Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-04-08DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.007
Meng Ye, Chuankui Song
{"title":"Microbiome eavesdropping: root-knot nematodes decode rhizosphere volatile dialogues.","authors":"Meng Ye, Chuankui Song","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Root-knot nematodes navigate the underground chemical landscape to find their hosts. Building on Wu et al.'s discovery that plant metabolites shape microbial cues guiding nematode behavior, this commentary explores how rhizosphere chemical communication integrates plant, microbial, and parasite interactions within a shared 'information network'.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"861-863"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147646602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Owen M Powell, Lee Hickey, Shunichiro Tomura, Mark Cooper
{"title":"Better breeding leveraging more biology.","authors":"Owen M Powell, Lee Hickey, Shunichiro Tomura, Mark Cooper","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate-driven variability is reducing our ability to accurately predict crop performance across environments, limiting genetic gain in breeding programs. Sustained progress requires predictive frameworks that capture plant-environment interactions across diverse genetics and management conditions. Integrating mechanistic insights from plant science into predictive models offers a path to improve the accuracy, precision, and interpretability of breeding decisions under changing environments. We present emerging hierarchical genome-phenome frameworks and outline how they can be leveraged within breeding programs to evaluate how biological knowledge informs predictions across target environments and supports long-term genetic gain.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148340331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucía Juan-Vicente, Sergio Navarro-Cartagena, Carla Navarro-Quiles, José Luis Micol
{"title":"Bilateral symmetry genes: If they exist, how would we know?","authors":"Lucía Juan-Vicente, Sergio Navarro-Cartagena, Carla Navarro-Quiles, José Luis Micol","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although symmetry shapes body plans across plants and animals-from specialized cell types to organs and whole organisms-its genetic basis, particularly for bilateral symmetry, remains poorly understood. In animals, most of which are bilaterally symmetric, symmetry-breaking genes have been identified that direct left-right asymmetries, such as heart positioning in vertebrates. In plants, genes controlling transitions between radial and bilateral symmetry in flowers have been characterized in some clades. Here, we review current knowledge and unresolved questions about the genetics of symmetry, focusing on bilaterality. Using examples from animal body plan development and plant organ morphogenesis (leaves and flowers), we highlight a key paradox: bilateral symmetry-breaking genes are known, yet genes specifically dedicated to bilateral symmetry establishment remain unidentified.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148333031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"From xylem atlases to developmental continuity in forestry.","authors":"Hansheng Zhao, Huanming Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.06.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cell states alone rarely resolve woody developmental continua. To recover developmental continuity, Wei et al. integrated single-cell, single-nucleus, and spatial transcriptomics in poplar xylem. Their study highlights a broader principle for forestry: cell-resolved atlases become explanatory when interpreted in an anatomical context and linked to developmental continuity and experimental validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148319270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicole A Freeman, Ujjal J Phukan, Yiqing Wang, Sydney A Greer, M Shahid Mukhtar
{"title":"Small peptides guard the gate of plant immunity.","authors":"Nicole A Freeman, Ujjal J Phukan, Yiqing Wang, Sydney A Greer, M Shahid Mukhtar","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An upstream open reading frame-encoded peptide mediates rapid systemic stomatal immunity by moving from infected leaves to distal guard cells, where a receptor complex triggers Ca<sup>2+</sup>-dependent vacuolar remodeling and stomatal closure (Liu et al.). In this article, we discuss this concept, its limitations, and future implications for immune network integration.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148309595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"AI-based UAV pest and disease detection: Time for a reset?","authors":"Eline Eeckhout, Pieter Spanoghe, Wouter H Maes","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Remote sensing using uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and AI, particularly machine learning and deep learning, is increasingly applied to crop pest and disease detection. However, the real-world robustness of these models remains uncertain. We conducted a meta-analysis of 121 UAV-based studies published between 2018 and 2024, examining dataset construction and model validation practices. We found that 89% of studies lacked truly independent test datasets, resulting in inflated performance estimates and limited generalisability. Only 11% evaluated models on independent fields, and successful transferability was uncommon. Our analysis identifies key methodological limitations underlying this issue and provides recommendations to improve robustness, reproducibility, and practical relevance. Overall, current validation practices require substantial improvement to ensure reported model performance reflects field-level applicability.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stuart Sullivan, Arran Horne, Dimitra Paliogianni, Hannah Walters, John M Christie
{"title":"Phosphorylation blues: Cracking the phototropin phosphocode.","authors":"Stuart Sullivan, Arran Horne, Dimitra Paliogianni, Hannah Walters, John M Christie","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phototropins are blue-light receptors that regulate diverse light-driven processes, including phototropism, chloroplast movement, stomatal opening, leaf positioning, and leaf flattening, all of which optimise photosynthesis and promote plant growth. These autophosphorylating serine/threonine kinases initiate signalling from the plasma membrane by altering protein phosphorylation patterns. Nearly 3 decades of research have uncovered numerous phosphorylation events pivotal for distinct phototropin-mediated responses. Here, we summarise major advances in understanding phototropin autophosphorylation, the identification of substrate proteins, and how phosphorylation at specific sites, collectively termed the phototropin phosphocode, controls protein function. We also discuss the emerging role of protein phosphatases in modulating this phosphocode and the potential to engineer these regulatory mechanisms to enhance photosynthetic performance and plant biomass.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thanh-Hao Nguyen, Xue Zhang, Martina Klejchova, Thu B-A Nguyen, Peng Zhang, Michael R Blatt
{"title":"What defines a gate? The enigmas of K<sup>+</sup> channel structural mechanics.","authors":"Thanh-Hao Nguyen, Xue Zhang, Martina Klejchova, Thu B-A Nguyen, Peng Zhang, Michael R Blatt","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Potassium (K<sup>+</sup>) channels vary in shape and size. Commonly, they form a functional pore through the membrane as an assembly of four subunits. For the predominant family of K<sup>+</sup> channels at the plant plasma membrane, each subunit comprises a polypeptide of six transmembrane helices with a canonical voltage-sensor domain fused to a pair of pore-lining helices. These constructs give rise to a wide range of behaviours that are nonetheless 'hard-wired' within the channel protein structure. With cryo-EM data now available for four arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) K<sup>+</sup> channels, it nonetheless remains an enigma how the structural mechanics give rise to channels that open-or gate-for K<sup>+</sup> flux across widely differing voltages and how ligands, especially K<sup>+</sup> itself, regulate this flux.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148273275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synteny detection, visualization, and its trending applications.","authors":"Xi Zhang, David R Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Synteny detection analyses facilitate comparative genomics, especially when investigating gene duplications, genomic rearrangements, and ancient whole-genome duplication events. In recent years, major advancements have been seen in synteny detection and visualization. In this forum article, we explore the trending role that these tools play in gene-duplication detection, pangenome graph construction, and deep-learning-based cross-species transcript prediction.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":20.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148259076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Water lilies illuminate angiosperm evolution and inspire crop improvement.","authors":"Jiahao Zhang, Yufan Liang, Fei Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2026.05.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water lilies provide a unique blueprint for early angiosperm evolution and aquatic adaptation. Genomic insights into aquatic resilience and ancestral flower models have facilitated modern crop engineering. By leveraging these ancient genetic networks, researchers can develop blue aromatic flowers, implement stolon-mediated expansion in cereal crops, and enhance the flood tolerance of terrestrial crops, thereby building a resilient agricultural future.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":20.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148253465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}