The authors introduce the ENABLE(R) Gene Editing in planta toolkit, a streamlined two‑step cloning system for creating CRISPR/Cas9 knockout vectors suitable for transient or stable transformation. Validation was performed in Oryza sativa protoplasts and Arabidopsis thaliana plants, and the toolkit includes low‑cost protocols aimed at facilitating adoption in the Global South.

The study investigated how barley (Hordeum vulgare) adjusts mitochondrial respiration under salinity stress using physiological, biochemical, metabolomic and proteomic approaches. Salt treatment increased respiration and activated the canonical TCA cycle, while the GABA shunt remained largely inactive, contrasting with wheat responses.

The authors created a fast‑cycling, isogenic barley line (GP‑rapid) by introgressing the wild‑type Ppd‑H1 allele from Igri into the Golden Promise cultivar and performing two backcrosses to limit the donor genome, achieving a 25% reduction in generation time under speed‑breeding conditions while retaining high transformation efficiency. CRISPR/Cas9‑mediated editing of Ppd‑H1 showed regeneration and transformation rates comparable to the original Golden Promise, establishing GP‑rapid as a rapid platform for transgenic and gene‑edited barley research.

The study shows that inoculation with the non‑diazotrophic bacterium Enterobacter sp. SA187 significantly improves Arabidopsis thaliana growth under low nitrate conditions by increasing fresh weight, primary root length, and lateral root density, while enhancing nitrate accumulation and reducing shoot C:N ratios. Transcriptomic and mutant analyses reveal that these benefits depend on ethylene signaling and the activity of high‑affinity nitrate transporters NRT2.5 and NRT2.6, indicating an ethylene‑mediated, HATS‑dependent reprogramming of nitrogen uptake.

The study applied CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to Physalis peruviana to modify plant‑architecture genes and create a compact growth ideotype. This compact phenotype is intended to increase per‑plot yield and support future breeding efforts for this nutritionally valuable minor crop.

The study reveals that Arabidopsis ethylene receptors ETR1 and ERS1 function as Ca²⁺-permeable channels, with ETR1 specifically mediating ethylene‑induced cytosolic Ca²⁺ spikes that influence hypocotyl elongation. Homologous receptors from diverse land plants and algae also show Ca²⁺ permeability, and ethylene further enhances this activity, indicating a conserved regulatory role across the green lineage.

The study generated deep proteome and phosphoproteome datasets from guard cell‑enriched tissue to examine how phosphorylation regulates stomatal movements. Comparative analysis revealed increased phosphorylation of endomembrane trafficking and vacuolar proteins in closed stomata, supporting a role for phospho‑regulated trafficking in stomatal dynamics.

The study examined seed maturation and germination in the endangered legume Paubrasilia echinata using proteomic and polyamine analyses at 4, 6, and 8 weeks post-anthesis, identifying over 2,000 proteins and linking specific polyamines to developmental stages. Mature seeds (6 weeks) showed elevated proteasome components, translation machinery, LEA proteins, and heat shock proteins, while polyamine dynamics revealed putrescine dominance in early development and spermidine/spermine association with desiccation tolerance and germination. These findings uncover dynamic molecular shifts underlying seed development and provide insights for conservation and propagation.

The study demonstrates that ethylene signaling contributes to host resistance against the root parasitic plant Phelipanche aegyptiaca, as both water stress and parasitism activate ethylene responses in Arabidopsis roots. Application of the ethylene precursor ACC reduced parasite attachment, and mutants in ethylene signaling components (ETR1, CTR1) showed altered tolerance, highlighting ethylene-mediated defenses as a potential strategy for crop protection.

The study uncovers a reciprocal regulatory loop between type one protein phosphatases (TOPPs) and EIN2 in ethylene signaling, showing that ethylene induces TOPPs expression and that TOPPs dephosphorylate EIN2 at S655 to stabilize it and promote nuclear accumulation. TOPPs act upstream of EIN2, while EIN3/EIL1 transcriptionally activates TOPPs, linking dephosphorylation to enhanced ethylene responses and improved salt tolerance.