The study employed ultra large‑scale 2D clinostats to grow tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants beyond the seedling stage under simulated microgravity and upright control conditions across five sequential trials. Simulated microgravity consistently affected plant growth, but the magnitude and direction of the response varied among trials, with temperature identified as a significant co‑variant; moderate heat stress surprisingly enhanced growth under simulated microgravity. These results highlight the utility of large‑scale clinostats for dissecting interactions between environmental factors and simulated microgravity in plant development.

The study characterizes a radiation‑induced root‑suppressed (Rs) mutant in tomato that displays dwarfism and pleiotropic defects in leaves, flowers, and fruits. Metabolite profiling and rescue with H2S donors implicate disrupted sulfur metabolism, and whole‑genome sequencing identifies promoter mutations in two root‑meristem‑specific sulfotransferase genes as likely contributors to the root phenotype.

The study identifies members of the REMORIN protein family as inhibitors of plasma membrane H⁺‑ATPases, leading to extracellular pH alkalinization that modulates cell surface processes such as steroid hormone signaling and coordinates root developmental transitions in Arabidopsis thaliana. This inhibition represents an ancient mechanism predating root evolution, suggesting that extracellular pH patterning has shaped plant morphogenesis.

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.

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 identifies two diel regulatory modules that coordinate plant cuticle formation: the LRB‑phyB‑PIF4 pathway suppresses wax biosynthesis during daylight, while the COP1‑CFLAP1 pathway promotes cutin accumulation at night. Degradation of phyB and CFLAP1 via specific E3 ubiquitin ligases modulates the activity of transcription factors PIF4 and BDG1 to ensure timely cuticle assembly.

The study investigated metabolic responses of kale (Brassica oleracea) grown under simulated microgravity using a 2-D clinostat versus normal gravity conditions. LC‑MS data were analyzed with multivariate tools such as PCA and volcano plots to identify gravity‑related metabolic adaptations and potential molecular markers for spaceflight crop health.

The study shows that high ambient temperature triggers extensive changes in ROS homeostasis in Arabidopsis seedlings, with H2O2 balance being essential for thermomorphogenic hypocotyl elongation. PIF4 directly activates catalase genes CAT2 and CAT3 to regulate H2O2 levels, forming a PIF4‑CAT‑H2O2 module that operates alongside the PIF4‑auxin pathway, while elevated H2O2 feeds back to reduce PIF4 protein abundance.

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 investigated how Arabidopsis thaliana SR protein kinases (AtSRPKs) regulate alternative RNA splicing by using chemical inhibitors of SRPK activity. Inhibition with SPHINX31 and SRPIN340 caused reduced root growth and loss of root hairs, accompanied by widespread changes in splicing and phosphorylation of genes linked to root development and other cellular processes. Multi‑omics analysis (transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics) revealed that AtSRPKs modulate diverse splicing factors and affect the splicing landscape of numerous pathways.