Phosphite (Phi) and phosphate (Pi) share the same root uptake system, but Phi acts as a biostimulant that modulates plant growth and disease resistance in a species‑ and Pi‑dependent manner. In Arabidopsis, Phi induces hypersensitive‑like cell death and enhances resistance to Plectosphaerella cucumerina, while in rice it counteracts Pi‑induced susceptibility to Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium fujikuroi, accompanied by extensive transcriptional reprogramming.
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.
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 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.
Using genome‑wide association studies in Arabidopsis thaliana, the authors identified the chromatin‑associated protein CDCA7 as a trans‑regulator that specifically controls CG methylation (mCG) and TE silencing. CDCA7 and its paralog CDCA7β bind the remodeler DDM1, modulating its activity without broadly affecting non‑CG methylation or histone variant deposition, and natural variation in CDCA7 regulatory sequences correlates with local ecological adaptation.
DECREASE IN DNA METHYLATION 1-mediated epigenetic regulation maintains gene expression balance required for heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Matsuo, K., Wu, R., Yonechi, H., Murakami, T., Takahashi, S., Kamio, A., Akter, M. A., Kamiya, Y., Nishimura, K., Matsuura, T., Tonosaki, K., Shimizu, M., Ikeda, Y., Kobayashi, H., Seki, M., Dennis, E. S., Fujimoto, R.
The study demonstrates that the chromatin remodeler DDM1 is essential for biomass heterosis in Arabidopsis thaliana hybrids, as loss of DDM1 function leads to reduced rosette growth and extensive genotype‑specific transcriptomic and DNA methylation changes. Whole‑genome bisulfite sequencing revealed widespread hypomethylation in ddm1 mutants, while salicylic acid levels were found unrelated to heterosis, indicating that epigenetic divergence, rather than SA signaling, underpins hybrid vigor.
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.
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 examines how the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 integrates carbon availability with root growth regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Loss of KIN10 reduces glucose‑induced inhibition of root elongation and triggers widespread transcriptional reprogramming of metabolic and hormonal pathways, notably affecting auxin and jasmonate signaling under sucrose supplementation. These findings highlight KIN10 as a central hub linking energy status to developmental and environmental cues in roots.
Revisiting the Central Dogma: the distinct roles of genome, methylation, transcription, and translation on protein expression in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zhong, Z., Bailey, M., Kim, Y.-I., Pesaran-Afsharyan, N., Parker, B., Arathoon, L., Li, X., Rundle, C. A., Behrens, A., Nedialkova, D. D., Slavov, G., Hassani-Pak, K., Lilley, K. S., Theodoulou, F. L., Mott, R.
The study combined long‑read whole‑genome assembly, multi‑omics profiling (DNA methylation, mRNA, ribosome‑associated transcripts, tRNA abundance, and protein levels) in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions to evaluate how genomic information propagates through the Central Dogma. Codon usage in gene sequences emerged as the strongest predictor of both mRNA and protein abundance, while methylation, tRNA levels, and ribosome‑associated transcripts contributed little additional information under stable conditions.