The study establishes a tractable system using the large bloom-forming diatom Coscinodiscus granii and its natural oomycete parasite Lagenisma coscinodisci, enabling manual isolation of single host cells and stable co-cultures. High‑quality transcriptomes for both partners were assembled, revealing diverse oomycete effectors and a host transcriptional response involving proteases and exosome pathways, while also profiling the co‑occurring heterotrophic flagellate Pteridomonas sp. This tripartite platform provides a unique marine model for dissecting molecular mechanisms of oomycete‑diatom interactions.

The authors compiled and standardized published data on Rubisco dark inhibition for 157 flowering plant species, categorizing them into four inhibition levels and analyzing phylogenetic trends. Their meta‑analysis reveals a complex, uneven distribution of inhibition across taxa, suggesting underlying chloroplast microenvironment drivers and providing a new resource for future photosynthesis improvement efforts.

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 integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of red clover (Trifolium pratense) roots infected with Fusarium oxysporum and Phoma medicaginis to identify candidate cytochrome P450 enzymes responsible for the methylenedioxy bridge formation in (-)-maackiain biosynthesis. Using co‑expression network analysis and phylogenetic screening, five P450 candidates were selected and screened in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae, revealing TpPbS/CYP76F319 as the enzyme catalyzing conversion of calycosin to pseudobaptigenin. This discovery enables reconstruction of the complete (-)-maackiain pathway for potential health and agricultural applications.

The study investigates the molecular basis of heat‑tolerant pollen tube growth in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) by comparing thermotolerant and sensitive cultivars. Using live imaging, transcriptomics, proteomics, and genetics, the authors identified the Rapid Alkalinization Factor (RALF) signaling pathway as a key regulator of pollen tube integrity under high temperature, with loss of a specific RALF peptide enhancing tube integrity in a thermotolerant cultivar.

The study investigated how barley (Hordeum vulgare) adjusts mitochondrial respiration under salinity stress using physiological, biochemical, metabolomic and proteomic approaches. Salt treatment increased respiration and activated the canonical TCA cycle, while the GABA shunt remained largely inactive, contrasting with wheat responses.

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.

The study benchmarked several sampling approaches for simultaneous profiling of root exudates and rhizosphere microbiota in soil-grown barley, revealing consistent exudate chemistry across methods but variation in root morphology and nitrogen exudation. High‑throughput amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR showed protocol‑specific impacts on microbial composition, yet most rhizosphere-enriched microbes were captured by all approaches. The authors conclude that different protocols provide comparable integrated data, though methodological differences must be aligned with experimental objectives.

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.

The study systematically identified heterosis-associated genes and metabolites in rice, functionally validated three genes influencing seedling length, and integrated these molecules into network modules to explain heterosis variance. Predominant additive and partially dominant inheritance patterns were linked to parental genomic variants and were shown to affect 17 agronomic traits in rice, as well as yield heterosis in maize and biomass heterosis in Arabidopsis. The work highlights the quantitative contribution of transcriptomic and metabolomic variation, especially in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, to hybrid vigor.