The study investigates the gene regulatory network (GRN) controlling flowering time in the allotetraploid crop Brassica napus by comparing its transcriptome to that of Arabidopsis thaliana. While most orthologous gene pairs show conserved expression dynamics, several flowering‑time genes display regulatory divergence, especially under cold conditions, indicating subfunctionalisation among paralogues. Despite these differences, the overall GRN topology remains similar to Arabidopsis, likely due to retention of multiple paralogues.

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 developed a high‑throughput, semi‑automated image analysis pipeline that couples a Blackbird CNC microscopy robot with YOLO11‑based computer‑vision models to identify life stages of the two‑spotted spider mite across multiple host plants. The three‑class detection model achieved >87% precision and recall, enabling reliable fecundity measurements for resistance breeding, though mortality assessment was less accurate at high mite densities or on unseen host backgrounds.

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 used comparative transcriptomics of dorsal and ventral petals across development, alongside expression profiling in floral symmetry mutants, to identify genes linked to dorsal (AmCYC-dependent) and ventral (AmDIV-dependent) identities in Antirrhinum majus. In situ hybridisation validated axis‑specific and boundary‑localized expression patterns, revealing that a conserved NGATHA‑LIKE1‑BRASSINAZOLE‑RESISTANT1‑miR164 module has been co‑opted to regulate AmDIV targets and shape the corolla. These findings delineate regulatory modules coordinating dorsoventral and proximal‑distal patterning in zygomorphic flowers.

The study sequenced genomes of ericoid mycorrhiza‑forming liverworts and experimentally reconstituted the symbiosis, revealing a nutrient‑regulated state that supports intracellular colonization. Comparative transcriptomics identified an ancestral gene module governing intracellular symbiosis, and functional validation in Marchantia paleacea through genetic manipulation, phylogenetics, and transactivation assays confirmed its essential role. The findings suggest plants have retained and independently recruited this ancestral module for diverse intracellular symbioses.

The study reveals that leaf wounding in Arabidopsis triggers localized cooling and activation of cold-responsive genes, with the subsequent loss of cooling marking wound healing. It identifies CBF transcription factors as mediators of this cooling signal and introduces a computer‑vision and deep‑learning workflow to quantitatively monitor healing dynamics.

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.

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.