Genetius

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 visualizes subcellular dynamics following activation of the NRC4 resistosome, showing that NRC4 enrichment at the plasma membrane triggers calcium influx, followed by sequential disruption of mitochondria, plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, and cytoskeleton, culminating in plasma membrane rupture and cell death. These observations define a temporally ordered cascade of organelle and membrane events that execute plant immune cell death.

The study engineered autoluminescent reporter constructs that visually indicate jasmonic and salicylic acid signaling with up to 53‑fold contrast. Using consumer‑grade cameras, the authors monitored hormone activity in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana throughout development and during pest and pathogen attacks.

The study developed a validated LC‑MS/MS method to simultaneously quantify fourteen polyamines, amino acids, and ethylene precursors in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum, and used it to compare their metabolic responses to drought, salinity, and inhibitor treatments. Distinct species‑specific metabolic adjustments were observed, with Arabidopsis showing greater fluctuations and drought generally increasing metabolite levels, while spermine exhibited stress‑specific patterns.