Genetius

The study used proximity-dependent labeling in transgenic barley to map host interactomes of five structurally related Blumeria hordei AVRA effectors, revealing that the conserved AVRA13 specifically binds the barley cell‑surface receptor SRF3 and disrupts its interaction with BAK1, reducing plasma‑membrane SRF3 levels. This manipulation impairs iron‑induced restriction of fungal growth, linking SRF3‑mediated iron homeostasis to pathogen virulence and immune recognition.

The study characterizes a novel variegated barley mutant whose phenotype is governed by duplicate dominant epistasis, representing the first reported digenic control of chloroplast-deficient mutants. Mapping and whole‑genome resequencing identified two candidate genes—an NBR1‑like autophagy receptor and a DNAJ‑domain protein—implicated in chloroplast proteostasis. The authors propose that combined mild defects in proteostasis from each locus exceed a functional threshold, disrupting early chloroplast development while allowing later recovery.

The study combined Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis and GENIE3 to map transcriptional networks in barley responding to Fusarium head blight and drought, revealing overlapping co‑expression modules and regulatory clusters. Central regulatory roles were assigned to specific transcription factors, notably WRKYs for Fusarium response, while bHLH and NAC family members showed stress‑specific activity, highlighting candidates for functional validation.

The study reveals that the barley ROP protein RACB, which facilitates susceptibility to the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria hordei, signals through the scaffold RIPb, and that the C2‑domain protein CARa interacts with RIPb to promote fungal haustorium accommodation. Transient knockdown of CARa reduces, while overexpression enhances, barley epidermal cell susceptibility, indicating CARa links RACB‑RIPb signaling to membrane organization during infection.

The study characterizes pre‑anthesis embryonic inflorescence greening (PEIG) in barley, showing it begins early in development within leaf sheaths, first in the central rachis and later spreading to spikelet primordia. Dark treatment experiments reveal that while PEIG is not required for floral initiation, it is essential for floral survival and pollen viability, especially at the inflorescence tip. Natural variation analysis links higher PEIG levels with improved floral survival, suggesting this light‑dependent trait could be leveraged to boost cereal grain yield.

The authors evaluated four barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes under simultaneous Fusarium culmorum infection and drought, revealing genotype‑dependent Fusarium Head Blight severity and largely additive transcriptional responses dominated by drought at later stages. Co‑expression analysis linked abscisic acid and auxin pathways to stress‑specific gene modules, and a regression model accurately predicted combined‑stress expression from single‑stress data, indicating modular regulation.

The study demonstrates that the barley florigen homolog FT1 integrates leaf and inflorescence development with metabolic regulation, influencing source‑sink dynamics, plant longevity, and reproductive output. ft1 knock‑out mutants show altered meristem determinacy, increased leaf and spikelet numbers, reduced fertility, and extensive transcriptional changes in photosynthesis and carbon metabolism, indicating reduced sink strength despite high carbohydrate accumulation.

Using physiological, biochemical, metabolomic, and proteomic analyses, the study shows that barley responds to salinity stress by increasing respiration and activating the canonical TCA cycle, while the GABA shunt remains largely inactive. Elevated levels of TCA enzymes and related metabolites indicate that enhanced mitochondrial respiration underpins barley’s salinity tolerance, contrasting with wheat where the GABA pathway is induced.

The study evaluated 198 barley (Hordeum vulgare) accessions from the World Barley Core Collection for resistance to bacterial leaf streak caused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. translucens, identifying ten lines with consistently low disease severity over four years. Genome‑wide association analyses using multiple mixed models uncovered five robust marker‑trait associations, including loci on chromosomes 2H, 5H, and 7H that overlap with previously reported resistance regions, providing valuable resources for breeding BLS‑resistant barley.

The study created a fast‑cycling, isogenic barley line (GP‑rapid) that retains the high transformation efficiency of the Golden Promise cultivar by introgressing a wild‑type Ppd‑H1 allele and removing residual Igri genome. Under speed‑breeding conditions, GP‑rapid shortens the generation time by 25% (63 days) and demonstrates comparable CRISPR/Cas9‑mediated editing efficiency to the original cultivar.