The study functionally characterizes a conserved structured RNA motif (45ABC) in Arabidopsis RBP45 pre‑mRNAs, showing that its sequence and pairing elements mediate a negative auto‑ and cross‑regulatory feedback loop through alternative splicing that produces unproductive isoforms and reduces RBP45 expression. Transcriptome‑wide splicing analysis and phenotypic assessment of rbp45 mutants reveal that RBP45B plays a dominant role and that proper regulation of this motif is essential for root growth and flowering time.
A large-scale proteomic study in Arabidopsis thaliana identified over 32,000 isoform-specific peptides, confirming that alternative splicing, particularly intron retention, produces translated protein isoforms. Integrated proteogenomic analysis, SUPPA classification, and AlphaFold modeling revealed structural impacts and a non-linear regulation of transcript and protein abundance, with mutant phenotypes linking splicing to growth, chlorophyll content, and anthocyanin accumulation.
The researchers created tomato lines overexpressing the autophagy gene SlATG8f and evaluated their performance under high-temperature stress. qRT‑PCR and physiological measurements revealed that SlATG8f overexpression enhances expression of autophagy‑related and heat‑shock protein genes, accelerates fruit ripening, and improves fruit quality under heat stress.
The study profiled root transcriptomes of Arabidopsis wild type and etr1 gain-of-function (etr1-3) and loss-of-function (etr1-7) mutants under ethylene or ACC treatment, identifying 4,522 ethylene‑responsive transcripts, including 553 that depend on ETR1 activity. ETR1‑dependent genes encompassed ethylene biosynthesis enzymes (ACO2, ACO3) and transcription factors, whose expression was further examined in an ein3eil1 background, revealing that both ETR1 and EIN3/EIL1 pathways regulate parts of the network controlling root hair proliferation and lateral root formation.
The study compares conventional vertical (I‑shaped) and novel horizontal (S‑shaped) cultivation methods for hydroponically grown mini‑tomatoes in a five‑tier plant factory with white LED lighting. The S‑shaped system provided more uniform light distribution, leading to consistent photosynthetic rates, earlier fruit maturation, and higher sugar and lycopene contents, while maintaining similar total yields to the I‑shaped method.
The study used phospho‑proteomics to uncover rapid phosphorylation changes in Arabidopsis seedlings upon light or sucrose exposure, identifying RS41 as a hyperphosphorylated SR protein. By creating single and higher‑order mutants of four RS genes, the authors demonstrated that these RS proteins are essential for photomorphogenic development and regulate light‑dependent alternative splicing, with loss of all four causing sterility.
The study investigated how Arabidopsis thaliana SR protein kinases (AtSRPKs) regulate alternative RNA splicing by using chemical inhibitors of SRPK activity. Inhibition with SPHINX31 and SRPIN340 caused reduced root growth and loss of root hairs, accompanied by widespread changes in splicing and phosphorylation of genes linked to root development and other cellular processes. Multi‑omics analysis (transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics) revealed that AtSRPKs modulate diverse splicing factors and affect the splicing landscape of numerous pathways.
The study used TurboID-based proximity labeling coupled with mass spectrometry to map the Arabidopsis alternative splicing machinery centered on ACINUS, PININ, and SR45, identifying 298 high-confidence components and revealing that splicing is tightly linked to transcription and other RNA processing steps. Bioinformatic and genetic analyses, including O-glycosylation double mutants, demonstrated both conserved and plant‑specific regulatory networks and highlighted the role of sugar modifications in modulating splicing.
The study used genome‑wide bioinformatics to uncover phased secondary small interfering RNA (phasiRNA) regulatory modules active during tomato fruit ripening, linking them to traits such as color, firmness, brightness, and nutritional content. These findings lay groundwork for exploiting phasiRNAs in molecular breeding to improve tomato fruit quality.
A tomato line hyposensitive to simulated proximity shade shows altered auxin-related 1 gene expression and improved fruit yield under high-density field conditions
Authors: Burbano, E., Francesca, S., Palau-Rodriguez, J., Berdonces, A., Valverde-Carbajal, L., Perez-Beser, J. M., Addonizio, M., MARTINEZ GARCIA, J., Rigano, M. M., Rodriguez-Concepcion, M.
The study compared tomato genotypes under supplemental far‑red light (W+FR) and identified the Solanum pennellii introgression line IL2-2 as shade‑tolerant, displaying reduced seedling elongation and altered auxin‑gene expression relative to the parental M82 line. While W+FR enhanced fruit quality (°Brix, ascorbic acid, carotenoids) in M82, IL2-2 maintained stable quality and showed higher fruit yield under high‑density planting, suggesting its utility for dense or intercropped agricultural systems.