The study isolated an endophytic Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain (SPT08) from tomato cotyledon seedlings that suppressed the wilt pathogen Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum and promoted plant growth, increasing height by 20% and root biomass by 60%. GFP labeling confirmed endophytic colonization, and genomic analysis revealed multiple secretion systems and secondary‑metabolite gene clusters associated with biocontrol and growth‑promoting traits.

Researchers isolated a fungal pathogen from a naturally infected Rumex crispus leaf in Japan and identified it as Teratoramularia rumicicola using morphological traits and phylogenetic analysis of ITS and LSU rDNA sequences. Host range tests showed the isolate (TR4) caused disease and reduced biomass in three Rumex species but was harmless to five tested forage crops, indicating its potential as a selective bioherbicide for pasture systems.

Large-scale bioinformatics identified a new class of transmembrane phosphotransfer proteins (TM‑HPt) across 61 plant species, showing conserved HPt motifs and potential activity in multistep phosphorelay signaling. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred via Bayesian DNA analysis, expression was validated by transcriptomics, and molecular modeling suggested possible membrane-associated structural arrangements.

The study identifies a novel C-terminal FR motif in Lotus japonicus NODULE INCEPTION (NIN) that expands DNA‑binding specificity by stabilizing the RWP‑RK dimer, and shows that loss of this motif impairs nodulation and nitrogen fixation. Comparative analysis reveals that Arabidopsis NLP2 also possesses a NIN‑type FR, and phylogenetic data suggest the motif originated in early gymnosperms, indicating it predates the evolution of root nodule symbiosis.

The study engineered the linear furanocoumarin pathway in tomato by integrating four biosynthetic genes, aiming to produce psoralen, but instead generated coumarins such as scopoletin. Morphophysiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses revealed that even low levels of these coumarins can influence plant growth and physiology, highlighting both benefits and costs of coumarin accumulation in crops.

The study investigates hormetic responses of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seedlings to low‑dose cadmium, demonstrating enhanced growth through morphological, biochemical, and histochemical analyses. Transcriptomic profiling revealed differential expression of oxidoreductase genes, signaling components, and several long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that generate miRNAs (sly‑MIR396a and sly‑MIR1063g), which modulate target genes to promote growth. In‑silico analyses of lncRNA targets and miRNA precursors provide mechanistic insight into cadmium‑induced hormesis and its potential for crop improvement.

Foliar application of Trichoderma harzianum cell‑free culture filtrates (CF) increased fruit yield, root growth, and photosynthesis in a commercial tomato cultivar under prolonged water deficit in a Mediterranean greenhouse. Integrated physiological, metabolite, and transcriptomic analyses revealed that CF mitigated drought‑induced changes, suppressing about half of water‑stress responsive genes, thereby reducing the plant’s transcriptional sensitivity to water scarcity.

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 examined how individual hormone treatments (auxin, ethylene, gibberellin) influence root architecture and ion accumulation under salt stress in three tomato accessions, revealing species-specific hormonal effects on lateral root development and Na/K ratios. Genetic analyses using Arabidopsis mutants and a tomato ethylene‑perception mutant (nr) identified novel hormonal signaling components that modulate salt stress responses, highlighting potential strategies to improve crop performance.

The study reconstructed the evolutionary history of plant-specific GBF1-type ARF-GEFs by building phylogenetic trees and ortho‑synteny groups, identifying orthologs of AtGNOM and AtGNL1 across species. Functional analyses using transgenic Arabidopsis lines and yeast two‑hybrid assays revealed how duplication and loss events diversified GNOM paralogs, separating polar recycling from secretory trafficking functions.