The circadian clock gates lateral root development
Authors: Nomoto, S., Mamerto, A., Ueno, S., Maeda, A. E., Kimura, S., Mase, K., Kato, A., Suzuki, T., Inagaki, S., Sakaoka, S., Nakamichi, N., Michael, T. P., Tsukagoshi, H.
The study identifies the circadian clock component ELF3 as a temporal gatekeeper that limits hormone‑induced pericycle proliferation and lateral root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Time‑resolved transcriptomics, imaging, and genetic analyses show that ELF3 maintains rhythmic expression of key regulators via LNK1 and MADS‑box genes, and that loss of ELF3 disrupts this rhythm, enhancing callus growth and accelerating root organogenesis.
The study reveals that the thermosensor and circadian regulator ELF3 interacts with the PLT3 transcription factor in Arabidopsis root stem cell niches, forming subcellular condensates that sustain quiescent centre and columella stem cell fate. ELF3’s intrinsically disordered prion‑like domains drive condensate formation with PLT3, and PIF3/4 act as nuclear shuttles recruiting ELF3 to nuclear condensates, linking environmental cues to stem cell maintenance.
Root-Suppressed Phenotype of Tomato Rs Mutant is Seemingly Related to Expression of Root-Meristem-Specific Sulfotransferases
Authors: Kumari, A., Gupta, P., Santisree, P., Pamei, I., Valluri,, S., Sharma, K., Venkateswara Rao, K., Shukla, S., Nama, S., Sreelakshmi, Y., Sharma, R.
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 generated a single‑cell transcriptomic atlas of tomato adventitious root development, revealing that vascular tissues retain high developmental potential and that the DOF11‑LEA3 regulatory axis drives this process. Cross‑species integration shows tomato AR‑initiating cells share transcriptional programs with woody dicots but not Arabidopsis, suggesting AR competence is an ancestral vascular identity module. These results highlight tomato as a more representative model for AR biology and provide targets for improving vegetative propagation.
An ancient alkalinization factor informs Arabidopsis root development
Authors: Xhelilaj, K., von Arx, M., Biermann, D., Parvanov, A., Faiss, N., Monte, I., Klingelhuber, F., Zipfel, C., Timmermans, M., Oecking, C., Gronnier, J.
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.
Four barley genotypes were examined under simultaneous Fusarium culmorum infection and drought, revealing genotype-dependent Fusarium Head Blight severity and largely additive transcriptomic responses dominated by drought. Co‑expression and hormone profiling linked ABA and auxin to stress‑specific gene modules, and a multiple linear regression model accurately predicted combined‑stress gene expression from single‑stress data, suggesting modular regulation.
The study examined nitrogen use strategies in the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by comparing growth on ammonium, nitrate, and urea, finding similar molar nitrogen utilization efficiency under saturating conditions. Rapid nitrogen uptake and storage were demonstrated through pulse experiments, and source‑specific transcriptome analysis revealed distinct regulation of assimilation pathways and transporters, supporting a model of flexible nitrogen acquisition and storage.
The study investigates how maternal environmental conditions, specifically temperature and light intensity, influence seed longevity in eight Arabidopsis thaliana natural accessions. Seeds developed under higher temperature (27 °C) and high light showed increased longevity, with transcriptome analysis of the Bor-4 accession revealing dynamic changes in stored mRNAs, including upregulation of antioxidant defenses and raffinose family oligosaccharides. These findings highlight the genotype‑dependent modulation of seed traits by the maternal environment.
The study investigates the evolutionary shift from archegonial to embryo‑sac reproduction by analyzing transcriptomes of Ginkgo reproductive organs and related species. It reveals that the angiosperm pollen‑tube guidance module MYB98‑CRP‑ECS is active in mature Ginkgo archegonia and that, while egg cell transcription is conserved, changes in the fate of other female gametophyte cells drove the transition, providing a molecular framework for this major reproductive evolution.
The study used chemically induced effector-triggered immunity combined with single-cell transcriptomics to map immune responses across all leaf cell types in Arabidopsis, revealing that while a core defense program is universally activated, individual cell types deploy distinct transcriptional modules. Functional assays showed that epidermis‑specific transcriptional regulators are essential for preventing pathogen penetration, indicating a spatial division of immune functions within the leaf.