Genetius

The authors used gene editing to disrupt the barley HvAOC gene, a key enzyme in jasmonate biosynthesis, and observed enhanced vegetative growth, earlier flowering, and larger, heavier grains, phenotypes that were reversed by methyl‑jasmonate treatment. Expression analyses indicated that HvAOC functions primarily in maternal tissues, where its loss expands nutrient‑transfer structures and up‑regulates sucrose‑transport genes, linking jasmonate signaling to the coordination of maternal tissue development and grain size.

The study used proximity-dependent protein labeling in transgenic barley to map host interactomes of five Blumeria hordei AVRA effectors, revealing that the conserved AVRA13 specifically binds the barley cell‑surface receptor SRF3, disrupts its interaction with BAK1, and modulates iron‑homeostasis‑linked immunity. AVRA13 expression alleviates iron‑induced restriction of fungal growth, indicating that SRF3 links pathogen virulence, immune detection, and iron regulation.

The study characterizes a novel variegated barley mutant whose phenotype results from duplicate dominant epistasis, representing the first documented digenic control in chloroplast-deficient mutants. Whole-genome resequencing mapped the causative loci Var4 and Var5 to chromosomes 2H and 3H, identifying an NBR1-like autophagy receptor and a DNAJ-domain protein as candidate genes involved in chloroplast proteostasis. The authors propose that combined mild proteostasis defects from each mutation exceed a functional threshold, disrupting early chloroplast development while allowing later recovery.

The study used Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA) and GENIE3 to construct co‑expression modules and gene regulatory networks (GRNs) in barley subjected to Fusarium head blight and drought stress. Integration of these approaches highlighted overlapping regulatory patterns, pinpointing WRKY transcription factors as central to FHB response, while bHLH and NAC family members showed stress‑specific roles. Promoter motif enrichment further validated predicted TF‑target interactions, offering candidate regulators for future functional validation.

The barley ROP protein RACB promotes susceptibility to the fungus Blumeria hordei by interacting with scaffold proteins, including RIPb. The study shows that the calcium‑dependent C2‑domain protein CARa binds RIPb, and that transient knockdown of CARa reduces, while its overexpression enhances, fungal haustorium accommodation, indicating CARa connects RACB‑RIPb signalling to membrane organization during infection.

The study characterizes pre-anthesis embryonic inflorescence greening (PEIG) in barley as an early, light‑dependent chlorophyll accumulation that begins in the central rachis and spreads to spikelet primordia. Using chlorophyll autofluorescence imaging, quantification, and a non‑destructive dark‑treatment to block light, the authors show that inhibiting PEIG does not affect floral initiation but markedly reduces floral survival and pollen viability, especially at the spike tip. Natural variation analysis further links stronger PEIG with higher floral survival, highlighting its potential impact on cereal grain yield.

Four barley genotypes were examined under simultaneous Fusarium culmorum infection and drought, revealing genotype-dependent Fusarium Head Blight severity and largely additive transcriptomic responses dominated by drought. Co‑expression and hormone profiling linked ABA and auxin to stress‑specific gene modules, and a multiple linear regression model accurately predicted combined‑stress gene expression from single‑stress data, suggesting modular regulation.

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 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 authors created a fast‑cycling, isogenic barley line (GP‑rapid) by introgressing the wild‑type Ppd‑H1 allele from Igri into the Golden Promise cultivar and performing two backcrosses to limit the donor genome, achieving a 25% reduction in generation time under speed‑breeding conditions while retaining high transformation efficiency. CRISPR/Cas9‑mediated editing of Ppd‑H1 showed regeneration and transformation rates comparable to the original Golden Promise, establishing GP‑rapid as a rapid platform for transgenic and gene‑edited barley research.