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 study used Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with low (vtc2, vtc4) and high (vtc2/OE-VTC2) ascorbate levels to examine how ascorbate concentration affects gene expression and cellular homeostasis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that altered ascorbate levels modulate defense and stress pathways, and that TAA1/TAR2‑mediated auxin biosynthesis is required for coping with elevated ascorbate in a light‑dependent manner.

A long‑term FACE experiment exposing 180‑year‑old Quercus robur to +150 ppm CO₂ showed seasonal declines in powdery mildew and insect herbivory but no consistent change in biotic stress incidence. Metabolomic analyses revealed widespread shifts in amino acid, Coenzyme A, and redox pathways, indicating extensive metabolic plasticity without altered resistance to pathogens or herbivores.