Using a microfluidic valve rootchip, the study simultaneously tracked ROS and calcium dynamics in compressed roots and found three kinetic phases linking mechanosensitive channel activity, NADPH oxidase‑dependent ROS accumulation, and secondary calcium influx. Pharmacological inhibition revealed that a fast calcium response is mediated by plasma‑membrane mechanosensitive channels, while a slower calcium increase is driven by ROS production.
The study characterizes the single-copy S-nitrosoglutathione reductase 1 (MpGSNOR1) in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, showing that loss-of-function mutants generated via CRISPR/Cas9 exhibit marked morphological defects and compromised SNO homeostasis and immune responses. These findings indicate that GSNOR-mediated regulation of S‑nitrosylation is an ancient mechanism linking development and immunity in early land plants.
The study examines how proteasomal degradation of A‑class and B‑class Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) is regulated in the bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha, identifying a key residue required for MpARF2 degradation that is also conserved in MpARF1. While disruption of MpARF2 degradation impairs development across life‑cycle stages, blocking MpARF1 degradation has minimal phenotypic impact, indicating divergent functional integration despite a shared degradation mechanism.
An Axiom SNP genotyping array for potato: development, evaluation and applications
Authors: Baig, N., Thelen, K., Ayenan, M. A. T., Hartje, S., Obeng-Hinneh, E., Zgadzaj, R., Renner, J., Muders, K., Truberg, B., Rosen, A., Prigge, V., Bruckmueller, J., Luebeck, J., Van Inghelandt, D., Stich, B.
The study reports the creation and validation of a high‑density Axiom SNP array for Solanum tuberosum, based on 10X Genomics sequencing of 108 diverse clones and integration of existing Illumina markers. The array demonstrated high reproducibility and, after filtering, provided 206,616 informative markers for population structure analysis, GWAS of polyphenol oxidase activity, and genomic prediction with accuracies up to 0.86.
Modulation of the GT Family 47 clade B gene affects arabinan deposition in elaters of Marchantia polymorpha
Authors: Kang, H. S. F., Lampugnani, E. R., Tong, X., Prabhakar, P. K., Flores-Sandoval, E., Hansen, J., Jorgensen, B., Bowman, J. L., Urbanowicz, B. R., Ebert, B., Persson, S.
The study investigates the function of two GT47B arabinan arabinosyltransferases in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, generating loss‑of‑function and overexpression lines to assess cell wall composition. Using CoMPP, glycosyl linkage analysis, and LM6 immunolabelling, the authors found that MpARADL2 mutants have reduced 1,5‑L‑arabinan epitopes in elaters despite unchanged overall 5‑linked Araf levels, suggesting additional enzymes compensate in thallus tissue. Attempts to express and purify the enzymes in HEK293 cells failed, implying a clade‑specific solubility requirement and highlighting the need to identify interacting partners.
The Building Blocks of Early Land Plants: Glycosyltransferases and Cell Wall Architecture in the model liverwort Marchantia polymorpha
Authors: Kang, H. S. F., Tong, X., Mariette, A., Leong, M., Beahan, C., Flores-Sandoval, E., Pedersen, G., Rautengarten, C., Bowman, J. L., Ebert, B., Bacic, A., Doblin, M., Persson, S., Lampugnani, E. R.
The study characterizes the composition and structure of cell wall glycans in eight tissue types of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, revealing both typical land‑plant features and unique traits such as abundant (1,5)-arabinan in sporophytes and low overall pectin levels. Comparative genomic analysis shows a diversified glycosyltransferase repertoire relative to Arabidopsis, and the authors created a Gateway‑compatible library of 93 M. polymorpha GTs to facilitate future functional studies.
The authors identified MpCAFA, a protein combining CAPS-like and FAP115-like domains, as a key factor for rapid ciliary swimming in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha spermatozoids. Loss-of-function mutants displayed markedly reduced swimming speed despite normal axoneme structure, chemotaxis, and fertility, and these defects were rescued by a MpCAFA‑mCitrine fusion that localized along the entire cilium. Both the CAPS-like and FAP115-like regions are required for MpCAFA’s function and ciliary targeting, establishing it as a major ciliary protein and a marker for visualizing spermatozoid motility.
The study investigated meristem activation in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, revealing that simulated shade causes alternating inactivity of meristems. Transcriptomic comparison of active versus inactive meristems identified the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase MpCYP78E1 as an inhibitor of meristem activity and initiation, with loss- and gain-of-function mutants confirming its regulatory role in shoot branching architecture.
The study demonstrates that MYB‑bHLH‑WDR transcriptional complexes (MBW) are present in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, indicating that such complexes originated before the diversification of land plants. Functional analyses reveal that two MYB paralogs, MpMYB14 and MpMYB02, rely on a single bHLH partner (MpbHLH12) to regulate flavonoid biosynthesis and liverwort‑specific oil body maturation, suggesting an ancestral role in pigment production and a derived role in organelle development.
The authors adapted OpenPlant kit CRISPR/Cas9 tools to enable multiplex gRNA expression from a single transcript using tRNA sequences in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, markedly enhancing editing efficiency and scalability. They coupled this vector system with a simplified, optimized thallus transformation protocol, providing a rapid and versatile platform for generating CRISPR/Cas9 mutants and advancing functional genomics in this model species.