Genetius

The study demonstrates that the circadian clock component ELF3 serves as a temporal gatekeeper for lateral root formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. ELF3 maintains rhythmic expression of key regulators, limiting hormone‑induced pericycle proliferation, while elf3 loss disrupts rhythms, enhances callus growth, and accelerates lateral root development via LNK1 and MADS‑box genes AGL14/AGL20. Hormonal signals can partially restore rhythmicity in elf3 mutants, revealing feedback between hormonal and circadian pathways.

The study reveals that the membrane‑localized kinases CRK2 and QSK1 coordinate their subcellular localization to regulate plasmodesmata callose deposition in Arabidopsis, balancing growth and osmotic stress responses. Under normal conditions CRK2 phosphorylates and retains QSK1 at the plasma membrane, while osmotic stress triggers QSK1 dephosphorylation and relocalization to plasmodesmata to promote callose synthesis, after which CRK2 also moves to plasmodesmata to limit excess deposition.

The study compared expression and function of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) families in the moss Physcomitrium patens and barley Hordeum vulgare under stress, revealing distinct family-specific patterns and the absence of ALDH21 in barley. Functional analyses of moss ALDH5, ALDH10, and ALDH21 showed that loss of ALDH5F2 or ALDH21A1 impairs the GABA shunt, alters amino‑acid levels, reduces colony size, and triggers up‑regulation of glutathione‑S‑transferase genes, indicating a compensatory oxidative‑stress response.

Wound‑induced root tip regeneration relies on photosynthetically derived sucrose, which is locally converted to glucose that accumulates near the cut via cell‑wall invertase (CWINV) and sugar transporter proteins (STP). Loss of CWINV or STP function impairs repair, especially under low sucrose, while increased STP13 dosage accelerates healing, revealing a proactive sugar‑sink mechanism that directs resources to damaged tissue.

The study assembled a Danish collection of 143 Chenopodium album accessions and integrated seed metabolomics, ploidy assessment, and genomics to characterize nutritional and anti‑nutritional traits, revealing high protein content and diverse saponins. A high‑quality tetraploid genome and comparative analysis with a diploid line identified structural variants and key genes (β‑amyrin synthase, CYP716 P450s, glucuronosyltransferase) underlying saponin biosynthesis, providing a foundation for rapid domestication of this wild, high‑protein crop.

The study examined how corolla morphology predicts nectar volume and sugar concentration in 156 flowering plant species from the UK and Zambia, distinguishing tubular from non‑tubular flowers. Results showed that tube length and width drive nectar traits in tubular flowers, while corolla width and shape are key predictors in non‑tubular flowers, with weak phylogenetic signal overall. These morphological proxies offer a framework for estimating nectar resources relevant to mosquito and pollinator ecology.

The study examined long‑term (23‑day) salt stress in two contrasting eggplant genotypes, using physiological phenotyping and RNA‑seq. Both genotypes shared a core stress response, but the tolerant genotype showed extensive transcriptional reprogramming of translation, hormone signaling, transport, cell‑wall and oxidative stress pathways, whereas the sensitive genotype had a limited defense‑oriented response. These findings identify candidate pathways and genes for breeding salt‑resilient eggplant.

Using a bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) varietal mixture, the authors showed that root‑derived chemical interactions lower leaf susceptibility to Septoria tritici blotch by triggering phenolic‑mediated signaling and extensive transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming. Disrupting these root interactions abolished both the disease‑reduction effect and the associated molecular responses, linking root signals to enhanced leaf defense.

A mutation in the rice cytokinin oxidase gene OsCKX2 (Gn1a) increases cytokinin secretion, reshaping soil microbial communities and enhancing both rice yield and the growth of co‑cultured common carp. The altered microbiota translocates to the fish gut, promoting keystone microbes that boost short‑chain fatty acid production and carbohydrate degradation, thereby improving fish growth and antibacterial capacity. This study demonstrates a cross‑kingdom, cytokinin‑mediated strategy for dual production in rice‑fish symbiotic ecosystems.

The study identifies extracellular NAD(P) as a damage-associated molecular pattern that mediates localized acquired resistance (LAR) during effector‑triggered immunity, demonstrating that eNAD(P) and its receptor complex limit hypersensitive response‑associated cell death and are essential for LAR but independent of known systemic acquired resistance signals. Mutants deficient in the eNAD(P) pathway retain ETI‑mediated resistance, indicating that LAR constitutes a mechanistically distinct immune layer linked to HR‑associated damage.