Regenerative agriculture effects on biomass, drought resilience and 14C-photosynthate allocation in wheat drilled into ley compared to disc or ploughed arable soil
Authors: Austen, N., Short, E., Tille, S., Johnson, I., Summers, R., Cameron, D. D., Leake, J. R.
Regenerative agriculture using a grass-clover ley increased wheat yields and macroaggregate stability despite reduced root biomass, but did not enhance soil carbon sequestration as measured by 14C retention. Drought further decreased photosynthate allocation to roots, especially in ley soils, while genotype effects on yield were minimal.
The study presents an optimized Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for bread wheat that incorporates a GRF4‑GIF1 fusion to enhance regeneration and achieve genotype‑independent transformation across multiple cultivars. The approach consistently improves transformation efficiency while limiting pleiotropic effects, offering a versatile platform for functional genomics and gene editing in wheat.
The study examined how soil phosphorus and nitrogen availability influence wheat root-associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities and the expression of mycorrhizal nutrient transporters. Field sampling across two years combined with controlled pot experiments showed that P and N jointly affect AMF colonisation, community composition (with Funneliformis dominance under high P), and regulation of phosphate, ammonium, and nitrate transporters. Integrating metabarcoding and RT‑qPCR provides a framework to assess AMF contributions to crop nutrition.
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 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.
Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization of Telomere Repeat Binding (TRBs) Proteins in Moss: Evolutionary and Functional Perspectives
Authors: Kusova, A., Hola, M., Goffova Petrova, I., Rudolf, J., Zachova, D., Skalak, J., Hejatko, J., Klodova, B., Prerovska, T., Lycka, M., Sykorova, E., Bertrand, Y. J. K., Fajkus, J., Honys, D., Prochazkova Schrumpfova, P.
The study characterizes telomere repeat binding (TRB) proteins in the model moss Physcomitrium patens, demonstrating that individual PpTRB genes are essential for normal protonemal and gametophore development and that loss of TRBs leads to telomere shortening, mirroring findings in seed plants. Transcriptome analysis of TRB mutants shows altered expression of genes linked to transcription regulation and stimulus response, while subcellular localization confirms nuclear residence and mutual interaction of PpTRBs, underscoring their conserved role in telomere maintenance across land plants.
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 characterizes the distinct and overlapping roles of the rice PI paralogs OsMADS2 and OsMADS4 in lodicule specification, flowering time, and floral organ development by analyzing null and double mutants and overexpression lines. Genome-wide binding (ChIP‑seq) and transcriptome (RNA‑seq) analyses identified downstream targets involved in cell division, cell wall remodeling, and osmotic regulation that underpin the observed phenotypes. These findings reveal novel functions for PI paralogs in reproductive development and highlight mechanisms of transcription factor diversification in Oryza sativa.