Transcriptional responses of Solanum lycopersicum to three distinct parasites reveal host hubs and networks underlying parasitic successes
Authors: Truch, J., Jaouannet, M., Da Rocha, M., Kulhanek-Fontanille, E., Van Ghelder, C., Rancurel, C., Migliore, O., Pere, A., Jaubert, S., Coustau, C., Galiana, E., Favery, B.
The study used transcriptomic profiling to compare tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) responses to three evolutionarily distant pathogens—nematodes, aphids, and oomycetes—during compatible interactions, identifying differentially expressed genes and key host hubs. Integrating public datasets and performing co‑expression and GO enrichment analyses, the authors mapped shared dysregulation clusters and employed Arabidopsis interactome data to place tomato candidates within broader networks, highlighting potential targets for multi‑pathogen resistance.
The study employed ultra large‑scale 2D clinostats to grow tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants beyond the seedling stage under simulated microgravity and upright control conditions across five sequential trials. Simulated microgravity consistently affected plant growth, but the magnitude and direction of the response varied among trials, with temperature identified as a significant co‑variant; moderate heat stress surprisingly enhanced growth under simulated microgravity. These results highlight the utility of large‑scale clinostats for dissecting interactions between environmental factors and simulated microgravity in plant development.
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 study investigates the role of the chromatin regulator MpSWI3, a core subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. A promoter mutation disrupts male gametangiophore development and spermiogenesis, causing enhanced vegetative propagation, and transcriptomic analysis reveals that MpSWI3 regulates genes controlling reproductive initiation, sperm function, and asexual reproduction, highlighting its ancient epigenetic role in balancing vegetative and reproductive phases.
The study investigated metabolic responses of kale (Brassica oleracea) grown under simulated microgravity using a 2-D clinostat versus normal gravity conditions. LC‑MS data were analyzed with multivariate tools such as PCA and volcano plots to identify gravity‑related metabolic adaptations and potential molecular markers for spaceflight crop health.
The study genotyped 1,013 hard red spring wheat lines using SNP arrays and targeted KASP markers to track changes in genetic diversity and the distribution of dwarfing Rht alleles over a century of North American breeding. It found shifts from Rht‑D1b to Rht‑B1b dominance, identified low‑frequency dwarf alleles at Rht24 and Rht25 that have increased recently, and revealed gene interactions that can fine‑tune plant height, along with evidence of recent selection for photoperiod sensitivity.
A biparental Vicia faba mapping population was screened under glasshouse conditions for resistance to a mixture of Fusarium avenaceum and Fusarium oxysporum, revealing several families with moderate to high resistance. Using the Vfaba_v2 Axiom SNP array, a high-density linkage map of 6,755 SNPs was constructed, enabling the identification of a major QTL on linkage group 4 associated with partial resistance to foot and root rot.