The study discovers that drought stress triggers proteolytic activation of chloroplast‑localized polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in Camellia sinensis, converting catechins into theaflavins that act as signaling molecules to induce an unfolded protein response and IRE1‑bZIP60‑dependent programmed cell death. Germplasm comparison, transcriptomic profiling, virus‑induced silencing, PPO overexpression, and pharmacological feeding experiments demonstrate that this PPO‑theaflavin pathway is a conserved stress sensor across species such as tomato and wheat.

The study examined how prior light‑acclimation influences the fitness and rapid photoprotective reprogramming of Chlamydomonas during transitions between low and high diurnal light intensities. While high‑light‑acclimated cells struggled to grow and complete the cell cycle after shifting to low light, low‑light‑acclimated cells quickly remodeled thylakoid ultrastructure, enhanced photoprotective quenching, and altered photosystem protein levels, recovering chloroplast function within a single day. Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling revealed swift induction of stress‑response genes, indicating high flexibility in diurnal light acclimation.

The study applied single-nucleus RNA sequencing to mature Sorghum bicolor leaves under well‑watered and drought conditions, identifying major leaf cell types and their transcriptional responses. Drought induced transcriptomic changes that surpassed cell‑type differences, indicating a common response across mesophyll, bundle sheath, epidermal, vascular, and stomatal cells, and enabling the identification of candidate drought‑responsive regulators for improving water‑use efficiency.

The study shows that during drought, rice (Oryza sativa) downregulates nutrient acquisition and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis genes, causing the fungal partner to enter metabolic quiescence and retract hyphae, but upon re-watering the symbiosis is rapidly reactivated. This reversible dynamic suggests that plant‑fungus mutualisms are fragile under fluctuating water availability.

The study demonstrates that the chromatin remodeler DDM1 is essential for biomass heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana hybrids, as loss of DDM1 function leads to reduced rosette growth and extensive genotype‑specific transcriptomic and DNA methylation changes. Whole‑genome bisulfite sequencing revealed widespread hypomethylation in ddm1 mutants, while salicylic acid levels were found unrelated to heterosis, indicating that epigenetic divergence, rather than SA signaling, underpins hybrid vigor.

The study investigated structural cell wall changes in wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings during drought, revealing rapid remodeling after five days, organ-specific responses, and both cross‑linking and degradation of wall polymers such as homogalacturonans, xylan, and AGPs. Deposition of unesterified homogalacturonans promotes calcium cross‑linking, enhancing wall rigidity and water retention.

The study used wood metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and metabarcoding to compare grapevine (Vitis vinifera) responses to drought and esca leaf symptom expression, revealing distinct but overlapping transcriptomic and metabolic signatures, including activation of phenylpropanoid and stilbenoid pathways. Drought reduced esca symptom expression, associated with decreased abundance of the wood‑decay fungus Fomitiporia mediterranea and altered fungal virulence factor expression, while increasing the relative abundance and anti‑oxidative gene expression of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora.

The study applied a progressive, sublethal drought treatment to Arabidopsis thaliana, collecting time‑resolved phenotypic and transcriptomic data. Machine‑learning analysis revealed distinct drought stages driven by multiple overlapping transcriptional programs that intersect with plant aging, and identified high‑explanatory‑power transcripts as biomarkers rather than causal agents.

Salt stress strongly suppresses root growth in Festuca rubra while sparing shoot development. Transcriptome profiling identified over 68,000 differentially expressed genes, with up‑regulated genes enriched in methionine, melatonin, and suberin biosynthesis and down‑regulated genes involved in gibberellin, ABA, and sugar signaling, indicating extensive hormonal and metabolic reprogramming. Paradoxical regulation of gibberellin and ethylene pathways suggests a finely tuned balance between growth and stress responses.

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.