The study profiled the maize (Zea mays) endosperm transcriptome for the first four days after pollination using laser-capture microdissection, revealing temporal co‑expression modules including a fertilization‑activated subset. Network analyses linked MYB‑related transcription factors to basal endosperm transfer layer (BETL) differentiation and E2F transcription factors, together with TOR‑dependent sugar sensing, to early endosperm proliferation and kernel size variation.

The study reveals that REMORIN protein evolution is primarily driven by diversification of their conserved C-terminal domain, defining four major clades. Structural bioinformatics predicts a common membrane‑binding interface with diverse curvatures and lengths, and suggests that some REMs can form C‑terminal‑mediated oligomers, adding complexity to membrane organization.

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 used paired whole‑genome bisulphite sequencing and RNA‑seq on wheat landraces to investigate how DNA methylation patterns change during drought stress, revealing antagonistic trends across cytosine contexts and a key demethylation role for ROS1a family members. Gene‑body methylation correlated positively with expression but negatively with stress‑responsive changes, while drought‑induced hyper‑methylation of specific transposable elements, especially the RLX_famc9 LTR retrotransposon, appears to modulate downstream gene regulation via siRNA precursors.

The complete chloroplast genome of the endemic fruit species Dillenia philippinensis was sequenced, assembled, and annotated, revealing a 161,591‑bp quadripartite structure with 113 unique genes. Comparative analyses identified simple sequence repeats, codon usage patterns, and phylogenetic placement close to D. suffroticosa, providing a genomic resource for future breeding and conservation efforts.

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 integrated 16 Arabidopsis thaliana whole‑genome bisulfite sequencing datasets from 13 stress experiments using a unified bioinformatic pipeline to map common and stress‑specific DNA methylation changes. Differentially methylated regions varied by stress type and methylation context, with CG DMRs enriched in gene bodies and CHG/CHH DMRs in transposable elements, some of which overlapped loci prone to stable epimutations. Gene ontology and TE enrichment analyses highlighted shared stress pathways and suggest environmental stress can generate heritable epigenetic variation.

High-quality PacBio HiFi draft genome assemblies were generated for three Bouteloua species (B. curtipendula, B. gracilis, B. eriopoda) with >98.5% BUSCO completeness. Gene prediction with Helixer produced inflated gene counts likely reflecting polyploidy and fragmented predictions, and panEDTA identified 25–40% transposable-element content dominated by LTR retrotransposons. These assemblies provide foundational references for comparative genomics within PACMAD grasses.

RNA sequencing of the halophyte Salicornia europaea revealed that combined hypoxia‑salt stress triggers a unique transcriptional response, with 16% of genes specifically altered and distinct synergistic, antagonistic, and additive effects across functional pathways. Metabolic analyses indicated enhanced sucrose and trehalose metabolism, a shift toward lactate fermentation, and increased proline synthesis, highlighting complex regulatory strategies for coping with concurrent stresses.

Six new Viola species and two reinstated species from China were identified using field surveys, detailed morphological comparison, and phylogenetic analysis of ITS and GPI gene sequences, placing them in section Plagiostigma subsect. Diffusae. The GPI data offered higher resolution, indicating complex relationships possibly due to ancient hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting, thereby clarifying species boundaries and evolutionary patterns in Chinese Viola.