The study examined how dual‑purpose hemp (Cannabis sativa) adjusts to different phosphate levels, showing that flower biomass is maintained unless phosphate is completely removed. Integrated physiological measurements and transcriptomic profiling revealed that phosphate is reallocated to flowers via glycolytic bypasses and organic phosphate release, while key regulatory genes followed expected patterns but did not suppress uptake at high phosphate, leading to nitrate depletion that limits growth.
The study identified a heat‑responsive exon‑skipping event in the basic Helix‑Loop‑Helix domain of the transcription factor PIF4, which reduces PIF4 activity and promotes photomorphogenic traits in etiolated seedlings. This reveals a novel post‑transcriptional mechanism by which plants modulate PIF4 function during heat stress.
In vivo binding by Arabidopsis SPLICING FACTOR 1 shifts 3' splice site choice, regulating circadian rhythms and immunity in plants
Authors: Agrofoglio, Y. C., Iglesias, M. J., de Leone, M. J., Hernando, C. E., Lewinski, M., Torres, S. B., Contino, G., Yanovsky, M. J., Staiger, D., Mateos, J. L.
The study characterizes the plant spliceosomal protein AtSF1 in Arabidopsis thaliana, using iCLIP and RNA‑seq to map its in vivo branch point binding sites and demonstrate that loss of AtSF1 causes widespread 3' splice‑site mis‑selection. Structural comparison reveals a plant‑specific domain architecture, and the identified AtSF1 targets are enriched for circadian and defense genes, linking splicing regulation to timing and immunity.
The study evaluated how stomatal anatomy and physiological efficiency influence wheat heat tolerance across multi‑environment field trials with 200 genotypes, using early versus delayed sowing to impose temperature stress. Findings revealed a decoupling between anatomical capacity (gsmax) and actual conductance (gs, gse) under heat, plastic shifts toward smaller, denser stomata, and identified 125 QTL linked to stomatal traits, suggesting targets for breeding climate‑resilient wheat.
The study identified a critical two‑week window of elevated maternal temperature during weeks 4–5 after flowering that delays dormancy release in weedy rice seeds. Controlled‑environment and field transplant experiments showed that this late‑reproductive‑stage heat exposure postpones germination after after‑ripening, providing insight for predicting seed behavior and improving weed management strategies.
Using ten Phaeodactylum tricornutum mutant strains with graded constitutive Lhcx1 expression, the study links NPQ induction under high light to physiological outcomes (oxidized QA, increased cyclic electron flow) and extensive transcriptomic reprogramming, affecting nearly half the genome. The approach demonstrates that higher NPQ mitigates PSII damage, boosts ATP production for repair, and drives distinct gene regulatory networks, providing a model framework for dissecting photosynthetic and gene expression integration.
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 complete chloroplast genome of the endemic fruit species Dillenia philippinensis was sequenced, assembled, and annotated, revealing a 161,591‑bp quadripartite structure with 113 unique genes. Comparative analyses identified simple sequence repeats, codon usage patterns, and phylogenetic placement close to D. suffroticosa, providing a genomic resource for future breeding and conservation efforts.
The mRNA covalent modification dihydrouridine regulates transcript turnover and photosynthetic capacity during plant abiotic stress
Authors: Yu, L., Melandri, G., Dittrich, A. C., Calleja, S., Rozzi, B., Ganguly, D. R., Palos, K., Srinivasan, A., Brewer, E. K., Fischer, H., Obata, T., Elgawad, H. A., Beemster, G. T. S., Henderson, R., Garcia, C. D., Zhang, X., Stern, D., Eveland, A., Schroeder, S. J., Skirycz, A., Lyons, E., Arnold, E. A., Gregory, B. D., Nelson, A. D. L., Pauli, D.
The study integrates multi-omics data from six Sorghum bicolor accessions under field drought to link RNA covalent modifications (RCMs) with photosynthetic performance, identifying the enzyme SbDUS2 that produces dihydrouridine (DHU) on transcripts. Loss‑of‑function dus2 mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana reveal that DHU deficiency leads to hyperstability of photosynthesis‑related mRNAs, impairing germination, development, and stress‑induced CO2 assimilation. The authors propose DHU as a post‑transcriptional mark that promotes rapid mRNA turnover during abiotic stress, enhancing plant resilience.
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.