The study tests whether heavy‑metal stress contributed to maize domestication by exposing teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) and the Palomero toluqueno landrace to sublethal copper and cadmium, then analysing genetic diversity, selection signatures, and transcriptomic responses of three chromosome‑5 heavy‑metal response genes (ZmHMA1, ZmHMA7, ZmSKUs5). Results reveal strong positive selection on these genes, heavy‑metal‑induced phenotypes resembling modern maize, and up‑regulation of Tb1, supporting a role for volcanic‑derived metal stress in early maize evolution.

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 investigated the evolution of the rubisco large subunit (RbcL) across four plant clades using rbcL gene sequences, codon models, and protein structure predictions, finding widespread positive selection and convergent amino‑acid changes affecting side‑chain polarity. Phylogenetic comparative analyses linked higher protein stability to warmer growing‑season temperatures, though this relationship weakened after accounting for phylogeny.