The study shows that the membrane lipids PI4P, PI(4,5)P2, and phosphatidylserine have distinct spatial and temporal dynamics during lateral root primordium formation in Arabidopsis thaliana, with PI4P acting as a stable basal lipid, PI(4,5)P2 serving as a negative regulator of initiation, and phosphatidylserine increasing after founder cell activation. Using live-cell biosensors, genetic mutants, and an inducible PI(4,5)P2 depletion system, the authors demonstrate that reducing PI(4,5)P2 enhances lateral root initiation and development.

The study engineers Type‑B response regulators to alter their transcriptional activity and cytokinin sensitivity, enabling precise modulation of cytokinin‑dependent traits. Using tissue‑specific promoters, the synthetic transcription factors were deployed in Arabidopsis thaliana to reliably increase or decrease lateral root numbers, demonstrating a modular platform for controlling developmental phenotypes.

The study characterizes the tomato class B heat shock factor SlHSFB3a, revealing its age‑dependent expression in roots and its role in enhancing lateral root density by modulating auxin homeostasis. Overexpression of SlHSFB3a increases lateral root emergence, while CRISPR‑mediated knockouts produce the opposite phenotype, indicating that SlHSFB3a regulates auxin signaling through repression of auxin repressors and activation of the ARF7/LOB20 pathway.

The study used comparative transcriptomics across Erysimum species to identify two 2‑oxoglutarate‑dependent dioxygenases, CARD5 and CARD6, responsible for the 14β‑ and 21‑hydroxylation steps in cardenolide biosynthesis in Erysimum cheiranthoides. Knockout mutants lacking these genes accumulated pathway intermediates, and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana confirmed their enzymatic functions, while structural modeling pinpointed residues linked to neofunctionalization.

A forward genetic screen in light-grown Arabidopsis seedlings identified the Evening Complex component ELF3 as a key inhibitor of phototropic hypocotyl bending under high red:far-red and blue light, acting upstream of PIF4/PIF5. ELF3 and its partner LUX also mediate circadian regulation of phototropism, and the orthologous ELF3 in Brachypodium distachyon influences phototropism in the opposite direction.

The study used comparative and de‑novo transcriptomic analyses in poplar to uncover plant and fungal gene regulons that govern ectomycorrhizal (ECM) compatibility, distinguishing general fungal‑sensing responses from ECM‑specific pathways. Key findings include modulation of jasmonic acid‑related defenses, coordinated regulation of secretory and cell‑wall remodeling genes, and dynamic expression of the Common Symbiosis Pathway during early and mature symbiosis stages.

The study compared early protective, repair, and stress responses to chronic gamma irradiation in the radiosensitive conifer Norway spruce (Picea abies) and the radiotolerant Arabidopsis thaliana. Norway spruce exhibited growth inhibition, mitochondrial damage, and higher DNA damage at low dose rates, while Arabidopsis maintained growth, showed minimal organelle damage, and activated DNA repair and antioxidant genes even at the lowest dose rates. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the tolerant species mounts a robust transcriptional response at low doses, whereas the sensitive species only responds at much higher doses.

The study investigates the altered timing of the core circadian oscillator gene ELF3 in wheat compared to Arabidopsis, revealing that dawn-specific expression in wheat arises from repression by TOC1. An optimized computational model integrating experimental expression data and promoter architecture predicts that wheat’s circadian oscillator remains robust despite this shift, indicating flexibility in plant circadian network design.

The study used comparative transcriptomics to examine how Fusarium oxysporum isolates with different lifestyles on angiosperms regulate effector genes during infection of the non‑vascular liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. Core effector genes on fast core chromosomes are actively expressed in the bryophyte host, while lineage‑specific effectors linked to angiosperm pathogenicity are silent, and disruption of a compatibility‑associated core effector alters the expression of other core effectors, highlighting conserved fungal gene networks across plant lineages.

The study tests whether the circadian clock component ELF3 shapes developmental trait heterogeneity, proposing that faster‑developing populations are more heterogeneous early but less so at maturity, whereas slower growers show the opposite pattern. Experiments with Arabidopsis elf3 and barley Hvelf3 mutants confirmed these predictions, showing ELF3 influences hypocotyl and bolting variability via maturation rate, and that smaller barley plants exhibit increased osmotic stress resilience, suggesting ELF3‑driven heterogeneity serves as a bet‑hedging strategy.