The study uncovers how arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi induce lateral root formation in maize by activating ethylene‑responsive transcription factors (ERFs) that regulate pericycle cell division and reshape flavonoid metabolism, lowering inhibitory flavonols. It also shows that the rhizobacterium Massilia collaborates with AM fungi, degrading flavonoids and supplying auxin, thereby creating an integrated ethylene‑flavonoid‑microbe signaling network that can be harnessed to improve nutrient uptake and crop sustainability.

The study functionally characterizes a conserved structured RNA motif (45ABC) in Arabidopsis RBP45 pre‑mRNAs, showing that its sequence and pairing elements mediate a negative auto‑ and cross‑regulatory feedback loop through alternative splicing that produces unproductive isoforms and reduces RBP45 expression. Transcriptome‑wide splicing analysis and phenotypic assessment of rbp45 mutants reveal that RBP45B plays a dominant role and that proper regulation of this motif is essential for root growth and flowering time.

The study evaluated a transgenic soybean line (VPZ-34A) expressing Arabidopsis VDE, PsbS, and ZEP for combined improvements in light‑use efficiency and carbon assimilation under ambient and elevated CO2 in a FACE experiment. While VPZ‑34A showed enhanced maximum quantum efficiency of PSII under fluctuating light, it did not increase carbon assimilation efficiency or yield, and transcriptome analysis revealed limited gene expression changes. The results suggest that VPZ‑mediated photosynthetic gains are insufficient to boost productivity under elevated CO2.

The study investigates the molecular basis of heat‑tolerant pollen tube growth in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) by comparing thermotolerant and sensitive cultivars. Using live imaging, transcriptomics, proteomics, and genetics, the authors identified the Rapid Alkalinization Factor (RALF) signaling pathway as a key regulator of pollen tube integrity under high temperature, with loss of a specific RALF peptide enhancing tube integrity in a thermotolerant cultivar.

The study investigates the role of the chromatin regulator MpSWI3, a core subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. A promoter mutation disrupts male gametangiophore development and spermiogenesis, causing enhanced vegetative propagation, and transcriptomic analysis reveals that MpSWI3 regulates genes controlling reproductive initiation, sperm function, and asexual reproduction, highlighting its ancient epigenetic role in balancing vegetative and reproductive phases.

The study examined drought tolerance across nine provenances of the conifer Pinus nigra using high‑throughput phenotyping combined with metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses under controlled soil‑drying conditions. Drought tolerance, measured by the decline in Fv/Fm, varied among provenances but was not linked to a climatic gradient and was independent of growth, with tolerant provenances showing distinct flavonoid and diterpene profiles and provenance‑specific gene expression patterns. Integrating phenotypic and molecular data revealed metabolic signatures underlying drought adaptation in this non‑model conifer.

A large-scale proteomic study in Arabidopsis thaliana identified over 32,000 isoform-specific peptides, confirming that alternative splicing, particularly intron retention, produces translated protein isoforms. Integrated proteogenomic analysis, SUPPA classification, and AlphaFold modeling revealed structural impacts and a non-linear regulation of transcript and protein abundance, with mutant phenotypes linking splicing to growth, chlorophyll content, and anthocyanin accumulation.

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.

The study examined how the bioinoculant Trichoderma afroharzianum T22 influences Pisum sativum growth under iron-sufficient versus iron-deficient conditions, finding pronounced benefits—enhanced photosynthesis, Fe/N accumulation, and stress‑related gene expression—only during iron deficiency. RNA‑seq revealed distinct gene expression patterns tied to symbiosis, iron transport, and redox pathways, and microbiome profiling showed T22 reshapes the root bacterial community under deficiency, suggesting context‑dependent mutualism.

The study characterizes tissue-specific elimination of B chromosomes in Sorghum purpureosericeum during embryo development, identifying 28 candidate genes linked to this process. Integrated in situ visualization, genome sequencing, and transcriptomic analyses reveal that the B chromosome originates from multiple A chromosomes, harbors unique repeats, and expresses divergent kinetochore components that likely mediate its selective removal.