The study investigates the genetic basis of sex determination in Cannabis sativa, identifying a X‑chromosome locus (Monoecy1) that governs the switch between dioecy and monoecy. Transcriptomic and genomic analyses reveal three tightly linked genes with sex‑specific expression, suggesting their combined action controls both flower type and individual sex phenotype.
Multi-Omics Analysis of Heat Stress-Induced Memory in Arabidopsis
Authors: Thirumlaikumar, V. P. P., Yu, L., Arora, D., Mubeen, U., Wisniewski, A., Walther, D., Giavalisco, P., Alseekh, S., DL Nelson, A., Skirycz, A., Balazadeh, S.
The study uses a high‑throughput comparative multi‑omics strategy to profile transcript, metabolite, and protein dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings throughout the heat‑stress memory (HSM) phase following acquired thermotolerance. Early recovery stages show rapid transcriptional activation of memory‑related genes, while protein levels stay elevated longer, and distinct metabolite patterns emerge, highlighting temporal layers of the memory process.
The study validates and quantifies biological nitrogen fixation in Mexican maize varieties and assesses a double‑haploid population derived from an elite inbred (PHZ51) crossed with these landraces. Aerial root traits show moderate to high heritability, and QTL mapping reveals multiple loci influencing root number, node occurrence, and diameter, with most favorable alleles originating from the landraces. The authors suggest that pyramiding the identified QTL into elite germplasm could enhance maize’s BNF capacity, pending field validation.
The study used QTL mapping in two F1 Plasmopara viticola populations to locate avirulence genes linked to grapevine resistance loci Rpv3.1, Rpv10, and Rpv12, confirming AvrRpv3.1 and identifying AvrRpv12, which harbors large deletions of RXLR effector genes. Additionally, a dominant locus responsible for partial Rpv10 breakdown was discovered, revealing diverse evolutionary mechanisms—including structural rearrangements and admixture—that enable the pathogen to overcome host resistance.
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.
Using hydathode-focused inoculation, the study mapped a major QTL on Arabidopsis chromosome 5 and identified the CNL-type immune receptor SUT1 as a novel resistance gene that restricts early colonization of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris in hydathodes. Functional analyses showed SUT1 acts independently of the known RKS1/ZAR1 complex and provides tissue‑specific resistance, being effective primarily in hydathodes but not in xylem.
The study employed a multi‑omics workflow (transcriptomics, ribosome profiling, and proteomics) to uncover small peptides encoded by long non‑coding RNAs (LSEPs) in rice, finding that over 40% of surveyed lncRNAs associate with ribosomes. An optimized small‑peptide extraction followed by LC‑MS/MS identified 403 LSEPs, confirming the peptide‑coding capacity of plant lncRNAs and providing a scalable pipeline for large‑scale screening.
Authors: Anumalla, M., Khanna, A., Catolos, M., Ramos, J., Sta. Cruz, M. T., Venkateshwarlu, C., Konijerla, J., Pradhan, S. K., Dash, S. K., Das, Y., Chowdhury, D., Chetia, S. K., Das, J., Nath, P., Merugumala, G. R., Roy, B., Pradhan, N., Jana, M., Dana, I., Debnath, S., Nath, A., Prasad Singh, S., Iftekharuddaula, K. M., Ghosal, S., Ali, M., Khanam, S., Ul Islam, M. M., Faruquee, M., Tonny, H. J., Hasan, M. R., Rahman, A., Ali, J., Sinha, P., Singh, V., Rafiqul Islam, M., Bhosale, S., Kohli, A., Bhardwaj, H. R., Hussain, W.
The study screened 6,274 elite rice genotypes for submergence and stagnant flooding tolerance, identifying 89 lines with superior performance, including 37 that outperformed SUB1A introgression lines by 40‑50%. These elite lines harbor 86 key QTLs/genes and were used in a novel Transition from Trait to Environment (TTE) breeding strategy, achieving a 65% genetic gain for submergence tolerance and demonstrating strong performance in flood‑prone regions of India and Bangladesh.
A biparental Vicia faba mapping population was screened under glasshouse conditions for resistance to a mixture of Fusarium avenaceum and Fusarium oxysporum, revealing several families with moderate to high resistance. Using the Vfaba_v2 Axiom SNP array, a high-density linkage map of 6,755 SNPs was constructed, enabling the identification of a major QTL on linkage group 4 associated with partial resistance to foot and root rot.
A maize near-isogenic line population designed for gene discovery and characterization of allelic effects
Authors: Zhong, T., Mullens, A., Morales, L., Swarts, K., Stafstrom, W., He, Y., Sermons, S., Yang, Q., Lopez-Zuniga, L. O., Rucker, E., Thomason, W., Nelson, R., Jamann, T. M., Balint-Kurti, P., Holland, J. B.
The study characterized 1,264 maize near‑isogenic lines derived from 18 donor inbreds crossed to the recurrent parent B73, using genotyping‑by‑sequencing and SNP‑chip data to detect 2,972 introgression segments via a novel hidden Markov model pipeline. Disease phenotyping enabled QTL mapping for foliar disease resistance, revealing extensive allelic variation among donor lines, and establishing the nNIL population as a valuable resource for dissecting complex traits in maize.