Phosphite (Phi) and phosphate (Pi) share the same root uptake system, but Phi acts as a biostimulant that modulates plant growth and disease resistance in a species‑ and Pi‑dependent manner. In Arabidopsis, Phi induces hypersensitive‑like cell death and enhances resistance to Plectosphaerella cucumerina, while in rice it counteracts Pi‑induced susceptibility to Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium fujikuroi, accompanied by extensive transcriptional reprogramming.

The study identifies the AP2/ERF transcription factor GEMMIFER (MpGMFR) as essential for asexual reproduction in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, showing that loss of MpGMFR via genome editing or amiRNA abolishes gemma and gemma cup formation, while dexamethasone‑induced activation triggers their development. Transient strong activation of MpGMFR initiates gemma initial cells at the meristem, which mature into functional gemmae, indicating MpGMFR is both necessary and sufficient for meristem‑derived asexual propagule formation.

The study examined how elevated atmospheric CO₂ (550 ppm) affects immunity in the C₄ cereal maize (Zea mays L.) by exposing plants grown under ambient and elevated CO₂ to a range of pathogens. Elevated CO₂ increased susceptibility to sugarcane mosaic virus, decreased susceptibility to several bacterial and fungal pathogens, and left susceptibility to others unchanged, with reduced bacterial disease linked to heightened basal immune responses. These findings provide a baseline for future investigations into CO₂‑responsive defense mechanisms in C₄ crops.

The study identifies the extended NT‑C2 domain of Plastid Movement Impaired 1 (PMI1) as the main membrane‑binding module that interacts with PI4P and PI(4,5)P2, requiring basic residues for plasma‑membrane association. Calcium binding by the NT‑C2 domain modulates its phosphoinositide preference, and cytosolic Ca2+ depletion blocks blue‑light‑induced PMI1 redistribution, indicating that both the NT‑C2 domain and adjacent intrinsically disordered regions are essential for PMI1’s role in chloroplast movement.

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 authors used a bottom‑up thermodynamic modelling framework to investigate how plants decode calcium signals, starting from Ca2+ binding to EF‑hand proteins and extending to higher‑order decoding modules. They identified six universal Ca2+-decoding modules that can explain variations in calcium sensitivity among kinases and provide a theoretical basis for interpreting calcium signal amplitude and frequency in plant cells.

The study identified 12 SABATH methyltransferase genes in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and demonstrated that MpSABATH2 is crucial for normal thallus growth and gemma cup formation. Loss‑of‑function mutants displayed developmental phenotypes reminiscent of far‑red light responses, which were linked to gibberellin metabolism and could be partially rescued by inhibiting GA biosynthesis or supplying the GA precursor ent‑kaurenoic acid. These findings suggest that SABATH enzymes independently evolved regulatory roles in land‑plant development.

The study demonstrates that carbon availability promotes gemma cup formation in Marchantia polymorpha by activating cytokinin signaling, which up‑regulates the transcription factors MpGCAM1 and MpSTG. Pharmacological and genetic manipulations showed that cytokinin accumulation in response to sucrose and high light is sufficient to overcome low‑sucrose repression, and that this pathway operates independently of KAI2A‑MAX2 mediated karrikin signaling. The findings suggest a conserved carbon‑cytokinin interaction governing developmental plasticity across land plants.

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 characterizes the liverwort-specific NPR protein (MpNPR) in Marchantia polymorpha, demonstrating that it controls oil body formation and confers resistance to gastropod herbivory through interaction with the transcription factor MpERF13. Loss- or gain-of-function of MpNPR disrupts MpERF13‑dependent gene expression and compromises defense against snail feeding, revealing a lineage‑specific immune pathway distinct from tracheophyte NPR functions.