A genome-wide survey of the white jute (Corchorus capsularis) identified 34 laccase genes, with expression profiling indicating most are active in phloem and some are up‑regulated during development and under abiotic stress. Comparative analysis with Arabidopsis and reduced expression in a low‑lignin mutant highlighted CcaLAC28 and CcaLAC32 as key candidates for regulating fibre lignification, offering targets for breeding low‑lignin jute varieties.
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 examines how ectopic accumulation of methionine in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, driven by a deregulated AtCGS transgene under a seed‑specific promoter, reshapes metabolism, gene expression, and DNA methylation. High‑methionine lines exhibit increased amino acids and sugars, activation of stress‑hormone pathways, and reduced expression of DNA methyltransferases, while low‑methionine lines show heightened non‑CG methylation without major transcriptional changes. Integrated transcriptomic and methylomic analyses reveal a feedback loop linking sulfur‑carbon metabolism, stress adaptation, and epigenetic regulation.
The study examined how tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants respond hormonally to infection by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 at two different temperatures, revealing temperature‑dependent expression of marker genes for salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid pathways, while ethylene‑related genes remained unchanged. These results underscore the intricate interplay between host, pathogen, and environmental conditions in shaping plant defence.
The study compared tissue‑specific transcriptomes of the Australian pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis with existing data from the Asian pitcher plant Nepenthes gracilis to assess molecular convergence underlying their similar leaf morphologies. Both species showed overlapping gene expression in functionally equivalent tissues and shared transcriptional activation of amino‑acid metabolism and protein synthesis after feeding, while exhibiting distinct regulation of digestive enzyme genes and several cases of combined expression and protein‑sequence convergence in glandular tissues.
The study investigated whether expression of Dormancy-Associated MADS-BOX genes DAM3 and DAM4 inversely correlates with vegetative growth during semi-dormancy induction and breaking in cultivated strawberry. DAM3 and DAM4 expression showed negative correlations with leaf area and petiole length, with DAM4 particularly reflecting growth during dormancy breaking, while no cultivar-specific chill requirement or leaf-type differences were detected. These findings support DAM3 and DAM4 as regulators of semi‑dormancy in Fragaria × ananassa.
Kinase fusion proteins (KFPs) act as immune receptors conferring disease resistance in wheat and barley. The study identified an extended β‑finger motif, a Poaceae-specific feature that arose approximately 98 million years ago, present in functionally confirmed KFPs. These receptor genes are among the most highly expressed members of the KFP family, indicating that high transcript levels are linked to their resistance function.
The study shows that the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 directs tissue-specific growth‑defense programs in Arabidopsis thaliana by reshaping transcriptomes. kin10 knockout mutants exhibit altered root transcription, reduced root growth, and weakened defense against Pseudomonas syringae, whereas KIN10 overexpression activates shoot defense pathways, increasing ROS and salicylic acid signaling at the cost of growth.
Revisiting the Central Dogma: the distinct roles of genome, methylation, transcription, and translation on protein expression in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zhong, Z., Bailey, M., Kim, Y.-I., Pesaran-Afsharyan, N., Parker, B., Arathoon, L., Li, X., Rundle, C. A., Behrens, A., Nedialkova, D. D., Slavov, G., Hassani-Pak, K., Lilley, K. S., Theodoulou, F. L., Mott, R.
The study combined long‑read whole‑genome assembly, multi‑omics profiling (DNA methylation, mRNA, ribosome‑associated transcripts, tRNA abundance, and protein levels) in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions to evaluate how genomic information propagates through the Central Dogma. Codon usage in gene sequences emerged as the strongest predictor of both mRNA and protein abundance, while methylation, tRNA levels, and ribosome‑associated transcripts contributed little additional information under stable conditions.
The study investigates how Arabidopsis thaliana rosette leaves respond to iron availability at four successive reproductive stages, showing that young leaves suffer growth inhibition and yellowing under iron deficiency while old and young leaves display distinct gene expression and elemental profiles. Developmental stage‑dependent modulation of iron‑related genes and ionomic contents is highlighted, suggesting leaf‑specific signaling mechanisms in iron management.