Evaluation of combined root exudate and rhizosphere microbiota sampling approaches to elucidate plant-soil-microbe interaction
Authors: Escudero-Martinez, C., Browne, E. Y., Schwalm, H., Santangeli, M., Brown, M., Brown, L., Roberts, D. M., Duff, A. M., Morris, J., Hedley, P. E., Thorpe, P., Abbott, J. C., Brennan, F., Bulgarelli, D., George, T. S., Oburger, E.
The study benchmarked several sampling approaches for simultaneous profiling of root exudates and rhizosphere microbiota in soil-grown barley, revealing consistent exudate chemistry across methods but variation in root morphology and nitrogen exudation. High‑throughput amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR showed protocol‑specific impacts on microbial composition, yet most rhizosphere-enriched microbes were captured by all approaches. The authors conclude that different protocols provide comparable integrated data, though methodological differences must be aligned with experimental objectives.
The study generated deep proteome and phosphoproteome datasets from guard cell‑enriched tissue to examine how phosphorylation regulates stomatal movements. Comparative analysis revealed increased phosphorylation of endomembrane trafficking and vacuolar proteins in closed stomata, supporting a role for phospho‑regulated trafficking in stomatal dynamics.
Discovery of tomato UDP-glucosyltransferases involved in bioactive jasmonate homeostasis using limited proteolysis-coupled mass spectrometry
Authors: Venegas-Molina, J., Mohnike, L., Selma Garcia, S., Janssens, H., Colembie, R., Kimpe, I., Jaramillo-Madrid, A. C., Lacchini, E., Winne, J. M., Van Damme, P., Feussner, I., Goossens, A., Sola, K.
The study applied limited proteolysis‑coupled mass spectrometry (LiP‑MS) to map JA‑protein interactions, validating known JA binders and uncovering novel candidates, including several UDP‑glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). Functional omics, biochemical, enzymatic, and structural analyses demonstrated that two tomato UGTs glucosylate jasmonic acid, revealing a previously missing step in JA catabolism.
Uncovering the Molecular Regulation of Seed Development and Germination in Endangered Legume Paubrasilia echinata Through Proteomic and Polyamine Analyses
Authors: Vettorazzi, R. G., Carrari-Santos, R., Sousa, K. R., Oliveira, T. R., Grativol, C., Olimpio, G., Venancio, T. M., Pinto, V. B., Quintanilha-Peixoto, G., Silveira, V., Santa-Catarna, C.
The study examined seed maturation and germination in the endangered legume Paubrasilia echinata using proteomic and polyamine analyses at 4, 6, and 8 weeks post-anthesis, identifying over 2,000 proteins and linking specific polyamines to developmental stages. Mature seeds (6 weeks) showed elevated proteasome components, translation machinery, LEA proteins, and heat shock proteins, while polyamine dynamics revealed putrescine dominance in early development and spermidine/spermine association with desiccation tolerance and germination. These findings uncover dynamic molecular shifts underlying seed development and provide insights for conservation and propagation.
The study assessed the impact of adding mammalian growth factors and cytokines to transformation media on CRISPR‑Cas9–mediated genome editing in six tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) accessions with varying regeneration capacities. Over three years, supplementation with these factors significantly increased regeneration rates and the production of stable secondary transgenic lines, especially in recalcitrant genotypes.
The researchers created tomato lines overexpressing the autophagy gene SlATG8f and evaluated their performance under high-temperature stress. qRT‑PCR and physiological measurements revealed that SlATG8f overexpression enhances expression of autophagy‑related and heat‑shock protein genes, accelerates fruit ripening, and improves fruit quality under heat stress.
Proteomic comparison of mock‑ and potato spindle tuber viroid‑infected tomato revealed a broad down‑regulation of nucleoporins and nuclear transport receptors, leading to impaired nuclear import of the immune regulator NPR1. Overexpression of NPR1 or treatment with a salicylic‑acid analog restored defense and reduced PSTVd infection, highlighting nuclear transport repression as a key vulnerability in plant immunity against viroids.
The study provides a comprehensive proteomic analysis of seed mitochondria from white lupin, revealing fully assembled OXPHOS complexes ready for immediate energy production upon imbibition. Quantitative mass‑spectrometry identified 1,162 mitochondrial proteins, highlighting tissue‑specific transporter and dehydrogenase profiles and dynamic remodeling during early germination, while many uncharacterized proteins suggest novel legume‑specific functions.
Light on its feet: Acclimation to high and low diurnal light is flexible in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Dupuis, S., Chastain, J. L., Han, G., Zhong, V., Gallaher, S. D., Nicora, C. D., Purvine, S. O., Lipton, M. S., Niyogi, K. K., Iwai, M., Merchant, S. S.
The study examined how prior light‑acclimation influences the fitness and rapid photoprotective reprogramming of Chlamydomonas during transitions between low and high diurnal light intensities. While high‑light‑acclimated cells struggled to grow and complete the cell cycle after shifting to low light, low‑light‑acclimated cells quickly remodeled thylakoid ultrastructure, enhanced photoprotective quenching, and altered photosystem protein levels, recovering chloroplast function within a single day. Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling revealed swift induction of stress‑response genes, indicating high flexibility in diurnal light acclimation.
The study introduces a native‑condition method combining cell fractionation and immuno‑isolation to purify autophagic compartments from Arabidopsis, followed by proteomic and lipidomic characterisation of the isolated phagophore membranes. Proteomic profiling identified candidate proteins linked to autophagy, membrane remodeling, vesicular trafficking and lipid metabolism, while lipidomics revealed a predominance of glycerophospholipids, especially phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol, defining the unique composition of plant phagophores.