Glycosylated diterpenes associate with early containment of Fusarium culmorum infection across wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes under field conditions
Authors: Pieczonka, S. A., Dick, F., Bentele, M., Ramgraber, L., Prey, L., Kupczyk, E., Seidl-Schulz, J., Hanemann, A., Noack, P. O., Asam, S., Schmitt-Kopplin, P., Rychlik, M.
The researchers performed a large‑scale field trial with 105 wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypes inoculated by Fusarium culmorum, combining quantitative deoxynivalenol (DON) profiling and untargeted metabolomics to uncover molecular signatures of infection. Sesquiterpene‑derived metabolites tracked toxin accumulation, whereas glycosylated diterpene conjugates were enriched in low‑DON samples, indicating a potential defensive metabolic pathway.
The complete chloroplast genome of the endemic fruit species Dillenia philippinensis was sequenced, assembled, and annotated, revealing a 161,591‑bp quadripartite structure with 113 unique genes. Comparative analyses identified simple sequence repeats, codon usage patterns, and phylogenetic placement close to D. suffroticosa, providing a genomic resource for future breeding and conservation efforts.
The authors compiled and standardized published data on Rubisco dark inhibition for 157 flowering plant species, categorizing them into four inhibition levels and analyzing phylogenetic trends. Their meta‑analysis reveals a complex, uneven distribution of inhibition across taxa, suggesting underlying chloroplast microenvironment drivers and providing a new resource for future photosynthesis improvement efforts.
Integrating physiological, transcriptomic, and cellular analyses, the study shows that olive fruit abscission zones undergo lignification, alkalization, and extensive cell‑wall remodeling during natural maturation and after ethephon treatment. A set of 733 FAZ‑specific genes, including β‑1,3‑glucanases, pectate lyases, and pH‑regulating transporters, were identified, and increased glucanase activity together with reduced plasmodesmata callose suggest enhanced intercellular communication facilitates organ detachment in this non‑climacteric fruit.
Thermotolerant pollen tube growth is controlled by RALF signaling.
Authors: Althiab Almasaud, R., Ouonkap Yimga, S. V., Ingram, J., Oseguera, Y., Alkassem Alosman, M., Travis, C., Henry, A., Medina, M., Oulhen, N., Wessel, G. M., Delong, A., Pease, J., DaSilva, N., Johnson, M.
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 wheat Pm3 NLR allelic series, revealing that near-identical Pm3d and Pm3e alleles confer broad-spectrum resistance by recognizing multiple, structurally diverse powdery mildew effectors. Using chimeric NLR constructs, the authors pinpoint specificity-determining polymorphisms and demonstrate that engineered combinations of Pm3d and Pm3e further expand effector recognition, showcasing the potential for durable wheat protection through NLR engineering.
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.
The study demonstrates that limonene, a natural essential‑oil component, strongly inhibits Fusarium oxysporum, the causal agent of potato dry rot, by impairing colony growth, hyphal morphology, spore viability, membrane integrity, and transcription/translation processes, as well as disrupting ion homeostasis. Combined treatments reveal additive effects with mancozeb and synergistic effects with hymexazol, highlighting limonene's potential as an eco‑friendly bio‑fungicide for potato disease management.
Six new Viola species and two reinstated species from China were identified using field surveys, detailed morphological comparison, and phylogenetic analysis of ITS and GPI gene sequences, placing them in section Plagiostigma subsect. Diffusae. The GPI data offered higher resolution, indicating complex relationships possibly due to ancient hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting, thereby clarifying species boundaries and evolutionary patterns in Chinese Viola.
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.