The study examined how DNA methylation influences cold stress priming in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that primed plants exhibit distinct gene expression and methylation patterns compared to non-primed plants. DNA methylation mutants, especially met1 lacking CG methylation, showed altered cold memory and misregulation of the CBF gene cluster, indicating that methylation ensures transcriptional precision during stress recall.

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 identifies a geraniol synthase (CfGES) and a previously unknown geranyl pyrophosphatase (CfG(P)Pase) from Cymbopogon flexuosus that convert geranyl diphosphate to geraniol via a cytosolic, TPS‑independent pathway. Functional analyses using virus‑induced gene silencing and transient overexpression in lemongrass, lemon balm, and rose demonstrate the enzymes’ roles in geraniol and downstream citral production, while subcellular localization reveals CfGES is dual‑localized (cytosol/plastid) and CfG(P)Pase is cytosolic.

The study uncovers a hidden, evolutionarily conserved disorder-containing START (dSTART) domain within plant HD-ZIPIII and HD-ZIPIV transcription factors, demonstrating that dSTART is essential for proper subcellular localization, DNA-binding specificity, and developmental function. It also identifies phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid species as candidate ligands, linking lipid binding to transcription factor regulation.

The study identifies and characterizes a novel class of small extra‑large GTPases (SXLGs) in Lotus japonicus that are associated with rhizobial and mycorrhizal symbiosis, possessing only an N‑terminal domain with a nuclear localization signal and a cysteine‑rich region. Phylogenetic and sequence analyses reveal SXLGs as a distinct, duplicated gene family, while transient expression in tobacco shows diverse subcellular localizations and sxlg2 mutants exhibit delayed nodule infection and altered root growth under nitrogen‑limited conditions.

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.