The study profiled root transcriptomes of Arabidopsis wild type and etr1 gain-of-function (etr1-3) and loss-of-function (etr1-7) mutants under ethylene or ACC treatment, identifying 4,522 ethylene‑responsive transcripts, including 553 that depend on ETR1 activity. ETR1‑dependent genes encompassed ethylene biosynthesis enzymes (ACO2, ACO3) and transcription factors, whose expression was further examined in an ein3eil1 background, revealing that both ETR1 and EIN3/EIL1 pathways regulate parts of the network controlling root hair proliferation and lateral root formation.
The study tracked molecular changes in plastoglobules and thylakoids of Zea mays B73 during heat stress and recovery, revealing increased plastoglobule size, number, and adjacent lipid droplets over time. Proteomic and lipidomic analyses uncovered up‑regulation of specific plastoglobule proteins and alterations in triacylglycerol, plastoquinone derivatives, and phytol esters, suggesting roles in membrane remodeling and oxidative defense. These insights highlight plastoglobule‑associated pathways as potential targets for enhancing heat resilience in maize.
The study compared two plasma‑activated water (PAW) solutions with different H₂O₂ levels, produced by a radio‑frequency glow discharge, on Arabidopsis thaliana growth and stress responses. PAW lacking detectable H₂O₂ promoted seedling growth and induced nitrogen‑assimilation genes, while H₂O₂‑containing PAW did not affect growth but enhanced root performance under heat stress; mature plants fertilized with H₂O₂‑free PAW performed comparably to nitrate controls. These results indicate PAW can replace NO₃⁻ fertilizers provided H₂O₂ levels are carefully managed.
The study used transcriptomic and lipidomic profiling to investigate how chia (Salvia hispanica) leaves respond to short‑term (3 h) and prolonged (27 h) heat stress at 38 °C, revealing rapid activation of calcium‑signaling and heat‑shock pathways and reversible changes in triacylglycerol levels. Nearly all heat‑responsive genes returned to baseline expression after 24 h recovery, highlighting robust thermotolerance mechanisms that could inform improvement of other oilseed crops.
Transcriptomic profiling of desert tree Prosopis cineraria under heat stress reveals potential role of multiple gene families in its high thermotolerance
Prosopis cineraria plants were exposed to two heat stress regimes (45 °C and 55 °C) and subjected to transcriptome sequencing, revealing 1,151 and 1,562 differentially expressed genes respectively, with the higher temperature eliciting a stronger response. Bioinformatic analysis highlighted multiple gene families associated with thermotolerance, and the expression of selected heat‑responsive genes was confirmed by real‑time qPCR, providing candidate loci for crop improvement.
The study demonstrates that N6‑methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation acts as a negative regulator of thermotolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana, with loss of m6A increasing heat‑responsive gene expression and mRNA stability. Heat shock triggers a transient reduction of m6A levels, which is linked to enrichment of the H3K4me3 histone mark at target loci, enhancing transcription of heat shock proteins. These findings reveal a coordinated interplay between RNA methylation and chromatin modifications that fine‑tunes the plant heat stress response.
Arabidopsis lines with modified ascorbate concentrations reveal a link between ascorbate and auxin biosynthesis
Authors: Fenech, M., Zulian, V., Moya-Cuevas, J., Arnaud, D., Morilla, I., Smirnoff, N., Botella, M. A., Stepanova, A. N., Alonso, J. M., Martin-Pizarro, C., Amorim-Silva, V.
The study used Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with low (vtc2, vtc4) and high (vtc2/OE-VTC2) ascorbate levels to examine how ascorbate concentration affects gene expression and cellular homeostasis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that altered ascorbate levels modulate defense and stress pathways, and that TAA1/TAR2‑mediated auxin biosynthesis is required for coping with elevated ascorbate in a light‑dependent manner.
Integrative analysis of plant responses to a combination of water deficit, heat stress and eCO2 reveals a role for OST1 and SLAH3 in regulating stomatal responses
Authors: Pelaez-Vico, M. A., Sinha, R., Ghani, A., Lopez-Climent, M. F., Joshi, T., Fritschi, F. B., Zandalinas, S. I., Mittler, R.
The study examined how Arabidopsis thaliana integrates physiological, genetic, hormonal, and transcriptomic responses to combined water deficit, heat stress, and elevated CO2. Results show that stomatal aperture under these complex stress combinations is governed by a specific set of regulators, including nitric oxide, OPEN STOMATA 1, and the SLAH3 anion channel, distinct from those active under simpler stress conditions. This reveals a hierarchical stomatal stress code that could inform future research on plant resilience to global change.
Transcriptomic and physiological responses of soybean plants subjected to a combination of water deficit and heat stress under field conditions
Authors: Sinha, R., Pelaez-Vico, M. A., Dhakal, S., Ghani, A., Myers, R., Verma, M., Shostak, B., Ogden, A., Krueger, C. B., Costa Netto, J. R., Zandalinas, S. I., Joshi, T., Fritschi, F. B., Mittler, R.
A two‑year field study examined how soybean (Glycine max) vegetative and reproductive tissues respond transcriptionally and physiologically to water deficit, heat, and their combination. The field‑grown plants showed distinct transcriptomic patterns compared with controlled‑environment studies, especially under single stresses, while differential leaf‑pod transpiration observed in growth chambers was also present in the field. The generated transcriptomic dataset highlights the importance of field‑based omics for understanding crop stress responses.
Comparative multi-omics profiling of Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense fibers at high temporal resolution reveals key differences in polysaccharide composition and associated glycosyltransferases
Authors: Swaminathan, S., Lee, Y., Grover, C. E., DeTemple, M. F., Mugisha, A. S., Sichterman, L. E., Yang, P., Xie, J., Wendel, J. F., Szymanski, D. B., Zabotina, O. A.
The study performed daily large-scale glycome, transcriptome, and proteome profiling of developing fibers from the two cultivated cotton species, Gossypium barbadense and G. hirsutum, across primary and secondary cell wall stages. It identified delayed cellulose accumulation and distinct compositions of xyloglucans, homogalacturonans, rhamnogalacturonan‑I, and heteroxylans in G. barbadense, along with higher expression of specific glycosyltransferases and expansins, suggesting these molecular differences underlie the superior fiber length and strength of G. barbadense.