The study investigates how maternal environmental conditions, specifically temperature and light intensity, influence seed longevity in eight Arabidopsis thaliana natural accessions. Seeds developed under higher temperature (27 °C) and high light showed increased longevity, with transcriptome analysis of the Bor-4 accession revealing dynamic changes in stored mRNAs, including upregulation of antioxidant defenses and raffinose family oligosaccharides. These findings highlight the genotype‑dependent modulation of seed traits by the maternal environment.

The study examined how allelic variation at three barley flowering-time genes (PPD‑H1, ELF3, and PHYC) influences photoperiod response parameters, revealing that ELF3 reduces intrinsic earliness and PhyC‑e lowers photoperiod sensitivity. By testing Near Isogenic Lines and HEB‑25 lines under 16–24 h photoperiods, the authors identified a 20‑h threshold for PPD‑H1 lines and proposed reduced photoperiod regimes (20 h and 16 h) for energy‑efficient speed breeding.

The study applied spatial transcriptomics to map the transcriptional landscape of wheat (Triticum aestivum) inflorescences during spikelet development, revealing two distinct regions—a RAMOSA2‑active primordium and an ALOG1‑expressing boundary. Developmental assays showed that spikelets arise from meristematic zones accompanied by vascular rachis formation, identifying key regulators that could be targeted to improve spikelet number and yield.

The study investigates the evolutionary shift from archegonial to embryo‑sac reproduction by analyzing transcriptomes of Ginkgo reproductive organs and related species. It reveals that the angiosperm pollen‑tube guidance module MYB98‑CRP‑ECS is active in mature Ginkgo archegonia and that, while egg cell transcription is conserved, changes in the fate of other female gametophyte cells drove the transition, providing a molecular framework for this major reproductive evolution.

The study profiled small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in barley (Hordeum vulgare) seeds differing in viability after controlled long‑term storage, identifying 85,728 differentially expressed siRNAs associated with seed vigor. Trans‑acting siRNAs displayed distinct temporal patterns during imbibition, and functional analyses linked siRNA targets to key processes such as cytochrome activity, root development, and carbohydrate metabolism, suggesting a role in maintaining metabolic activity during germination.

An optimized workflow was developed to apply the Xenium in situ sequencing platform to formalin‑fixed paraffin‑embedded (FFPE) sections of Medicago truncatula roots and nodules, incorporating customized tissue preparation, probe design, and imaging to overcome plant‑specific challenges such as cell wall autofluorescence. The protocol was validated across nodule developmental stages using both a 50‑gene panel for mature cell identity and an expanded 480‑gene panel covering multiple cell types, providing a scalable high‑resolution spatial transcriptomics method adaptable to other plant systems.

The study demonstrates that in barley (Hordeum vulgare) the MAPK pathway, specifically the MKK3 kinase, controls grain dormancy through a combination of haplotype variation, copy-number changes, and intrinsic kinase activity. Historical selection of particular MKK3 haplotypes correlates with climatic pressures, offering a genetic basis to balance short dormancy with resistance to pre‑harvest sprouting under climate change.

The study applied the STOmics spatial transcriptomics platform to map gene expression at subcellular resolution in developing wheat (Triticum aestivum) seeds during grain filling, analyzing over four million transcripts. Eight functional cellular groups were identified, including four distinct endosperm clusters with radial expression patterns and novel marker genes, and subgenome‑biased expression was observed among specific paralogs. These results highlight spatial transcriptomics as a powerful tool for uncovering tissue‑specific and polyploid‑specific gene regulation in seeds.

The study combined spatial transcriptomics and single-nuclei RNA sequencing to map soybean (Glycine max) responses to Asian soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, revealing two distinct host cell states: pathogen‑occupied regions and adjacent non‑infected regions that show heightened defense gene expression. Gene co‑expression network analysis identified a key immune‑related module active in the stressed cells, highlighting a cell‑non‑autonomous defense mechanism.

A comparative physiological study of persimmon cultivars with flat (Hiratanenashi) and round (Koushimaru) fruit shapes revealed that differences in cell proliferation, cell shape, and size contribute to shape variation. Principal component analysis of elliptic Fourier descriptors tracked shape changes, while histology and transcriptome profiling identified candidate genes, including a WOX13 homeobox gene, potentially governing fruit shape development.