Genetius

The study investigates how division plane orientation is established in cambium stem cells (CSCs) of Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that orientation is independent of spindle positioning and the preprophase band (PPB) but relies on the cortical division zone (CDZ) and POK kinesins. Using microtubule imaging and PPB-deficient mutants, the authors demonstrate that CSCs consistently divide along their longest axis through CDZ-mediated mechanisms.

The study identified a heat‑responsive exon‑skipping event in the basic Helix‑Loop‑Helix domain of the transcription factor PIF4, which reduces PIF4 activity and promotes photomorphogenic traits in etiolated seedlings. This reveals a novel post‑transcriptional mechanism by which plants modulate PIF4 function during heat stress.

The study examined how increased stomatal density and transpiration in the Arabidopsis thaliana epf1 epf2 double mutant affect root hydraulic properties, finding that despite higher water loss the mutant maintains leaf water status and displays reduced root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr) without changes in aquaporin expression. Under PEG‑induced osmotic stress, the wild type showed lower Lpr than the mutant, suggesting that elevated xylem tension acts as a long‑distance signal coordinating reductions in both stomatal aperture and root water transport.

The study examined how DNA methylation influences cold stress priming in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing that primed plants exhibit distinct gene expression and methylation patterns compared to non-primed plants. DNA methylation mutants, especially met1 lacking CG methylation, showed altered cold memory and misregulation of the CBF gene cluster, indicating that methylation ensures transcriptional precision during stress recall.

The study demonstrates that the transcription factor APETALA2 (AP2) orchestrates seed coat development in Arabidopsis thaliana by directing layer‑specific cell wall remodeling, which creates contrasting mechanical properties between the integument layers and thereby modulates seed growth. Despite these mechanical differences, mechanosensitive signaling remains unchanged, indicating a decoupling of wall composition from mechanotransduction during organ morphogenesis.

The study characterizes the plant spliceosomal protein AtSF1 in Arabidopsis thaliana, using iCLIP and RNA‑seq to map its in vivo branch point binding sites and demonstrate that loss of AtSF1 causes widespread 3' splice‑site mis‑selection. Structural comparison reveals a plant‑specific domain architecture, and the identified AtSF1 targets are enriched for circadian and defense genes, linking splicing regulation to timing and immunity.

The study identifies WALLFLOWER (WFL), a transmembrane receptor-like kinase localized at the inner polar domain of root epidermal cells, as a key regulator of coordinated cell elongation and gravitropic response. Loss‑of‑function wfl mutants display altered root wave patterns and increased cell length in specific epidermal files, phenotypes that are rescued by full‑length WFL‑GFP but not by a truncation that mislocalizes to the outer membrane. Advanced imaging (lifetime imaging and atomic force microscopy) reveals that WFL modulates the mechanical properties of inner and outer cell walls, linking lateral protein polarity to longitudinal organ growth.

The study expressed a Brachypodium phenylalanine/tyrosine ammonia‑lyase (PTAL) in Arabidopsis thaliana to create plants that initiate phenylpropanoid biosynthesis from phenylalanine, tyrosine, or both. While the engineered pathway did not affect growth in wild‑type plants, tyrosine‑specific initiation rescued the lethal phenotype of c4h mutants but caused developmental defects due to accumulation of cis‑cinnamic acid, highlighting the evolutionary importance of the canonical phenylalanine‑derived route.

Using a hydroponic Arabidopsis thaliana–Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) pathosystem, the authors combined biometric, anatomical, hydraulic, and gas‑exchange measurements to show that viral infection curtails primary root elongation, lowers root hydraulic conductance per unit mass, and down‑regulates aquaporin gene expression. Despite unchanged aquaporin‑mediated transport proportion, infected plants exhibit a decoupling of stomatal conductance from net CO₂ assimilation, yielding a non‑adaptive rise in intrinsic water‑use efficiency and a constrained physiological state.

The study investigates how elevated temperatures associated with climate change affect NLR-mediated immunity, focusing on the Arabidopsis RPS4/RRS1 pair that confers resistance to Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum. By integrating natural genetic variation screening, genetic mapping, polymorphism analysis, structural modeling, and functional complementation, the authors identified a specific RPS4/RRS1 haplotype whose leucine-rich repeat substitutions compromise thermostable resistance. These results suggest that leveraging natural diversity can enable the engineering of climate‑resilient disease resistance.