@article{biancucci_mutations_2025,
	title = {Mutations in {HEADING} {DATE} 1 affect transcription and cell wall composition in rice},
	volume = {197},
	issn = {0032-0889},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiaf120},
	doi = {10.1093/plphys/kiaf120},
	abstract = {Plants utilize environmental information to modify their developmental trajectories for optimal survival and reproduction. Over a century ago, day length (photoperiod) was identified as a major factor influencing developmental transitions, particularly the shift from vegetative to reproductive growth. In rice (Oryza sativa), exposure to day lengths shorter than a critical threshold accelerates flowering, while longer days inhibit this process. This response is mediated by HEADING DATE 1 (Hd1), a zinc finger transcription factor that is central in the photoperiodic flowering network. Hd1 acts as a repressor of flowering under long days but functions as a promoter of flowering under short days. However, how global transcription of genes downstream of Hd1 changes in response to the photoperiod is still not fully understood. Furthermore, it is unclear whether Hd1 target genes are solely involved in flowering time control or mediate additional functions. In this study, we utilized RNA-Seq to analyze the transcriptome of hd1 mutants under both long and short day conditions. We identified genes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway that are deregulated under long days in the mutant. Quantitative profiling of cell wall components and abiotic stress assays suggested that Hd1 is involved in processes considered unrelated to flowering control. This indicates that day length perception and responses are intertwined with physiological processes beyond flowering.},
	number = {4},
	urldate = {2025-05-09},
	journal = {Plant Physiology},
	author = {Biancucci, Marco and Chirivì, Daniele and Baldini, Alessio and Badenhorst, Eugene and Dobetti, Fabio and Khahani, Bahman and Formentin, Elide and Eguen, Tenai and Turck, Franziska and Moore, John P and Tavakol, Elahe and Wenkel, Stephan and Lo Schiavo, Fiorella and Ezquer, Ignacio and Brambilla, Vittoria and Horner, David and Chiara, Matteo and Perrella, Giorgio and Betti, Camilla and Fornara, Fabio},
	month = apr,
	year = {2025},
	pages = {kiaf120},
}

Plants utilize environmental information to modify their developmental trajectories for optimal survival and reproduction. Over a century ago, day length (photoperiod) was identified as a major factor influencing developmental transitions, particularly the shift from vegetative to reproductive growth. In rice (Oryza sativa), exposure to day lengths shorter than a critical threshold accelerates flowering, while longer days inhibit this process. This response is mediated by HEADING DATE 1 (Hd1), a zinc finger transcription factor that is central in the photoperiodic flowering network. Hd1 acts as a repressor of flowering under long days but functions as a promoter of flowering under short days. However, how global transcription of genes downstream of Hd1 changes in response to the photoperiod is still not fully understood. Furthermore, it is unclear whether Hd1 target genes are solely involved in flowering time control or mediate additional functions. In this study, we utilized RNA-Seq to analyze the transcriptome of hd1 mutants under both long and short day conditions. We identified genes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway that are deregulated under long days in the mutant. Quantitative profiling of cell wall components and abiotic stress assays suggested that Hd1 is involved in processes considered unrelated to flowering control. This indicates that day length perception and responses are intertwined with physiological processes beyond flowering.

@article{asao_leaf_2025,
	title = {Leaf nonstructural carbohydrate residence time, not concentration, correlates with leaf functional traits following the leaf economic spectrum in woody plants},
	volume = {246},
	copyright = {© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.},
	issn = {1469-8137},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nph.20315},
	doi = {10.1111/nph.20315},
	abstract = {Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations might reflect the strategies described in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) due to their dependence on photosynthesis and respiration. We examined if NSC concentrations correlate with leaf structure, chemistry, and physiology traits for 114 species from 19 sites and 5 biomes around the globe. Total leaf NSC concentrations varied greatly from 16 to 199 mg g−1 dry mass and were mostly independent of leaf gas exchange and the LES traits. By contrast, leaf NSC residence time was shorter in species with higher rates of photosynthesis, following the fast-slow strategies in the LES. An average leaf held an amount of NSCs that could sustain one night of leaf respiration and could be replenished in just a few hours of photosynthesis under saturating light, indicating that most daily carbon gain is exported. Our results suggest that NSC export is clearly linked to the economics of return on resource investment.},
	language = {en},
	number = {4},
	urldate = {2025-05-09},
	journal = {New Phytologist},
	author = {Asao, Shinichi and Way, Danielle A. and Turnbull, Matthew H. and Stitt, Mark and McDowell, Nate G. and Reich, Peter B. and Bloomfield, Keith J. and Zaragoza-Castells, Joana and Creek, Danielle and O'Sullivan, Odhran and Crous, Kristine Y. and Egerton, John J.G. and Mirotchnick, Nicholas and Weerasinghe, Lasantha K. and Griffin, Kevin L. and Hurry, Vaughan and Meir, Patrick and Sitch, Stephen and Atkin, Owen K.},
	year = {2025},
	note = {\_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/nph.20315},
	keywords = {export, leaf economic spectrum, leaf functional traits, nonstructural carbohydrate, residence time},
	pages = {1505--1519},
}

Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations might reflect the strategies described in the leaf economic spectrum (LES) due to their dependence on photosynthesis and respiration. We examined if NSC concentrations correlate with leaf structure, chemistry, and physiology traits for 114 species from 19 sites and 5 biomes around the globe. Total leaf NSC concentrations varied greatly from 16 to 199 mg g−1 dry mass and were mostly independent of leaf gas exchange and the LES traits. By contrast, leaf NSC residence time was shorter in species with higher rates of photosynthesis, following the fast-slow strategies in the LES. An average leaf held an amount of NSCs that could sustain one night of leaf respiration and could be replenished in just a few hours of photosynthesis under saturating light, indicating that most daily carbon gain is exported. Our results suggest that NSC export is clearly linked to the economics of return on resource investment.

@article{chubanava_nad_2025,
	title = {{NAD} depletion in skeletal muscle does not compromise muscle function or accelerate aging},
	issn = {1550-4131},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413125002128},
	doi = {10.1016/j.cmet.2025.04.002},
	abstract = {Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a ubiquitous electron carrier essential for energy metabolism and post-translational modification of numerous regulatory proteins. Dysregulations of NAD metabolism are widely regarded as detrimental to health, with NAD depletion commonly implicated in aging. However, the extent to which cellular NAD concentration can decline without adverse consequences remains unclear. To investigate this, we generated a mouse model in which nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-mediated NAD+ biosynthesis was disrupted in adult skeletal muscle. The intervention resulted in an 85\% reduction in muscle NAD+ abundance while maintaining tissue integrity and functionality, as demonstrated by preserved muscle morphology, contractility, and exercise tolerance. This absence of functional impairments was further supported by intact mitochondrial respiratory capacity and unaltered muscle transcriptomic and proteomic profiles. Furthermore, lifelong NAD depletion did not accelerate muscle aging or impair whole-body metabolism. Collectively, these findings suggest that NAD depletion does not contribute to age-related decline in skeletal muscle function.},
	urldate = {2025-05-09},
	journal = {Cell Metabolism},
	author = {Chubanava, Sabina and Karavaeva, Iuliia and Ehrlich, Amy M. and Justicia, Roger M. and Basse, Astrid L. and Kulik, Ivan and Dalbram, Emilie and Ahwazi, Danial and Heaselgrave, Samuel R. and Trošt, Kajetan and Stocks, Ben and Hodek, Ondřej and Rodrigues, Raissa N. and Havelund, Jesper F. and Schlabs, Farina L. and Larsen, Steen and Yonamine, Caio Y. and Henriquez-Olguín, Carlos and Giustarini, Daniela and Rossi, Ranieri and Gerhart-Hines, Zachary and Moritz, Thomas and Zierath, Juleen R. and Sakamoto, Kei and Jensen, Thomas E. and Færgeman, Nils J. and Lavery, Gareth G. and Deshmukh, Atul S. and Treebak, Jonas T.},
	month = apr,
	year = {2025},
	keywords = {NAD biosynthesis, NAD metabolism, NAMPT, aging, epigenetic clock, exercise, mitochondrial supercomplexes, nicotinamide, reactive oxygen species, skeletal muscle},
}

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a ubiquitous electron carrier essential for energy metabolism and post-translational modification of numerous regulatory proteins. Dysregulations of NAD metabolism are widely regarded as detrimental to health, with NAD depletion commonly implicated in aging. However, the extent to which cellular NAD concentration can decline without adverse consequences remains unclear. To investigate this, we generated a mouse model in which nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT)-mediated NAD+ biosynthesis was disrupted in adult skeletal muscle. The intervention resulted in an 85% reduction in muscle NAD+ abundance while maintaining tissue integrity and functionality, as demonstrated by preserved muscle morphology, contractility, and exercise tolerance. This absence of functional impairments was further supported by intact mitochondrial respiratory capacity and unaltered muscle transcriptomic and proteomic profiles. Furthermore, lifelong NAD depletion did not accelerate muscle aging or impair whole-body metabolism. Collectively, these findings suggest that NAD depletion does not contribute to age-related decline in skeletal muscle function.

@article{guo_near-gapless_2025,
	title = {Near-gapless telomere-to-telomere reference nuclear genome and variable mitochondrial genome of \textit{{Amborella} trichopoda}},
	issn = {1673-8527},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1673852725001250},
	doi = {10.1016/j.jgg.2025.04.016},
	urldate = {2025-05-09},
	journal = {Journal of Genetics and Genomics},
	author = {Guo, Zhonglong and Guo, Jing-Fang and Wei, Zhi-Yan and Zhang, Ren-Gang and McMahan, Scott and Nie, Shuai and Yan, Xue-Mei and Zhou, Shan-Shan and Yun, Quan-Zheng and Wu, Jia-Yi and Ge, Jing and Yang, Yong and Xue, Jia-Yu and Mao, Jian-Feng},
	month = may,
	year = {2025},
}

@article{xiao_protein_2025,
	title = {The protein kinases {KIPK} and {KIPK}-{LIKE1} suppress overbending during negative hypocotyl gravitropic growth in {Arabidopsis}},
	volume = {37},
	issn = {1040-4651},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaf056},
	doi = {10.1093/plcell/koaf056},
	abstract = {Plants use environmental cues to orient organ and plant growth, such as the direction of gravity or the direction, quantity, and quality of light. During the germination of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds in soil, negative gravitropism responses direct hypocotyl elongation such that the seedling can reach the light for photosynthesis and autotrophic growth. Similarly, hypocotyl elongation in the soil also requires mechanisms to efficiently grow around obstacles such as soil particles. Here, we identify KIPK (KINESIN-LIKE CALMODULIN-BINDING PROTEIN-INTERACTING PROTEIN KINASE) and the paralogous KIPKL1 (KIPK-LIKE1) as genetically redundant regulators of gravitropic hypocotyl bending. Moreover, we demonstrate that the homologous KIPKL2 (KIPK-LIKE2), which shows strong sequence similarity, must be functionally distinct. KIPK and KIPKL1 are polarly localized plasma membrane-associated proteins that can activate PIN-FORMED auxin transporters. KIPK and KIPKL1 are required to efficiently align hypocotyl growth with the gravity vector when seedling hypocotyls are grown on media plates or in soil, where contact with soil particles and obstacle avoidance impede direct negative gravitropic growth. Therefore, the polar KIPK and KIPKL1 kinases have different biological functions from the related AGC1 family kinases D6PK (D6 PROTEIN KINASE) or PAX (PROTEIN KINASE ASSOCIATED WITH BRX).},
	number = {4},
	urldate = {2025-04-25},
	journal = {The Plant Cell},
	author = {Xiao, Yao and Zourelidou, Melina and Bassukas, Alkistis E Lanassa and Weller, Benjamin and Janacek, Dorina P and Šimura, Jan and Ljung, Karin and Hammes, Ulrich Z and Li, Jia and Schwechheimer, Claus},
	month = apr,
	year = {2025},
	pages = {koaf056},
}

Plants use environmental cues to orient organ and plant growth, such as the direction of gravity or the direction, quantity, and quality of light. During the germination of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds in soil, negative gravitropism responses direct hypocotyl elongation such that the seedling can reach the light for photosynthesis and autotrophic growth. Similarly, hypocotyl elongation in the soil also requires mechanisms to efficiently grow around obstacles such as soil particles. Here, we identify KIPK (KINESIN-LIKE CALMODULIN-BINDING PROTEIN-INTERACTING PROTEIN KINASE) and the paralogous KIPKL1 (KIPK-LIKE1) as genetically redundant regulators of gravitropic hypocotyl bending. Moreover, we demonstrate that the homologous KIPKL2 (KIPK-LIKE2), which shows strong sequence similarity, must be functionally distinct. KIPK and KIPKL1 are polarly localized plasma membrane-associated proteins that can activate PIN-FORMED auxin transporters. KIPK and KIPKL1 are required to efficiently align hypocotyl growth with the gravity vector when seedling hypocotyls are grown on media plates or in soil, where contact with soil particles and obstacle avoidance impede direct negative gravitropic growth. Therefore, the polar KIPK and KIPKL1 kinases have different biological functions from the related AGC1 family kinases D6PK (D6 PROTEIN KINASE) or PAX (PROTEIN KINASE ASSOCIATED WITH BRX).