The study evaluated how acute heat stress affects early-stage rice seedlings, identifying a critical temperature threshold that impairs growth. Transcriptomic profiling of shoots and roots revealed ethylene‑responsive factors (ERFs) as central regulators, with ethylene and jasmonic acid acting upstream, and pre‑treatment with these hormones mitigated heat damage. These findings highlight ERF‑hormone interaction networks as targets for improving rice heat resilience.
The autophagy-related genes AtATG5 and AtATG7 influence reserve mobilisation and responses to ABA during seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Contreras, E., Sanchez-Vicente, I., Pastor-Mora, E., Aylon-Rodriguez, M., Gonzalez-Ceballos, M., Delgado-Gutierrez, M. A., Lorenzo, O., Vicente-Carbajosa, J., Iglesias-Fernandez, R.
The study examines how autophagy-related genes AtATG5 and AtATG7 influence Arabidopsis seed germination and ABA responses, revealing that atg5 and atg7 mutants germinate more slowly and display altered lipid droplet and protein storage vacuole organization. Transcriptomic and immunolocalization analyses show delayed ABI5 decay and a direct interaction between ATG8 and the autophagy machinery, implicating autophagy in seed reserve mobilization via transcription factor turnover.
Using the Euphorbia peplus genome, the authors performed organ‑specific transcriptomic profiling of the cyathium and combined it with gene phylogenies and dN/dS analysis to investigate floral‑development gene families. They found distinct SEP1 paralog expression, lack of E‑class gene duplications typical of other pseudanthia, and divergent expression patterns for CRC, UFO, LFY, AP3, and PI, suggesting unique developmental pathways in Euphorbia.
The study shows that heatwaves impair the ability of apple (Malus domestica) to mount ASM‑induced immunity against fire blight and apple scab, leading to a loss of protective gene expression. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a broad suppression of ASM‑regulated defense and other biological processes under high temperature, identifying thermo‑sensitive resistance and susceptibility marker genes. The findings highlight that elevated temperature both weakens plant defenses and creates a more favorable environment for pathogens.
The study identified a major QTL (qDTH3) on chromosome 3 responsible for a 7‑10‑day earlier heading phenotype in the rice line SM93, using QTL‑seq, KASP genotyping, association mapping, and transcriptomic analysis to fine‑map the locus to a 2.53 Mb region and pinpoint candidate genes. SNP markers linked to these genes were proposed as tools for breeding early‑maturing, climate‑resilient rice varieties.
The study compares transcriptional, proteomic, and metabolomic responses of wild‑type Arabidopsis and a cyp71A27 mutant to a plant‑growth‑promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens strain and a pathogenic Burkholderia glumeae strain, revealing distinct reprogramming and an unexpected signaling role for the non‑canonical P450 CYP71A27. Mutant analysis showed that loss of CYP71A27 alters gene and protein regulation, especially during interaction with the PGP bacterium, while having limited impact on root metabolites and exudates.
The study investigated how Arabidopsis thaliana SR protein kinases (AtSRPKs) regulate alternative RNA splicing by using chemical inhibitors of SRPK activity. Inhibition with SPHINX31 and SRPIN340 caused reduced root growth and loss of root hairs, accompanied by widespread changes in splicing and phosphorylation of genes linked to root development and other cellular processes. Multi‑omics analysis (transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics) revealed that AtSRPKs modulate diverse splicing factors and affect the splicing landscape of numerous pathways.
The study reveals that root hair cells rely on elevated autophagy to extend their lifespan, and that loss-of-function mutations in autophagy genes ATG2, ATG5, or ATG7 trigger premature, cell-autonomous death mediated by NAC transcription factors ANAC046 and ANAC087. This uncovers an antagonistic interaction between autophagy and a developmentally programmed cell death pathway that controls root hair longevity, highlighting a potential target for improving nutrient and water uptake in crops.
The study reveals that root hair-forming trichoblast cells in Arabidopsis thaliana display higher autophagic flux than adjacent atrichoblast cells, a difference linked to cell fate determination. Elevated autophagy in trichoblasts is required for vacuolar sodium sequestration, contributing to salt‑stress tolerance, whereas disrupting autophagy in these cells impairs ion accumulation and survival. Cell‑type‑specific genetic complementation restores both autophagy and stress resilience, highlighting a developmental program that tailors autophagy for environmental adaptation.
Bacteria use processing body condensates to attenuate host translation during infection
Authors: Gonzalez-Fuente, M., Schulz, N., Abdrakhmanov, A., Izzati, G., Zhu, S., Langin, G., Gouguet, P., Franz-Wachtel, M., Macek, B., Hafren, A., Dagdas, Y., Üstün, S.
The study reveals that the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae suppresses host plant translation by targeting processing bodies (P‑bodies) through two liquid-like effectors, linking this repression to the ER stress response. It further demonstrates that autophagic clearance of P‑bodies is essential for balancing translationally active and inactive mRNAs, uncovering new connections among translation, ER stress, and autophagy during plant immunity.