Genetius

The authors introduce a two‑stage likelihood ratio test (2sLRT) for identifying mid‑parent heterosis (MPH) genes in unreplicated RNA‑seq experiments, using genes lacking differential expression as pseudo‑replicates to estimate dispersion before applying a negative‑binomial LRT. Simulation results show 2sLRT improves statistical power and false‑discovery rate control, and its application to a maize dataset of 599 families reveals biologically meaningful MPH expression patterns.

A large-scale study of 437 maize hybrids derived from 38 MLN‑tolerant lines and 29 testers evaluated performance under MLN inoculation, drought stress, and optimal conditions, revealing quantitative inheritance, strong additive effects, and significant genotype‑by‑environment interactions. Superior hybrids combined high grain yield, MLN resistance, and drought tolerance, with general combining ability guiding selection of elite parents for sub‑Saharan Africa.

The authors developed a simple classifier that leverages DNA sequence and evolutionary conservation features to predict which plant gene models are likely to influence phenotypes. Trained on genes from Zea mays, the model accurately prioritizes phenotype‑linked genes in rice and Arabidopsis and highlights many uncharacterized gene families with high predicted relevance. These scores provide a useful resource for guiding reverse genetics and accelerating functional annotation in crops.

The study investigated how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promote lateral root development in maize by activating ethylene‑responsive transcription factors (ERFs) that drive pericycle cell division and reprogram flavonoid metabolism. It shows that AM fungi reduce flavonol accumulation and that the rhizobacterium Massilia synergizes with AM fungi by degrading flavonoids and producing auxin, forming a tripartite signaling network linking ethylene signaling, flavonoid‑mediated microbial recruitment, and symbiosis.

The study characterizes CgEP4, a conserved nuclear effector of the maize pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola, showing it arose from an ancient gene duplication and is essential for full virulence, host penetration, and suppression of basal defenses. Deletion of CgEP4 severely reduces pathogenicity, delays fungal entry, increases host papilla formation, and impairs fungal stress tolerance, highlighting its role in host adaptation.

The study introduced the small heat‑shock protein genes shsp‑17 (from Nicotiana tabacum) and ATHSP‑90 (from Arabidopsis thaliana) into Zea mays to enhance stress tolerance, but while reporter gene expression confirmed successful transformation, the HSP‑90 construct could not be recovered and sHSP‑17 transgenics failed to produce viable T1 progeny, suggesting deleterious effects on embryo survival. The work highlights challenges in engineering maize for combined biotic and abiotic stress resistance under fluctuating temperature conditions in Pakistan.

The study identifies two maize genes, Discordia3a and Discordia3b, that encode the microtubule‑severing protein KATANIN. Loss‑of‑function alleles reduce microtubule severing, impair cell elongation, delay mitotic entry, and disrupt preprophase band and nuclear positioning, leading to small, misshapen plants.

The study evaluated whether integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and drone-derived phenomic data improves prediction of 129 maize traits across nine environments. Multi‑omics models, especially those combining genotype and expression data, consistently outperformed single‑omics approaches and enabled cross‑environment predictions, highlighting the role of transcriptomics in capturing G×E effects.

A field trial on Adkins fine sandy loam evaluated the effects of dairy manure (5‑15 t acre⁻¹) and synthetic NPK fertilizer on nutrient concentrations in plant tissues and soil, as well as on field corn (Zea mays) yield. Synthetic fertilizer produced the highest yield (45.5 t acre⁻¹) and plant height, while a low manure rate (5 t acre⁻¹) gave better yields than higher manure rates, with limited impact on soil nutrient pools except NH₄⁺‑N. The authors suggest combining synthetic fertilizer with manure for balanced nutrient supply and reduced leaching.

The study identified and functionally characterized long non-coding RNAs from the aphid-specific Ya gene family in two cereal-specialist aphids, showing that these lncRNAs are secreted into maize tissues, remain stable, and move systemically. Silencing Ya genes reduced aphid fecundity, while ectopic expression of Ya lncRNAs in maize promoted aphid colonization, indicating that Ya lncRNAs act as cross-kingdom effectors that enhance aphid virulence and could serve as markers for breeding aphid‑resistant maize.