Four barley genotypes were examined under simultaneous Fusarium culmorum infection and drought, revealing genotype-dependent Fusarium Head Blight severity and largely additive transcriptomic responses dominated by drought. Co‑expression and hormone profiling linked ABA and auxin to stress‑specific gene modules, and a multiple linear regression model accurately predicted combined‑stress gene expression from single‑stress data, suggesting modular regulation.
PlantCV v4: Image analysis software for high-throughput plant phenotyping
Authors: Schuhl, H., Brown, K. E., Sheng, H., Bhatt, P. K., Gutierrez, J., Schneider, D., Casto, A. L., Acosta-Gamboa, L., Ballenger, J. G., Barbero, F., Braley, J., Brown, A. M., Chavez, L., Cunningham, S., Dilhara, M., Dimech, A. M., Duenwald, J. G., Fischer, A., Gordon, J. M., Hendrikse, C., Hernandez, G. L., Hodge, J. G., Huber, M., Hurr, B. M., Jarolmasjed, S., Medina Jimenez, K., Kenney, S., Konkel, G., Kutschera, A., Lama, S., Lohbihler, M., Lorence, A., Luebbert, C., Ly, N., Manching, H. K., Marrano, A., Meerdink, S., Miklave, N. M., Mudrageda, P., Murphy, K. M., Peery, J. D., Pierik, R., Polyd
PlantCV v4 is an open-source Python framework that simplifies image-based plant phenotyping by providing extensive tutorials and streamlined installation, enabling users with limited coding skills to automate trait extraction. The release adds support for fluorescence, thermal, and hyperspectral imaging and introduces a new subpackage for morphological measurements such as leaf angle, which is validated against manual data collection methods.
The study combined high-throughput image-based phenotyping with genome-wide association studies to uncover the genetic architecture of tolerance to the spittlebug Aeneolamia varia in 339 interspecific Urochloa hybrids. Six robust QTL were identified for plant damage traits, explaining up to 21.5% of variance, and candidate genes linked to hormone signaling, oxidative stress, and cell‑wall modification were highlighted, providing markers for breeding.
The study examined nitrogen use strategies in the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by comparing growth on ammonium, nitrate, and urea, finding similar molar nitrogen utilization efficiency under saturating conditions. Rapid nitrogen uptake and storage were demonstrated through pulse experiments, and source‑specific transcriptome analysis revealed distinct regulation of assimilation pathways and transporters, supporting a model of flexible nitrogen acquisition and storage.
The study examines how ectopic accumulation of methionine in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, driven by a deregulated AtCGS transgene under a seed‑specific promoter, reshapes metabolism, gene expression, and DNA methylation. High‑methionine lines exhibit increased amino acids and sugars, activation of stress‑hormone pathways, and reduced expression of DNA methyltransferases, while low‑methionine lines show heightened non‑CG methylation without major transcriptional changes. Integrated transcriptomic and methylomic analyses reveal a feedback loop linking sulfur‑carbon metabolism, stress adaptation, and epigenetic regulation.
The study investigates how maternal environmental conditions, specifically temperature and light intensity, influence seed longevity in eight Arabidopsis thaliana natural accessions. Seeds developed under higher temperature (27 °C) and high light showed increased longevity, with transcriptome analysis of the Bor-4 accession revealing dynamic changes in stored mRNAs, including upregulation of antioxidant defenses and raffinose family oligosaccharides. These findings highlight the genotype‑dependent modulation of seed traits by the maternal environment.
The study investigates the evolutionary shift from archegonial to embryo‑sac reproduction by analyzing transcriptomes of Ginkgo reproductive organs and related species. It reveals that the angiosperm pollen‑tube guidance module MYB98‑CRP‑ECS is active in mature Ginkgo archegonia and that, while egg cell transcription is conserved, changes in the fate of other female gametophyte cells drove the transition, providing a molecular framework for this major reproductive evolution.
Phenotypic scoring of Canola Blackleg severity using machine learning image analysis
Authors: Hu, Q., Anderson, S. N., Gardner, S., Ernst, T. W., Koscielny, C. B., Bahia, N. S., Johnson, C. G., Jarvis, A. C., Hynek, J., Coles, N., Falak, I., Charne, D. R., Ruidiaz, M. E., Linares, J. N., Mazis, A., Stanton, D. J.
The study introduces a deep‑learning based image analysis pipeline that scores blackleg disease severity from stem cross‑section images of canola species, achieving greater consistency than median expert raters while preserving comparable heritability of susceptibility traits. This standardized scoring method aims to improve selection of resistant varieties in breeding programs.
A comparative physiological study of persimmon cultivars with flat (Hiratanenashi) and round (Koushimaru) fruit shapes revealed that differences in cell proliferation, cell shape, and size contribute to shape variation. Principal component analysis of elliptic Fourier descriptors tracked shape changes, while histology and transcriptome profiling identified candidate genes, including a WOX13 homeobox gene, potentially governing fruit shape development.
The study shows that the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 directs tissue-specific growth‑defense programs in Arabidopsis thaliana by reshaping transcriptomes. kin10 knockout mutants exhibit altered root transcription, reduced root growth, and weakened defense against Pseudomonas syringae, whereas KIN10 overexpression activates shoot defense pathways, increasing ROS and salicylic acid signaling at the cost of growth.