Genetius

The study created a system that blocks root‑mediated signaling between wheat varieties in a varietal mixture and used transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling to reveal that root chemical interactions drive reduced susceptibility to Septoria tritici blotch, with phenolic compounds emerging as key mediators. Disruption of these root signals eliminates both the disease resistance phenotype and the associated molecular reprogramming.

The study identifies the cysteine‑rich receptor‑like kinase CRK5 as a negative regulator of salicylic‑acid‑mediated cell death and a positive regulator of antioxidant homeostasis during dark‑induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis. Loss‑of‑function crk5 mutants display accelerated senescence, elevated ROS and electrolyte leakage, and altered antioxidant enzyme activities, phenotypes that are rescued by suppressing SA biosynthesis or catabolism. Transcriptome analysis reveals extensive deregulation of senescence‑ and redox‑related genes, highlighting CRK5’s central role in coordinating hormonal and oxidative pathways.

The study characterizes the chloroplast‑localized protein AT4G33780 in Arabidopsis thaliana using CRISPR/Cas9 knockout and overexpression lines, revealing tissue‑specific expression and context‑dependent effects on seed germination, seedling growth, vegetative development, and root responses to nickel stress. Integrated transcriptomic (RNA‑seq) and untargeted metabolomic analyses show extensive transcriptional reprogramming—especially of cell‑wall genes—and altered central energy metabolism, indicating AT4G33780 coordinates metabolic state with developmental regulation rather than controlling single pathways.

The study examined how DNA methylation influences cold stress priming in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that primed plants exhibit distinct gene expression and methylation patterns compared to non-primed plants. DNA methylation mutants, especially met1 lacking CG methylation, showed altered cold memory and misregulation of the CBF gene cluster, indicating that methylation ensures transcriptional precision during stress recall.

The study establishes a tractable system using the large bloom-forming diatom Coscinodiscus granii and its natural oomycete parasite Lagenisma coscinodisci, enabling manual isolation of single host cells and stable co-cultures. High‑quality transcriptomes for both partners were assembled, revealing diverse oomycete effectors and a host transcriptional response involving proteases and exosome pathways, while also profiling the co‑occurring heterotrophic flagellate Pteridomonas sp. This tripartite platform provides a unique marine model for dissecting molecular mechanisms of oomycete‑diatom interactions.

The study used paired whole‑genome bisulphite sequencing and RNA‑seq on wheat landraces to investigate how DNA methylation patterns change during drought stress, revealing antagonistic trends across cytosine contexts and a key demethylation role for ROS1a family members. Gene‑body methylation correlated positively with expression but negatively with stress‑responsive changes, while drought‑induced hyper‑methylation of specific transposable elements, especially the RLX_famc9 LTR retrotransposon, appears to modulate downstream gene regulation via siRNA precursors.

The study reveals that rice perceives Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae outer membrane vesicles through a rapid calcium signal that triggers plasma‑membrane nanodomain formation and the re‑organisation of defence‑related proteins, establishing an early immune response. Without this Ca2+ signal, OMVs are not recognized and immunity is weakened.

The study compares the iron-poor oceanic diatom Thalassiosira oceanica with the iron-rich coastal species T. pseudonana to uncover how diatoms adapt to low-iron conditions. Using photo‑physiological measurements, proteomic profiling, and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, the researchers show that each species remodels chloroplast compartments and exhibits distinct mitochondrial architectures to maintain chloroplast‑mitochondrial coupling under iron limitation.

The study demonstrates that the plastid chaperone CLPC2, but not its paralogue CLPC1, is essential for Arabidopsis responsiveness to microbial volatile compounds and for normal seed and seedling development. Loss of CLPC2 alters the chloroplast proteome, affecting proteins linked to growth, photosynthesis, and embryogenesis, while overexpression of CLPC2 mimics CLPC1 deficiency, highlighting distinct functional roles within the CLP protease complex.

The study demonstrates that FERONIA and phytochrome B physically interact with the NADPH oxidase RBOHD, and that FERONIA-mediated phosphorylation of phyB is essential for RBOHD-driven ROS production under excess light stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Additional membrane proteins CRK10 and PIP2;6 also associate with this complex, forming a plasma‑membrane assembly that integrates multiple signaling pathways to regulate stress‑induced ROS.