The study reveals that each individual plant possesses a statistically unique leaf appearance that can be discriminated using convolutional neural network (CNN) based deep learning, enabling a "plant face" recognition concept. Applications demonstrated include distinguishing leaves from the same species/cultivar, analyzing leaflet positional patterns on compound leaves, assessing bilateral symmetry, and detecting morphological differences linked to stem chirality, highlighting the encoding of genetic, environmental, and developmental information in leaf morphology.
The study reveals that rice perceives Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae outer membrane vesicles through a rapid calcium signal that triggers plasma‑membrane nanodomain formation and the re‑organisation of defence‑related proteins, establishing an early immune response. Without this Ca2+ signal, OMVs are not recognized and immunity is weakened.
The study evaluated a transgenic soybean line (VPZ-34A) expressing Arabidopsis VDE, PsbS, and ZEP for combined improvements in light‑use efficiency and carbon assimilation under ambient and elevated CO2 in a FACE experiment. While VPZ‑34A showed enhanced maximum quantum efficiency of PSII under fluctuating light, it did not increase carbon assimilation efficiency or yield, and transcriptome analysis revealed limited gene expression changes. The results suggest that VPZ‑mediated photosynthetic gains are insufficient to boost productivity under elevated CO2.
The study investigates the role of the chromatin regulator MpSWI3, a core subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. A promoter mutation disrupts male gametangiophore development and spermiogenesis, causing enhanced vegetative propagation, and transcriptomic analysis reveals that MpSWI3 regulates genes controlling reproductive initiation, sperm function, and asexual reproduction, highlighting its ancient epigenetic role in balancing vegetative and reproductive phases.
Using a microfluidic valve rootchip, the study simultaneously tracked ROS and calcium dynamics in compressed roots and found three kinetic phases linking mechanosensitive channel activity, NADPH oxidase‑dependent ROS accumulation, and secondary calcium influx. Pharmacological inhibition revealed that a fast calcium response is mediated by plasma‑membrane mechanosensitive channels, while a slower calcium increase is driven by ROS production.
Unravelling the intraspecific variation in drought responses in seedlings of European black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold)
Authors: Ahmad, M., Hammerbacher, A., Priemer, C., Ciceu, A., Karolak, M., Mader, S., Olsson, S., Schinnerl, J., Seitner, S., Schoendorfer, S., Helfenbein, P., Jakub, J., Breuer, M., Espinosa, A., Caballero, T., Ganthaler, A., Mayr, S., Grosskinsky, D. K., Wienkoop, S., Schueler, S., Trujillo-Moya, C., van Loo, M.
The study examined drought tolerance across nine provenances of the conifer Pinus nigra using high‑throughput phenotyping combined with metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses under controlled soil‑drying conditions. Drought tolerance, measured by the decline in Fv/Fm, varied among provenances but was not linked to a climatic gradient and was independent of growth, with tolerant provenances showing distinct flavonoid and diterpene profiles and provenance‑specific gene expression patterns. Integrating phenotypic and molecular data revealed metabolic signatures underlying drought adaptation in this non‑model conifer.
Trichoderma afroharzianum behaves differently with respect to the host transcriptome and microbial communities under varying iron availability in pea plants
Authors: Kabir, A. H., Thapa, A., Ara Saiful, S. A., Talukder, S. K.
The study examined how the bioinoculant Trichoderma afroharzianum T22 influences Pisum sativum growth under iron-sufficient versus iron-deficient conditions, finding pronounced benefits—enhanced photosynthesis, Fe/N accumulation, and stress‑related gene expression—only during iron deficiency. RNA‑seq revealed distinct gene expression patterns tied to symbiosis, iron transport, and redox pathways, and microbiome profiling showed T22 reshapes the root bacterial community under deficiency, suggesting context‑dependent mutualism.
The study uses an optogenetic ChannelRhodopsin 2 variant (XXM2.0) to generate defined cytosolic Ca²⁺ transients in Arabidopsis root cells, revealing that these Ca²⁺ signatures suppress auxin‑induced membrane depolarization, Ca²⁺ spikes, and auxin‑responsive transcription, leading to reversible inhibition of cell division and elongation. This demonstrates that optogenetically imposed Ca²⁺ signals act as dynamic regulators of auxin sensitivity in roots.
Sorghum embryos undergoing B chromosome elimination express B-variants of mitotic-related genes
Authors: Bojdova, T., Hlouskova, L., Holusova, K., Svacina, R., Hribova, E., Ilikova, I., Thiel, J., Kim, G., Pleskot, R., Houben, A., Bartos, J., Karafiatova, M.
The study characterizes tissue-specific elimination of B chromosomes in Sorghum purpureosericeum during embryo development, identifying 28 candidate genes linked to this process. Integrated in situ visualization, genome sequencing, and transcriptomic analyses reveal that the B chromosome originates from multiple A chromosomes, harbors unique repeats, and expresses divergent kinetochore components that likely mediate its selective removal.
The study evaluated whether integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and drone-derived phenomic data improves prediction of 129 maize traits across nine environments, using both linear (rrBLUP) and nonlinear (SVR) models. Multi-omics models consistently outperformed single-omics models, with transcriptomic data especially enhancing cross‑environment predictions and capturing genotype‑by‑environment interactions. The results highlight the added value of combining transcriptomics and phenomics with genotypes for more accurate and generalizable trait prediction in maize.