The study combined cell biology, transcriptomics, and ionomics to reveal that zinc deficiency reduces root apical meristem size while preserving meristematic activity and local Zn levels, leading to enhanced cell elongation and differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana. ZIP12 was identified as a highly induced gene in the zinc‑deficient root tip, and zip12 mutants displayed impaired root growth, altered RAM structure, disrupted Zn‑responsive gene expression, and abnormal metal partitioning, highlighting ZIP12’s role in maintaining Zn homeostasis and meristem function.
Tomato leaf transcriptomic changes promoted by long-term water scarcity stress can be largely prevented by a fungal-based biostimulant
Authors: Lopez-Serrano, L., Ferez-Gomez, A., Romero-Aranda, R., Jaime Fernandez, E., Leal Lopez, J., Fernandez Baroja, E., Almagro, G., Dolezal, K., Novak, O., Diaz, L., Bautista, R., Leon Morcillo, R. J., Pozueta Romero, J.
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.
MdBRC1 and MdFT2 Interaction Fine-Tunes Bud Break Regulation in Apple
Authors: Gioppato, H. A., Estevan, J., Al Bolbol, M., Soriano, A., Garighan, J., Jeong, K., Georget, C., Soto, D. G., El Khoury, S., Falavigna, V. d. S., George, S., Perales, M., Andres, F.
The study identifies the transcription factor MdBRC1 as a key inhibitor of bud growth during the ecodormancy phase in apple (Malus domestica), directly regulating dormancy‑associated genes and interacting with the flowering promoter MdFT2 to modulate bud break. Comparative transcriptomic analysis and gain‑of‑function experiments in poplar demonstrate that MdFT2 physically binds MdBRC1, attenuating its repressive activity and acting as a molecular switch for the transition to active growth.
Exogenous Hormone Treatments Reveal Species-Specific Regulation of Individual Components of Root Architecture and Salt Ion Accumulation in Cultivated and Wild Tomatoes
Authors: Rahmati-Ishka, M., Craft, E., Pineros, M., Julkowska, M. M.
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 introduced full-length SOC1 genes from maize and soybean, and a partial SOC1 gene from blueberry, into tomato plants under constitutive promoters. While VcSOC1K and ZmSOC1 accelerated flowering, all three transgenes increased fruit number per plant mainly by promoting branching, and transcriptomic profiling revealed alterations in flowering, growth, and stress‑response pathways.
The study used transcriptomic and lipidomic profiling to investigate how chia (Salvia hispanica) leaves respond to short‑term (3 h) and prolonged (27 h) heat stress at 38 °C, revealing rapid activation of calcium‑signaling and heat‑shock pathways and reversible changes in triacylglycerol levels. Nearly all heat‑responsive genes returned to baseline expression after 24 h recovery, highlighting robust thermotolerance mechanisms that could inform improvement of other oilseed crops.
Arabidopsis lines with modified ascorbate concentrations reveal a link between ascorbate and auxin biosynthesis
Authors: Fenech, M., Zulian, V., Moya-Cuevas, J., Arnaud, D., Morilla, I., Smirnoff, N., Botella, M. A., Stepanova, A. N., Alonso, J. M., Martin-Pizarro, C., Amorim-Silva, V.
The study used Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with low (vtc2, vtc4) and high (vtc2/OE-VTC2) ascorbate levels to examine how ascorbate concentration affects gene expression and cellular homeostasis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that altered ascorbate levels modulate defense and stress pathways, and that TAA1/TAR2‑mediated auxin biosynthesis is required for coping with elevated ascorbate in a light‑dependent manner.
Comparative multi-omics profiling of Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense fibers at high temporal resolution reveals key differences in polysaccharide composition and associated glycosyltransferases
Authors: Swaminathan, S., Lee, Y., Grover, C. E., DeTemple, M. F., Mugisha, A. S., Sichterman, L. E., Yang, P., Xie, J., Wendel, J. F., Szymanski, D. B., Zabotina, O. A.
The study performed daily large-scale glycome, transcriptome, and proteome profiling of developing fibers from the two cultivated cotton species, Gossypium barbadense and G. hirsutum, across primary and secondary cell wall stages. It identified delayed cellulose accumulation and distinct compositions of xyloglucans, homogalacturonans, rhamnogalacturonan‑I, and heteroxylans in G. barbadense, along with higher expression of specific glycosyltransferases and expansins, suggesting these molecular differences underlie the superior fiber length and strength of G. barbadense.
The study performs a bibliometric analysis of 1,702 Scopus-indexed tomato omics publications over two decades, revealing a rapid surge in output after 2017 and highlighting dominant fields such as biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. Citation and co‑authorship network analyses identify key contributions in microRNA research and genome sequencing, major research hubs, and collaborative clusters, while keyword mapping underscores stress response, fruit quality, and immunity as priority topics.
The study evaluated how acute heat stress affects early-stage rice seedlings, identifying a critical temperature threshold that impairs growth. Transcriptomic profiling of shoots and roots revealed ethylene‑responsive factors (ERFs) as central regulators, with ethylene and jasmonic acid acting upstream, and pre‑treatment with these hormones mitigated heat damage. These findings highlight ERF‑hormone interaction networks as targets for improving rice heat resilience.