@article{giubilei_clearing_2026,
	title = {Clearing the {Noise}: {Seasonal} {Dynamics} of {Endophytic} {Bacteria} in {Fagus} sylvatica {Leaves} {Revealed} by {Application} of {PNA} {Clamps}},
	volume = {178},
	issn = {1399-3054},
	shorttitle = {Clearing the {Noise}},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ppl.70897},
	doi = {10.1111/ppl.70897},
	abstract = {The characterization of the seasonal dynamics of endophytic bacteria in beech leaves can be hindered by co-amplification of chloroplast and mitochondrial plant DNA. This study applies established peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamps to suppress host-derived amplification while resolving bacterial succession across the vegetative season. Chloroplast- and mitochondrion-specific PNAs inverted the proportion of host to bacterial reads, enabled the recovery of bacterial sequence variants, and increased alpha diversity accordingly. Beta-diversity analyses showed that, once host contamination was removed, samples displayed a clear seasonal trajectory. Early-season leaves contained high abundances of Pseudomonas together with taxa likely introduced through plant–insect–microbe interactions. As leaves matured, the microbiome shifted toward a more stable composition dominated by well-established genera. The transition from early transient taxa to the later enrichment of phyllosphere-adapted and nutrient-cycling genera demonstrates that beech leaves host a temporally structured microbiome shaped by leaf development and seasonal environmental stress.},
	language = {en},
	number = {3},
	urldate = {2026-04-27},
	journal = {Physiologia Plantarum},
	author = {Giubilei, Irene and Turco, Silvia and Cardacino, Antonella and Mahawar, Lovely and Albrectsen, Benedicte Riber and Mazzaglia, Angelo},
	year = {2026},
	note = {\_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ppl.70897},
	keywords = {Fagus sylvatica, PNA clamps, endophytes, metabarcoding, microbiome},
	pages = {e70897},
}

The characterization of the seasonal dynamics of endophytic bacteria in beech leaves can be hindered by co-amplification of chloroplast and mitochondrial plant DNA. This study applies established peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamps to suppress host-derived amplification while resolving bacterial succession across the vegetative season. Chloroplast- and mitochondrion-specific PNAs inverted the proportion of host to bacterial reads, enabled the recovery of bacterial sequence variants, and increased alpha diversity accordingly. Beta-diversity analyses showed that, once host contamination was removed, samples displayed a clear seasonal trajectory. Early-season leaves contained high abundances of Pseudomonas together with taxa likely introduced through plant–insect–microbe interactions. As leaves matured, the microbiome shifted toward a more stable composition dominated by well-established genera. The transition from early transient taxa to the later enrichment of phyllosphere-adapted and nutrient-cycling genera demonstrates that beech leaves host a temporally structured microbiome shaped by leaf development and seasonal environmental stress.

@article{corthals_conserved_2026,
	title = {Conserved molecular signatures of hygrosensory neurons in two dipteran species},
	volume = {21},
	issn = {1932-6203},
	url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0347993},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0347993},
	abstract = {Small poikilothermic animals like insects rely on environmental sensing for survival. The ability to detect humidity through specialized sensory neurons is particularly critical, allowing them to maintain water balance across diverse environments. While recent studies have identified key receptors associated with humidity sensing, our understanding of the underlying molecular architecture of these sensory systems remains incomplete. Here, we conducted a comparative analysis of single-nucleus transcriptomes of humidity receptor neurons (HRNs) between the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster and the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. We identified 21 shared genes that contribute to the molecular identity of HRNs in both species. These genes encode proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, cellular signalling, enzymatic pathways and cellular organization. Through behavioural analyses, we demonstrate that two of these genes, the serotonin receptor 5-HT7 and the kinesin motor protein Kif19A, are both necessary for humidity-guided behaviours in adult flies. The conservation of these genes between species separated by over 150 million years of evolution suggests shared functional requirements for humidity sensing in dipterans. Our findings provide insights into fundamental principles of sensory neuron organization and offer a framework for understanding how specialized sensory systems evolve and maintain their function.},
	language = {en},
	number = {4},
	urldate = {2026-04-30},
	journal = {PLOS ONE},
	publisher = {Public Library of Science},
	author = {Corthals, Kristina and Giri, Ganesh and Reimegård, Johan and Churcher, Allison and Enjin, Anders},
	month = apr,
	year = {2026},
	keywords = {Behavior, Drosophila melanogaster, Gene expression, Humidity, Marker genes, Neurons, Sensory perception, Serotonin},
	pages = {e0347993},
}

Small poikilothermic animals like insects rely on environmental sensing for survival. The ability to detect humidity through specialized sensory neurons is particularly critical, allowing them to maintain water balance across diverse environments. While recent studies have identified key receptors associated with humidity sensing, our understanding of the underlying molecular architecture of these sensory systems remains incomplete. Here, we conducted a comparative analysis of single-nucleus transcriptomes of humidity receptor neurons (HRNs) between the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster and the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. We identified 21 shared genes that contribute to the molecular identity of HRNs in both species. These genes encode proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, cellular signalling, enzymatic pathways and cellular organization. Through behavioural analyses, we demonstrate that two of these genes, the serotonin receptor 5-HT7 and the kinesin motor protein Kif19A, are both necessary for humidity-guided behaviours in adult flies. The conservation of these genes between species separated by over 150 million years of evolution suggests shared functional requirements for humidity sensing in dipterans. Our findings provide insights into fundamental principles of sensory neuron organization and offer a framework for understanding how specialized sensory systems evolve and maintain their function.

@article{chaudhary_breeding_2026,
	title = {Breeding for climate adaptation: genetic variation and genomic selection for drought response in {Scots} pine},
	volume = {27},
	issn = {1471-2164},
	shorttitle = {Breeding for climate adaptation},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-026-12849-x},
	doi = {10.1186/s12864-026-12849-x},
	abstract = {Drought intensity and frequency are increasing under global warming in the boreal forests, and breeding for drought resistance will facilitate adaptation of new planting material to changing climate conditions. We used a tree-ring dataset of 559 individuals to study Scots pine genetic variation and the efficiency of genomic selection of drought-response traits (drought resistance, recovery and resilience), for the first time. From genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), 31,101 SNPs were generated and used for the study.},
	language = {en},
	number = {1},
	urldate = {2026-04-30},
	journal = {BMC Genomics},
	author = {Chaudhary, Rajiv and Estravis Barcala, Maximiliano and Fundova, Irena and Funda, Tomas and Chen, Zhi-qiang and Wu, Harry X.},
	month = apr,
	year = {2026},
	keywords = {Climate adaptation, Dendroecology, Drought, GBS, Genomic selection, Scots pine},
	pages = {416},
}

Drought intensity and frequency are increasing under global warming in the boreal forests, and breeding for drought resistance will facilitate adaptation of new planting material to changing climate conditions. We used a tree-ring dataset of 559 individuals to study Scots pine genetic variation and the efficiency of genomic selection of drought-response traits (drought resistance, recovery and resilience), for the first time. From genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), 31,101 SNPs were generated and used for the study.

@article{tiziani_deciphering_2026,
	title = {Deciphering underexplored rhizosphere processes: root acquisition of citric acid and its metabolic journey in tomato},
	issn = {0022-0957},
	shorttitle = {Deciphering underexplored rhizosphere processes},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erag066},
	doi = {10.1093/jxb/erag066},
	abstract = {Root-exuded organic acids are crucial in mitigating iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) deficiencies, and their biosynthesis and secretion require significant metabolic investment. Recent studies have shown that roots can also uptake exudates. We hypothesized that citric acid uptake increases under Fe and P deficiencies, declines over time, and contributes to primary metabolism. We investigated citric acid uptake, translocation, and metabolization in Fe- and P-deficient tomato plants grown hydroponically using 13C-labelling with bulk stable-isotope and compound-specific stable-isotope analysis. Physiological parameters, root morphology, and elemental composition were also assessed. Deficient plants showed reduced P and Fe contents, reduced photosynthesis, altered root morphology, and an altered citric acid uptake that could not be attributed to morphological differences. Iron deficiency reduced citric acid uptake, indicating its role in rhizospheric Fe mobilization, while P deficiency increased the uptake, enhancing resource use efficiency. Unexpectedly, citric acid uptake increased with plant development. In Fe deficiency, citric acid-derived carbon was allocated to secondary metabolites, while in P deficiency it supported the tricarboxylic acid and GS-GOGAT cycles. This study is the first to demonstrate that citric acid uptake is a multifunctional process, underscoring its critical role in plant responses to nutrient starvation, especially under P deficiency.},
	urldate = {2026-04-24},
	journal = {Journal of Experimental Botany},
	author = {Tiziani, Raphael and Trevisan, Fabio and Hodek, Ondřej and Jämtgård, Sandra and Moritz, Thomas and Bouaicha, Oussama and Chibesa, Mirriam C and Fracasso, Ilaria and Mimmo, Tanja},
	month = feb,
	year = {2026},
	pages = {erag066},
}

Root-exuded organic acids are crucial in mitigating iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) deficiencies, and their biosynthesis and secretion require significant metabolic investment. Recent studies have shown that roots can also uptake exudates. We hypothesized that citric acid uptake increases under Fe and P deficiencies, declines over time, and contributes to primary metabolism. We investigated citric acid uptake, translocation, and metabolization in Fe- and P-deficient tomato plants grown hydroponically using 13C-labelling with bulk stable-isotope and compound-specific stable-isotope analysis. Physiological parameters, root morphology, and elemental composition were also assessed. Deficient plants showed reduced P and Fe contents, reduced photosynthesis, altered root morphology, and an altered citric acid uptake that could not be attributed to morphological differences. Iron deficiency reduced citric acid uptake, indicating its role in rhizospheric Fe mobilization, while P deficiency increased the uptake, enhancing resource use efficiency. Unexpectedly, citric acid uptake increased with plant development. In Fe deficiency, citric acid-derived carbon was allocated to secondary metabolites, while in P deficiency it supported the tricarboxylic acid and GS-GOGAT cycles. This study is the first to demonstrate that citric acid uptake is a multifunctional process, underscoring its critical role in plant responses to nutrient starvation, especially under P deficiency.

@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.