Transcriptomic profiling of desert tree Prosopis cineraria under heat stress reveals potential role of multiple gene families in its high thermotolerance
Prosopis cineraria plants were exposed to two heat stress regimes (45 °C and 55 °C) and subjected to transcriptome sequencing, revealing 1,151 and 1,562 differentially expressed genes respectively, with the higher temperature eliciting a stronger response. Bioinformatic analysis highlighted multiple gene families associated with thermotolerance, and the expression of selected heat‑responsive genes was confirmed by real‑time qPCR, providing candidate loci for crop improvement.
The study demonstrates that N6‑methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation acts as a negative regulator of thermotolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana, with loss of m6A increasing heat‑responsive gene expression and mRNA stability. Heat shock triggers a transient reduction of m6A levels, which is linked to enrichment of the H3K4me3 histone mark at target loci, enhancing transcription of heat shock proteins. These findings reveal a coordinated interplay between RNA methylation and chromatin modifications that fine‑tunes the plant heat stress response.
Integrative analysis of plant responses to a combination of water deficit, heat stress and eCO2 reveals a role for OST1 and SLAH3 in regulating stomatal responses
Authors: Pelaez-Vico, M. A., Sinha, R., Ghani, A., Lopez-Climent, M. F., Joshi, T., Fritschi, F. B., Zandalinas, S. I., Mittler, R.
The study examined how Arabidopsis thaliana integrates physiological, genetic, hormonal, and transcriptomic responses to combined water deficit, heat stress, and elevated CO2. Results show that stomatal aperture under these complex stress combinations is governed by a specific set of regulators, including nitric oxide, OPEN STOMATA 1, and the SLAH3 anion channel, distinct from those active under simpler stress conditions. This reveals a hierarchical stomatal stress code that could inform future research on plant resilience to global change.
Transcriptomic and physiological responses of soybean plants subjected to a combination of water deficit and heat stress under field conditions
Authors: Sinha, R., Pelaez-Vico, M. A., Dhakal, S., Ghani, A., Myers, R., Verma, M., Shostak, B., Ogden, A., Krueger, C. B., Costa Netto, J. R., Zandalinas, S. I., Joshi, T., Fritschi, F. B., Mittler, R.
A two‑year field study examined how soybean (Glycine max) vegetative and reproductive tissues respond transcriptionally and physiologically to water deficit, heat, and their combination. The field‑grown plants showed distinct transcriptomic patterns compared with controlled‑environment studies, especially under single stresses, while differential leaf‑pod transpiration observed in growth chambers was also present in the field. The generated transcriptomic dataset highlights the importance of field‑based omics for understanding crop stress responses.
The study evaluated how acute heat stress affects early-stage rice seedlings, identifying a critical temperature threshold that impairs growth. Transcriptomic profiling of shoots and roots revealed ethylene‑responsive factors (ERFs) as central regulators, with ethylene and jasmonic acid acting upstream, and pre‑treatment with these hormones mitigated heat damage. These findings highlight ERF‑hormone interaction networks as targets for improving rice heat resilience.
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.
Comparative transcriptomics uncovers plant and fungal genetic determinants of mycorrhizal compatibility
Authors: Marques-Galvez, J. E., de Freitas Pereira, M., Nehls, U., Ruytinx, J., Barry, K., Peter, M., Martin, F., Grigoriev, I. V., Veneault-Fourrey, C., Kohler, A.
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.
High radiosensitivity in the conifer Norway spruce (Picea abies) due to lesscomprehensive mobilisation of protection and repair responses compared to the radiotolerant Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Bhattacharjee, P., Blagojevic, D., Lee, Y., Gillard, G. B., Gronvold, L., Hvidsten, T. R., Sandve, S. R., Lind, O. C., Salbu, B., Brede, D. A., Olsen, J. E.
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 shows that heatwaves impair the ability of apple (Malus domestica) to mount ASM‑induced immunity against fire blight and apple scab, leading to a loss of protective gene expression. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a broad suppression of ASM‑regulated defense and other biological processes under high temperature, identifying thermo‑sensitive resistance and susceptibility marker genes. The findings highlight that elevated temperature both weakens plant defenses and creates a more favorable environment for pathogens.
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.