@article{zhou_early_2026,
	title = {{EARLY} {ABORTION} 1 is an evolutionarily conserved gene required for plant reproduction},
	issn = {0022-0957},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erag142},
	doi = {10.1093/jxb/erag142},
	abstract = {The functions of approximately one-third of the proteins in the model plant Arabidopsis remain unknown. It is likely that some of the genes encoding these proteins are essential, and thus indispensable for the survival of the plant; furthermore, these genes would be included in the minimum viable set required for plant life. Evolutionarily conserved single copy genes in flowering plants are enriched in essential housekeeping functions. Building on this observation, we designed a reverse genetic screen that focuses on evolutionarily conserved single copy Arabidopsis genes of unknown function with predominant expression in meristematic cells. This approach identified a previously uncharacterized essential Arabidopsis gene, named as EARLY ABORTION 1 (EBO1). Mutation of the EBO1 locus disrupts gametophyte and/or early embryo development, resulting in defective ovule or seed development. A functional fluorescent EBO1 fusion protein was found to localize to the nucleus, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments detected an interaction between EBO1 and Nucleolar Protein 58 (NOP58) and proteins involved in RNA metabolism, chromatin modification, and transcription. The presented results open a new line of investigation into an evolutionarily conserved mechanism involved in the development of both male and female gametophytes as well as seeds.},
	urldate = {2026-04-24},
	journal = {Journal of Experimental Botany},
	author = {Zhou, Jingjing and Wang, Wei and Zhang, Li and Bruce, Ylva and Zhu, Shaochun and Mateus, André and Niittylä, Totte},
	month = mar,
	year = {2026},
	pages = {erag142},
}

The functions of approximately one-third of the proteins in the model plant Arabidopsis remain unknown. It is likely that some of the genes encoding these proteins are essential, and thus indispensable for the survival of the plant; furthermore, these genes would be included in the minimum viable set required for plant life. Evolutionarily conserved single copy genes in flowering plants are enriched in essential housekeeping functions. Building on this observation, we designed a reverse genetic screen that focuses on evolutionarily conserved single copy Arabidopsis genes of unknown function with predominant expression in meristematic cells. This approach identified a previously uncharacterized essential Arabidopsis gene, named as EARLY ABORTION 1 (EBO1). Mutation of the EBO1 locus disrupts gametophyte and/or early embryo development, resulting in defective ovule or seed development. A functional fluorescent EBO1 fusion protein was found to localize to the nucleus, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments detected an interaction between EBO1 and Nucleolar Protein 58 (NOP58) and proteins involved in RNA metabolism, chromatin modification, and transcription. The presented results open a new line of investigation into an evolutionarily conserved mechanism involved in the development of both male and female gametophytes as well as seeds.

@article{gobel_systemic_2026,
	title = {Systemic and {Local} {Regulation} of {Root} {Growth} by {Vascular} {Trehalose} 6-{Phosphate} is {Correlated} {With} {Re}-allocation of {Primary} {Metabolites} {Between} {Shoots} and {Roots}},
	volume = {49},
	copyright = {© 2026 The Author(s). Plant, Cell \& Environment published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd.},
	issn = {1365-3040},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pce.70599},
	doi = {10.1111/pce.70599},
	abstract = {Trehalose 6-phoshpate (Tre6P) is a key signalling molecule that reflects carbon status and integrates it with developmental decision making. Tre6P has been demonstrated to regulate various developmental processes, including vegetative growth, shoot branching, flowering, and root branching. Here, we investigate how vasculature-derived Tre6P influences root system architecture by expressing heterologous Tre6P synthase or Tre6P phosphatase (TPP) specifically in the plant vasculature. Plants with elevated vascular-derived Tre6P levels had smaller root systems, reduced sucrose levels, and lower root metabolite levels, whereas vascular TPP overexpression had the opposite effect. Using reciprocal grafting experiments, we identified shoot-derived vascular Tre6P to be the main driver of these systemic responses. In lines with increased Tre6P in the shoot vasculature, the shoot-to-root metabolite ratios were consistently increased, indicating that Tre6P modulates metabolite allocation and utilisation to balance carbon partitioning between shoot and root growth. Our data further suggest that vascular Tre6P contributed to optimising the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to support growth and fitness. Besides this systemic function, this study shows that root-derived Tre6P also plays a critical local role in modulating root development. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Tre6P in the vasculature functions both systemically and locally to coordinate metabolic status with root growth and architecture.},
	language = {en},
	number = {9},
	urldate = {2026-08-07},
	journal = {Plant, Cell \& Environment},
	author = {Göbel, Moritz and Foster, Jacqueline and Westhoff, Philipp and Skorzinski, Noemi and Lepper, Hannah L. and Njo, Maria F. and Schmid, Markus and Beeckman, Tom and Tanurdžić, Miloš and Amtmann, Anna and Fichtner, Franziska},
	year = {2026},
	keywords = {resource allocation, root development, sugar partitioning, sugar signalling, trehalose 6-phosphate},
	pages = {6361--6379},
}

Trehalose 6-phoshpate (Tre6P) is a key signalling molecule that reflects carbon status and integrates it with developmental decision making. Tre6P has been demonstrated to regulate various developmental processes, including vegetative growth, shoot branching, flowering, and root branching. Here, we investigate how vasculature-derived Tre6P influences root system architecture by expressing heterologous Tre6P synthase or Tre6P phosphatase (TPP) specifically in the plant vasculature. Plants with elevated vascular-derived Tre6P levels had smaller root systems, reduced sucrose levels, and lower root metabolite levels, whereas vascular TPP overexpression had the opposite effect. Using reciprocal grafting experiments, we identified shoot-derived vascular Tre6P to be the main driver of these systemic responses. In lines with increased Tre6P in the shoot vasculature, the shoot-to-root metabolite ratios were consistently increased, indicating that Tre6P modulates metabolite allocation and utilisation to balance carbon partitioning between shoot and root growth. Our data further suggest that vascular Tre6P contributed to optimising the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to support growth and fitness. Besides this systemic function, this study shows that root-derived Tre6P also plays a critical local role in modulating root development. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Tre6P in the vasculature functions both systemically and locally to coordinate metabolic status with root growth and architecture.

@article{wu_integrating_2026,
	title = {Integrating {GWAS}-guided markers preselection with genomic selection enhances prediction of pulpwood-related traits in slash pine ({Pinus} elliottii {Englem}.)},
	issn = {1471-2229},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09114-4},
	doi = {10.1186/s12870-026-09114-4},
	abstract = {This study aimed to enhance the efficiency of genomic prediction for pulpwood-related traits in slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) by integrating genome-wide association study (GWAS) information with genomic selection (GS). We evaluated 12 traits related to growth, fiber, and wood chemical composition in a population of 340 individuals genotyped with 319,286 high-quality SNPs, comparing the performance of six GS models, including GBLUP and Bayesian methods, under varying training population sizes and marker densities. The results showed that while both GBLUP and Bayesian Lasso performed well, Bayesian Lasso slightly outperformed GBLUP for fiber traits. Predictive ability (PA) plateaued at approximately 100 K SNPs for fiber traits, 60 K for DBH, and 10 K for wood chemical composition traits in all models. Using 100 K random SNPs, PA ranged from 0.05 to 0.23, which expanded to 0.09–0.35 with GWAS-guided SNP preselection (maximum improvement of 16.26\%) and further broadened to 0.01–0.38 by incorporating large-effect QTLs (greatest improvement of 23.54\%). Overall, integrating GWAS information into GS frameworks significantly improved prediction accuracy as assessed by t-test, offering a cost-effective strategy to accelerate genetic improvement. These findings provide practical guidance for enhancing breeding efficiency in slash pine and other conifer breeding programs.},
	language = {en},
	urldate = {2026-06-05},
	journal = {BMC Plant Biology},
	author = {Wu, Yadi and Ding, Xianyin and Diao, Shu and Huang, Qinyun and Shang, Guiqi and Tan, Zifeng and Wu, Shaoze and Hua, Xiahui and He, Chengbo and Luan, Qifu and Chen, Zhi-Qiang and Wu, Harry X.},
	month = may,
	year = {2026},
	keywords = {Bayesian Lasso, Genomic selection, Pulpwood properties, SNP preselection, Slash pine},
}

This study aimed to enhance the efficiency of genomic prediction for pulpwood-related traits in slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) by integrating genome-wide association study (GWAS) information with genomic selection (GS). We evaluated 12 traits related to growth, fiber, and wood chemical composition in a population of 340 individuals genotyped with 319,286 high-quality SNPs, comparing the performance of six GS models, including GBLUP and Bayesian methods, under varying training population sizes and marker densities. The results showed that while both GBLUP and Bayesian Lasso performed well, Bayesian Lasso slightly outperformed GBLUP for fiber traits. Predictive ability (PA) plateaued at approximately 100 K SNPs for fiber traits, 60 K for DBH, and 10 K for wood chemical composition traits in all models. Using 100 K random SNPs, PA ranged from 0.05 to 0.23, which expanded to 0.09–0.35 with GWAS-guided SNP preselection (maximum improvement of 16.26%) and further broadened to 0.01–0.38 by incorporating large-effect QTLs (greatest improvement of 23.54%). Overall, integrating GWAS information into GS frameworks significantly improved prediction accuracy as assessed by t-test, offering a cost-effective strategy to accelerate genetic improvement. These findings provide practical guidance for enhancing breeding efficiency in slash pine and other conifer breeding programs.

@article{lu_epigenetic_2026,
	title = {Epigenetic regulation of fruit shape determination by the {JAGGED} gene in {Capsella} rubella},
	volume = {17},
	copyright = {2026 The Author(s)},
	issn = {2041-1723},
	url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73180-3},
	doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-73180-3},
	abstract = {Fruits are a key feature defining angiosperms, yet how local growth is coordinated during development to generate diverse fruits remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the Capsella rubella C2H2-zinc finger transcription factor JAGGED (CrJAG) controls fruit shape determination by promoting both cell division and anisotropic growth. At the molecular level, CrJAG physically interacts with members of the Capsella rubella MULTICOPY SUPPRESSOR OF IRA1 (CrMSI)  histone chaperone family, increasing the chromatin accessibility and thereby sustaining the expression of genes involved in fruit morphogenesis. The resulting closed chromatin state in Crjag fruits is characterized by a reduction of the active histone marker (H3K18ac) and an increase of the repressive marker (H3K27me3). Further expression and pharmacological treatment analyses indicate that the developmental defects in Crjag fruits are largely attributable to down-regulation of the key cell-cycle regulator CrAUR2. Collectively, our findings therefore suggest that fine-tuning the cell cycle via epigenetic modification represents an additional, essential layer of regulation critical to organ development and diversification.},
	language = {en},
	number = {1},
	urldate = {2026-08-07},
	journal = {Nature Communications},
	publisher = {Nature Publishing Group},
	author = {Lü, Tian-Feng and Chen, Xiao-Yu and Trozzi, Nicola and He, Wen and Yuan, Quan and Han, Yu and Lu, Li-Min and Li, Chao-Bin and Cheng, Jie and Sicard, Adrien and Zhang, Yao and Su, Ya-Nan and Zan, Yan-Jun and Lenhard, Michael and Kong, Hong-Zhi and Majda, Mateusz and Østergaard, Lars and Dong, Yang},
	month = jun,
	year = {2026},
	keywords = {Cell division, Fruiting, Plant development},
	pages = {7666},
}

Fruits are a key feature defining angiosperms, yet how local growth is coordinated during development to generate diverse fruits remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the Capsella rubella C2H2-zinc finger transcription factor JAGGED (CrJAG) controls fruit shape determination by promoting both cell division and anisotropic growth. At the molecular level, CrJAG physically interacts with members of the Capsella rubella MULTICOPY SUPPRESSOR OF IRA1 (CrMSI)  histone chaperone family, increasing the chromatin accessibility and thereby sustaining the expression of genes involved in fruit morphogenesis. The resulting closed chromatin state in Crjag fruits is characterized by a reduction of the active histone marker (H3K18ac) and an increase of the repressive marker (H3K27me3). Further expression and pharmacological treatment analyses indicate that the developmental defects in Crjag fruits are largely attributable to down-regulation of the key cell-cycle regulator CrAUR2. Collectively, our findings therefore suggest that fine-tuning the cell cycle via epigenetic modification represents an additional, essential layer of regulation critical to organ development and diversification.

@article{larsson_litter_2026,
	title = {Litter properties influence decomposition more than local soil environment in a boreal tree species common garden experiment},
	volume = {619},
	issn = {0378-1127},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037811272600592X},
	doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124094},
	abstract = {Boreal forests store significant quantities of carbon (C), particularly in their soils. Thus, selecting tree species that promote slow decomposition, due to either their inherent litter properties or soil microbial communities, may be a suitable tool to enhance C uptake in boreal forests. In this study we used two common garden experiments and employed a reciprocal litter transplant decomposition experiment using four common Swedish tree species (Betula pendula, Larix sp., Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris), with varying plant economics strategies. We aimed to partition the relative effects of litter quality and soil environment on litter and humus decomposition rates. Our results showed that litter mass loss was much more dependent on tree species than soil environment, a result further reinforced by the lack of tree species differences in the soil microbial community. The rates of decomposition did however appear to converge over time, as humus mass loss was not responsive to either tree species or soil environment. Our result therefore suggests that tree species selection, as a forest management tool, should be based on each species site-specific growth potential, instead of initial differences in decomposition rate, which could serve to maximize the ecosystem C stock and in turn increase the climate benefits of boreal forest.},
	urldate = {2026-07-31},
	journal = {Forest Ecology and Management},
	author = {Larsson, Marcus and Gundale, Michael J. and Bizjak-Johansson, Tinkara and Spitzer, Clydecia M. and Nordin, Annika},
	month = nov,
	year = {2026},
	keywords = {Boreal forest, Decomposition, Leaf litter, Litter quality, Soil carbon, Soil microbial community, Tree species},
	pages = {124094},
}

Boreal forests store significant quantities of carbon (C), particularly in their soils. Thus, selecting tree species that promote slow decomposition, due to either their inherent litter properties or soil microbial communities, may be a suitable tool to enhance C uptake in boreal forests. In this study we used two common garden experiments and employed a reciprocal litter transplant decomposition experiment using four common Swedish tree species (Betula pendula, Larix sp., Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris), with varying plant economics strategies. We aimed to partition the relative effects of litter quality and soil environment on litter and humus decomposition rates. Our results showed that litter mass loss was much more dependent on tree species than soil environment, a result further reinforced by the lack of tree species differences in the soil microbial community. The rates of decomposition did however appear to converge over time, as humus mass loss was not responsive to either tree species or soil environment. Our result therefore suggests that tree species selection, as a forest management tool, should be based on each species site-specific growth potential, instead of initial differences in decomposition rate, which could serve to maximize the ecosystem C stock and in turn increase the climate benefits of boreal forest.