulting in nine pseudomolecules covering >97% of the genome. Resequencing of 132 Asian and Oceanian citrus accessions enabled high‑resolution SNP discovery and identification of species‑specific markers, revealing strong population structure and complex hybridization patterns that inform breeding and evolutionary studies.
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.
Scaling up orphan crop research: A global genetic perspective of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) diversity from 10,617 accessions
Authors: Pearson, S. M., Hathorn, A., Sun, S., Cruickshank, A., Shatte, T. L., Munisse, P., Macharia, M., Conner, J., Koltunow, A. M. G., Vielle-Calzada, J. P., Ozias-Akins, P., Ishii, T., Dell Acqua, M., Norton, S., Tao, Y., Jordan, D., Mace, E.
The study performed the most extensive genetic diversity analysis of cowpea to date, genotyping 10,617 accessions from seven worldwide collections using genotyping-by-sequencing. It identified nine geographically associated genetic groups, revealed considerable redundancy across collections, and highlighted untapped diversity outside sub‑Saharan Africa, providing a foundation for more effective germplasm utilization and breeding.
FvFT1-FvTFL1 epistasis drives flowering time adaptation in woodland strawberry
Authors: Lembinen, S., Koskela, E., Fan, G., Toivainen, T., Zhou, Q., Andres, J., Vaattovaara, A., Rastas, P. M. A., De Kort, H., Elomaa, P., Hytonen, T.
The study examined flowering time variation across geographically and climatically diverse populations of the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), revealing that population structure and winter temperature adaptations shape floral transition timing. Increased expression of the florigen gene FvFT1 is linked to delayed flowering, and its interaction with functional alleles of FvTFL1 determines sensitivity to photoperiod and vernalization, highlighting a genetic basis for adaptive flowering in a perennial Rosaceae species.
A nationwide survey of 760 feral Cannabis sativa plants from twelve U.S. states used genotyping-by-sequencing, CBDAS gene assays, and GC‑MS to characterize genetic structure and cannabinoid composition. Analyses revealed five distinct genetic clusters and three cannabinoid chemotypes, with total cannabinoid content ranging from 0.21% to 4.73%, providing valuable germplasm for hemp breeding.