The study provides a comprehensive genome-wide catalog and single‑cell expression atlas of the carbonic anhydrase (CA) gene family in maize, identifying 18 CA genes across α, β, and γ subfamilies and detailing their structural and regulatory features. Phylogenetic, synteny, promoter motif, bulk tissue RNA‑seq, and single‑cell RNA‑seq analyses reveal distinct tissue and cell‑type specific expression patterns, highlighting β‑CAs as key players in C4 photosynthesis and γ‑CAs in ion/pH buffering, and propose cell‑type‑specific CA genes as targets for improving stress resilience.

The study demonstrates that ABI5‑Binding Proteins (AFPs) interact with multiple components of the core ABA signaling pathway and serve as substrates for SnRK2 kinases and PP2C phosphatases, linking them to MAP kinases and 14‑3‑3 proteins. Phosphorylation of AFP2, promoted by ABA, stabilizes the protein and influences its subcellular localization, thereby modulating its ability to inhibit ABA responses during seed germination.

The study presents a high-quality genome assembly for the nickel hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens and uses it as a reference for comparative transcriptomic analyses across different N. caerulescens accessions and the non‑accumulating relative Microthlaspi perfoliatum. It identifies a limited set of metal transporters (NcHMA3, NcHMA4, NcIREG2, and NcIRT1) whose elevated expression correlates with hyperaccumulation, and demonstrates that frameshift mutations in NcIRT1 can abolish the trait, indicating an ancient, transporter‑driven origin of nickel hyperaccumulation.

The study identifies the transcription factor MdBRC1 as a key inhibitor of bud growth during the ecodormancy phase in apple (Malus domestica), directly regulating dormancy‑associated genes and interacting with the flowering promoter MdFT2 to modulate bud break. Comparative transcriptomic analysis and gain‑of‑function experiments in poplar demonstrate that MdFT2 physically binds MdBRC1, attenuating its repressive activity and acting as a molecular switch for the transition to active growth.

The study integrated genetic architecture derived from maize GWAS into phenotypic simulations of hybrid populations, using ≥200 top GWAS hits and adjusting marker effect sizes, which increased the correlation between simulated and empirical trait data across environments (r = 0.397–0.915). These informed simulations produced realistic trait distributions and genomic prediction results that closely matched empirical observations, demonstrating improved utility for digital breeding programs.

The study introduced full-length SOC1 genes from maize and soybean, and a partial SOC1 gene from blueberry, into tomato plants under constitutive promoters. While VcSOC1K and ZmSOC1 accelerated flowering, all three transgenes increased fruit number per plant mainly by promoting branching, and transcriptomic profiling revealed alterations in flowering, growth, and stress‑response pathways.

The study identifies the RNA‑binding protein AtG3BP1 as a phosphorylation target of MAPKs MPK3, MPK4, and MPK6 at Ser257 in Arabidopsis thaliana and shows that this modification promotes susceptibility to bacterial pathogens, suppresses ROS accumulation and salicylic acid biosynthesis, and maintains stomatal opening. Phospho‑mimic and phospho‑dead mutants reveal that phosphorylation stabilizes AtG3BP1 by preventing proteasomal degradation, highlighting a novel post‑translational control layer in plant immunity.

The study identifies a moss‑specific fusion protein, Rosetta NATD‑MAPK 1 (RAK1), that combines a MAPK domain with an N‑acetyltransferase and demonstrates that its acetyltransferase activity is enhanced upon MAPK activation. Knockout of RAK1 impairs the 2D‑to‑3D developmental transition in Physcomitrium patens, and mass‑spectrometry reveals associated changes in acetylation and phosphorylation linked to metabolic reprogramming.

The study compared physiological, ion‑balance, and metabolic responses of two maize inbred lines—salt‑sensitive C68 and salt‑tolerant NC326—under salinity stress. Untargeted metabolomics identified 56 metabolites and, together with genetic analysis, linked 10 candidate genes to key protective metabolites, revealing constitutive and inducible mechanisms of salt tolerance.

The study reveals that a conserved serine adjacent to the catalytic glutamate in TIR domains is essential for NAD+‑cleaving activity, and that phosphorylation of this serine by plant calcium‑dependent protein kinases (CPKs) or mammalian kinases (CAMK2D, TBK1) inhibits the activity, thereby preventing growth repression and cell death. This phosphorylation-based mechanism provides a universal means to balance growth and immune defense across species.