The study identifies the circadian clock component ELF3 as a temporal gatekeeper that limits hormone‑induced pericycle proliferation and lateral root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Time‑resolved transcriptomics, imaging, and genetic analyses show that ELF3 maintains rhythmic expression of key regulators via LNK1 and MADS‑box genes, and that loss of ELF3 disrupts this rhythm, enhancing callus growth and accelerating root organogenesis.

The study reveals that the microtubule-associated protein MAP70-2 integrates mechanical and biochemical signals to guide division plane orientation during early lateral root primordium formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Dynamic MAP70-2 localization to cell corners and the cortical division zone precedes cytokinesis, and loss of MAP70-2 results in misoriented divisions and malformed lateral roots, highlighting its role in three‑dimensional differential growth under mechanical constraints.

The study uncovers how arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi induce lateral root formation in maize by activating ethylene‑responsive transcription factors (ERFs) that regulate pericycle cell division and reshape flavonoid metabolism, lowering inhibitory flavonols. It also shows that the rhizobacterium Massilia collaborates with AM fungi, degrading flavonoids and supplying auxin, thereby creating an integrated ethylene‑flavonoid‑microbe signaling network that can be harnessed to improve nutrient uptake and crop sustainability.

The authors compiled and standardized published data on Rubisco dark inhibition for 157 flowering plant species, categorizing them into four inhibition levels and analyzing phylogenetic trends. Their meta‑analysis reveals a complex, uneven distribution of inhibition across taxa, suggesting underlying chloroplast microenvironment drivers and providing a new resource for future photosynthesis improvement efforts.

The study investigates the role of the chromatin regulator MpSWI3, a core subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. A promoter mutation disrupts male gametangiophore development and spermiogenesis, causing enhanced vegetative propagation, and transcriptomic analysis reveals that MpSWI3 regulates genes controlling reproductive initiation, sperm function, and asexual reproduction, highlighting its ancient epigenetic role in balancing vegetative and reproductive phases.

The study examined how polyploidy, hybridization, and incomplete lineage sorting affect phylogenetic reconstructions in the genus Packera, evaluating several published paralog‑processing pipelines. Results showed that the choice of orthology and paralog handling methods markedly altered tree topology, time‑calibrated phylogenies, biogeographic histories, and detection of ancient reticulation, underscoring the need for careful methodological selection alongside comprehensive taxon sampling.

Using genome‑wide association studies in Arabidopsis thaliana, the authors identified the chromatin‑associated protein CDCA7 as a trans‑regulator that specifically controls CG methylation (mCG) and TE silencing. CDCA7 and its paralog CDCA7β bind the remodeler DDM1, modulating its activity without broadly affecting non‑CG methylation or histone variant deposition, and natural variation in CDCA7 regulatory sequences correlates with local ecological adaptation.

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 shows that the membrane lipids PI4P, PI(4,5)P2, and phosphatidylserine have distinct spatial and temporal dynamics during lateral root primordium formation in Arabidopsis thaliana, with PI4P acting as a stable basal lipid, PI(4,5)P2 serving as a negative regulator of initiation, and phosphatidylserine increasing after founder cell activation. Using live-cell biosensors, genetic mutants, and an inducible PI(4,5)P2 depletion system, the authors demonstrate that reducing PI(4,5)P2 enhances lateral root initiation and development.

The study engineers Type‑B response regulators to alter their transcriptional activity and cytokinin sensitivity, enabling precise modulation of cytokinin‑dependent traits. Using tissue‑specific promoters, the synthetic transcription factors were deployed in Arabidopsis thaliana to reliably increase or decrease lateral root numbers, demonstrating a modular platform for controlling developmental phenotypes.