The study compared aphid resistance and Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) transmission among three wheat varieties (G1, RGT Wolverine, RGT Illustrious). G1 emits the repellent 2‑tridecanone, restricts aphid phloem access, and shows reduced BYDV transmission, whereas RGT Wolverine limits systemic viral infection despite high transmission efficiency. The authors suggest breeding the two resistance mechanisms together for improved protection.

The study conducted a genome-wide characterization of 247 lectin genes in tomato, revealing diverse domain architectures and evolutionary patterns shaped by whole-genome and small-scale duplications. Functional assays using virus-induced gene silencing demonstrated that two GNA-type chimerolectins act as negative regulators of immunity, with silencing enhancing resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum. These results underscore the structural innovation and immune-regulatory roles of lectin genes, offering targets for disease‑resistant tomato breeding.

The study examined how increasing copper concentrations affect root tip cells of Solanum lycopersicum, revealing that mitochondria are the first organelles to exhibit fragmentation, depolarization, and ROS accumulation, which trigger stress signaling cascades. Copper exposure also caused pronounced nuclear alterations, including chromatin condensation marked by reduced H3K4me3, nuclear shrinkage, and eventual cell death, highlighting chromatin remodeling as a key indicator of copper toxicity.

Using transparent root apex cells of Solanum lycopersicum, the study employed live‑cell fluorescence imaging, immunostaining, and super‑resolution microscopy to map the sequential collapse of organelles under lidocaine anesthesia. It reveals that mitochondria, lysosomes, vesicle trafficking, and especially the nucleus undergo time‑dependent damage, with reversible effects up to four hours but irreversible nuclear degradation and programmed cell death beyond that, highlighting potential protective strategies.

The study investigated whether wheat homoeologous genes actively compensate for each other when one copy acquires a premature termination codon (PTC) mutation. By analyzing mutagenised wheat lines, the authors found that only about 3% of cases exhibited upregulation of the unaffected homoeolog, indicating that widespread active transcriptional compensation is absent in wheat.

Overexpression of the wheat bHLH transcription factor TaPGS1 leads to increased flavonol accumulation in the seed coat, which disrupts polar auxin transport and causes localized auxin accumulation, delaying endosperm cellularization and increasing cell number, thereby enlarging grain size. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses identified upregulated flavonol biosynthetic genes, revealing a regulatory module that links flavonol-mediated auxin distribution to seed development in wheat.

The study evaluated how alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) chain length influences the levels of seven key phytohormones in wheat seedlings challenged with Botrytis cinerea. Hormone profiling revealed that mid‑range oligomers (DP 4‑6) most strongly up‑regulate defense‑related hormones (JA, SA, ABA, CTK), whereas longer oligomers (DP 7) most effectively suppress ethylene. These findings suggest that tailoring AOS polymerization can optimize disease resistance and growth in cereal crops.

The study introduces a minimal precursor platform for synthetic trans-acting siRNAs (syn-tasiRNAs) in tomato, leveraging the endogenous SlmiR482b microRNA to produce functional silencing agents in both transgenic and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) systems. Minimal precursors successfully silenced endogenous genes and conferred resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus, and a transgene‑free delivery via crude extracts was demonstrated, highlighting a versatile tool for precision RNAi in Solanum lycopersicum.

The study investigates the altered timing of the core circadian oscillator gene ELF3 in wheat compared to Arabidopsis, revealing that dawn-specific expression in wheat arises from repression by TOC1. An optimized computational model integrating experimental expression data and promoter architecture predicts that wheat’s circadian oscillator remains robust despite this shift, indicating flexibility in plant circadian network design.

The study generated and physiologically characterized tomato ELIP mutants (slelip) under various light conditions, finding no impairment in photosynthetic performance or increased photoinhibition. Using a pSlELIP1::Venus reporter, ELIP expression was localized primarily to epidermal guard cells rather than mesophyll, and mutants showed reduced stomatal conductance during dark‑to‑light transition, suggesting a role for ELIPs in guard‑cell light responses.