The study compares the iron-poor oceanic diatom Thalassiosira oceanica with the iron-rich coastal species T. pseudonana to uncover how diatoms adapt to low-iron conditions. Using photo‑physiological measurements, proteomic profiling, and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, the researchers show that each species remodels chloroplast compartments and exhibits distinct mitochondrial architectures to maintain chloroplast‑mitochondrial coupling under iron limitation.
CLPC2 plays specific roles in CLP complex-mediated regulation of growth, photosynthesis, embryogenesis and response to growth-promoting microbial compounds
Authors: Leal-Lopez, J., Bahaji, A., De Diego, N., Tarkowski, P., Baroja-Fernandez, E., Munoz, F. J., Almagro, G., Perez, C. E., Bastidas-Parrado, L. A., Loperfido, D., Caporalli, E., Ezquer, I., Lopez-Serrano, L., Ferez-Gomez, A., Coca-Ruiz, V., Pulido, P., Morcillo, R. J. L., Pozueta-Romero, J.
The study demonstrates that the plastid chaperone CLPC2, but not its paralogue CLPC1, is essential for Arabidopsis responsiveness to microbial volatile compounds and for normal seed and seedling development. Loss of CLPC2 alters the chloroplast proteome, affecting proteins linked to growth, photosynthesis, and embryogenesis, while overexpression of CLPC2 mimics CLPC1 deficiency, highlighting distinct functional roles within the CLP protease complex.
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 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 uses a multi‑omics strategy to chart transcriptomic and epigenomic changes throughout pepper (Capsicum) fruit pericarp development and ripening, linking chromatin accessibility, H3K27ac/H3K27me3 dynamics, and global DNA demethylation to transcriptional reprogramming. Network analysis suggests that ripening regulators known from climacteric tomato also function in non‑climacteric pepper, and epigenetic regulation of carotenoid and vitamin C biosynthesis pathways is detailed.
The study mapped the cis‑regulatory landscape of the winter rapeseed cultivar Express617, identifying thousands of novel regulatory elements and characterizing super‑enhancers that are asymmetrically enriched in the Cn subgenome of Brassica napus. An in‑silico pipeline combining population‑level expression data and machine‑learning models revealed that many SE‑associated genes are expressed above predicted levels, and structural variants disrupting SEs lead to reduced gene expression, highlighting their functional importance for gene regulation and breeding.
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.
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.
The study generated deep proteome and phosphoproteome datasets from guard cell‑enriched tissue to examine how phosphorylation regulates stomatal movements. Comparative analysis revealed increased phosphorylation of endomembrane trafficking and vacuolar proteins in closed stomata, supporting a role for phospho‑regulated trafficking in stomatal dynamics.
Uncovering the Molecular Regulation of Seed Development and Germination in Endangered Legume Paubrasilia echinata Through Proteomic and Polyamine Analyses
Authors: Vettorazzi, R. G., Carrari-Santos, R., Sousa, K. R., Oliveira, T. R., Grativol, C., Olimpio, G., Venancio, T. M., Pinto, V. B., Quintanilha-Peixoto, G., Silveira, V., Santa-Catarna, C.
The study examined seed maturation and germination in the endangered legume Paubrasilia echinata using proteomic and polyamine analyses at 4, 6, and 8 weeks post-anthesis, identifying over 2,000 proteins and linking specific polyamines to developmental stages. Mature seeds (6 weeks) showed elevated proteasome components, translation machinery, LEA proteins, and heat shock proteins, while polyamine dynamics revealed putrescine dominance in early development and spermidine/spermine association with desiccation tolerance and germination. These findings uncover dynamic molecular shifts underlying seed development and provide insights for conservation and propagation.