Xiangbo Yin, Lirey Ramirez, Christian Lampei, Hamed Azarbad, Dominik Greif, Eric Martiné, Changqing Liu, Fanhao Kong, Lee Ping Ang, Sylvie Herrmann, Lars Opgenoorth, Maaike Y Bader
{"title":"Bacterial communities on upper and lower leaf surfaces show distinct seasonal response patterns.","authors":"Xiangbo Yin, Lirey Ramirez, Christian Lampei, Hamed Azarbad, Dominik Greif, Eric Martiné, Changqing Liu, Fanhao Kong, Lee Ping Ang, Sylvie Herrmann, Lars Opgenoorth, Maaike Y Bader","doi":"10.1111/nph.71483","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71483","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leaf surfaces represent one of the largest microbial habitats on Earth, which can be divided into upper and lower leaf surfaces. Upper and lower leaf surfaces offer contrasting microenvironments that vary through the seasons. This variation has rarely been quantified; however, in spite of it being highly relevant for leaf-microbiome contributions to terrestrial ecosystems, especially forests. To address this gap, we tracked bacterial communities on both surfaces of the same pooled leaves of Quercus robur in situ from spring to autumn, using genetically identical ramets to control host and genotypic variation. We combined 16S rRNA sequencing with analyses of leaf structural and physiological traits to link bacterial taxonomic, phylogenetic, and assembly characteristics. The two surfaces hosted distinct bacterial communities whose divergence intensified through the growing season. Upper-surface bacterial diversity remained relatively stable and was mainly associated with dynamic leaf traits, whereas lower-surface communities showed faster compositional and assembly-related shifts and were associated with both dynamic and stable leaf traits. These contrasting seasonal patterns reveal that within-leaf heterogeneity represents a fundamental axis of variation for bacterial seasonal dynamics, providing new insight into how microhabitat structure and host traits jointly shape phyllosphere functioning.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148664708","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":"FhMYB4: a dual-pathway repressor coordinating floral color and scent in Freesia hybrida.","authors":"Jia Zhang, Hongyu Li, Ruonan Liu, Yanan Wang, Lin Yuan, Qi Zhang, Xiaotong Shan, Deyu Zhuang, Min Wang, Hongbo Zhao, Benoît Boachon, Yueqing Li, Xiang Gao","doi":"10.1111/nph.71266","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71266","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Floral color and scent often covary during development (e.g. peaking at anthesis to attract pollinators), suggesting shared regulatory mechanisms. However, transcription factors simultaneously repressing anthocyanin and volatile terpene biosynthesis are rarely reported. This study explores the versatile roles of FhMYB4, a subgroup 4 R2R3-MYB repressor in Freesia hybrida. The study employed integrated approaches including gene expression analysis, protein-protein/promoter interaction assays, and transient petal/leaf/protoplast experiments to investigate the functional mechanisms of FhMYB4 and the potential applications of its engineered variants underlying anthocyanin and linalool biosynthesis. FhMYB4 simultaneously inhibits anthocyanin and linalool biosynthesis via dual mechanisms: direct binding to MYB cis-elements in the promoters of FhDFR3 (anthocyanin) and FhTPS1 (linalool), and interaction with the bHLH factor FhTT8L to disrupt the anthocyanin-related MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) activation complex. Intriguingly, FhMYB4 also forms a negative feedback loop by being transcriptionally activated by upstream MYB activators (FhPAP1 and FhMYB21L2) while autorepressing its own promoter. Engineering FhMYB4 variants (e.g. ethylene-responsive element binding factor-associated amphiphilic repression motif mutation fused to VP16) convert them into transcriptional activators, enhancing both anthocyanin and linalool pathways. This study reveals FhMYB4 as a novel integrator of floral secondary metabolism, providing tools for biotechnological improvement of ornamental traits in flower crops.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"1550-1566"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147934729","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}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-06-05DOI: 10.1111/nph.71284
Louise Hambücken, Denis Baurain, Luc Cornet
{"title":"Exploring thylakoid emergence: evolution of membrane biogenesis and photosystem II assembly in early-diverging cyanobacteria.","authors":"Louise Hambücken, Denis Baurain, Luc Cornet","doi":"10.1111/nph.71284","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71284","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thylakoid membranes (TM) in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts host the light-dependent reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. Gloeobacterales, the earliest-diverging cyanobacterial lineage, lack TM and perform photosynthesis in the cytoplasmic membrane (CM), representing an ancestral state relative to other cyanobacteria (Phycobacteria). This study investigates the evolutionary origin of TM. Phylogenomic analyses were performed across a phylogenetically diverse set of cyanobacteria, including extensive representation of basal lineages (Gloeobacterales, Thermostichales, Gloeomargaritales, and Pseudanabaenales), as well as micro- and macrocyanobacteria, using orthologous proteins involved in membrane dynamics and photosystem II (PSII) assembly, together with structural modeling using AlphaFold3. We identified two candidate proteins associated with membrane trafficking that may contribute to TM biogenesis, including the SPFH (Stomatin, Prohibitin, Flotillin, en HflK/C) family member Slr1106, proposed to have been acquired by lateral gene transfer. Analysis of 36 PSII assembly factors revealed modifications in late-stage assembly, notably in manganese homeostasis. Structural changes in the YidC translocase may have facilitated the relocation of linear electron transfer components from the CM to TM. Altogether, these phylogenetic and functional prediction analyses provide new insight into the molecular innovations that led to TM emergence, including membrane trafficking systems, PSII assembly changes, and protein targeting adaptations.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"1329-1343"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13326532/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148176906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-05-13DOI: 10.1111/nph.71260
Haoyu Diao, Meisha Holloway-Phillips, Xin Song, Fabian Bernhard, Peter Waldner, Kerstin Treydte, Matthias Saurer, Georg von Arx, Arthur Gessler, Katrin Meusburger, Marco M Lehmann
{"title":"Intra-annual transfer of hydrogen and oxygen isotopic signals from water and sugar precursors to tree rings: Processes and mechanisms.","authors":"Haoyu Diao, Meisha Holloway-Phillips, Xin Song, Fabian Bernhard, Peter Waldner, Kerstin Treydte, Matthias Saurer, Georg von Arx, Arthur Gessler, Katrin Meusburger, Marco M Lehmann","doi":"10.1111/nph.71260","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71260","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The oxygen (δ<sup>18</sup>O) and hydrogen (δ<sup>2</sup>H) isotope compositions of leaf and xylem water shape tree-ring isotope baselines, while the fraction of sugars undergoing isotopic modification downstream of leaves (f<sub>O</sub>, f<sub>H</sub>) determines the dominant hydrologic signal. However, limited information on the seasonal dynamics of these isotope sources and on the drivers of f variation constrains tree-ring isotope interpretation. We measured intra-annual δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>2</sup>H in stem water, sugar, starch, and tree-ring α-cellulose of beech and spruce over two growing seasons. Using modelled leaf water δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>2</sup>H, we estimated seasonal f values and examined their relationships with nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and climate. Tree rings primarily recorded δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>2</sup>H signatures of leaf water, despite seasonal changes in f<sub>O</sub> and f<sub>H</sub>. We found no clear transfer of intra-annual xylem water isotopic signals into sugars, starch, or cellulose. Seasonal f<sub>O</sub> and f<sub>H</sub> can be negatively correlated. Both were related to climate variables, but only f<sub>O</sub> was correlated with nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations. Thus, isotopic fractionation downstream of leaves does not always override the seasonal imprint of leaf water in tree rings. These findings provide insight into the controls on the f<sub>O</sub>-f<sub>H</sub> covariation, supporting more robust interpretations of climate variability from tree-ring isotope records.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"1143-1160"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13326508/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147934673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-06-12DOI: 10.1111/nph.71334
Iñaki Odriozola, Tomáš Větrovský, Florian Barbi, Antonín Machac, Priscila Thiago Dobbler, Cristina Turcu, Michael E Van Nuland, Clara Qin, Toby Kiers, Nadejda A Soudzilovskaia, Petr Baldrian, Petr Kohout
{"title":"Global distribution and biogeography of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi.","authors":"Iñaki Odriozola, Tomáš Větrovský, Florian Barbi, Antonín Machac, Priscila Thiago Dobbler, Cristina Turcu, Michael E Van Nuland, Clara Qin, Toby Kiers, Nadejda A Soudzilovskaia, Petr Baldrian, Petr Kohout","doi":"10.1111/nph.71334","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71334","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) fungi play a crucial role across terrestrial ecosystems, forming mutualistic symbiosis with Ericaceae and contributing to soil organic matter dynamics. However, compared to other fungal groups, their biogeography remains unknown. Here, we combined several analytical approaches to analyze a newly compiled, large-scale dataset comprising 39 163 soil samples and more than 13 million ITS rRNA sequences assigned to ErM fungi. Specifically, we asked: What are the global patterns of ErM fungal species richness and relative abundance (out of all fungi) and their predictors, and how is the distribution of ErM fungi associated with soil carbon content at the global scale? We show that ErM fungi reach their highest species richness in very high latitudes. Soil chemistry is a stronger predictor of ErM fungal species richness than climate or ericoid vegetation cover. The relative abundance of ErM fungi is highest in soils with high surface carbon content, supporting their proposed role in soil carbon storage. Furthermore, we predict that climate change will reduce ErM fungal abundance across 38% of the land cover of their current global distribution. Our study shows distinct biogeographic patterns of ErM fungi compared with arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi and indicates the vulnerability of ErM fungi to climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"2135-2151"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13373864/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148240460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-05-22DOI: 10.1111/nph.71269
Jun-Nan Liu, Mark van Kleunen, James D Bever, Michael Opoku Adomako, Fang-Ru Wu, Wei Xue, Fei-Hai Yu
{"title":"Invasive plants have stronger root recognition capabilities than native plants.","authors":"Jun-Nan Liu, Mark van Kleunen, James D Bever, Michael Opoku Adomako, Fang-Ru Wu, Wei Xue, Fei-Hai Yu","doi":"10.1111/nph.71269","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71269","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Root-mediated conspecific recognition and avoidance could alleviate intraspecific competition and promote interspecific competitive abilities. This could result in communities dominated by few species. However, it remains unclear whether invasive plants, which frequently become dominant, possess higher capabilities of root recognition and segregation than natives. We compared root-recognition and segregation capabilities between five congeneric pairs of invasive and native plants using a split-root assay and an intraspecific root-distribution experiment. We also assessed the roles of soil microbial legacies in root-segregation capabilities. The split-root assay showed that invasive plants exhibited stronger root-recognition capacities than natives by reducing root allocation toward conspecifics. The intraspecific root-distribution experiment showed that both invasives and natives exhibited root segregation when grown on unconditioned soils. However, when grown on soils conditioned by either invasive or native plants, root segregation of natives disappeared, whereas invasives remained unaffected. Changes in root segregation of natives were associated with changes in the composition of soil fungal and bacterial communities. Invasive plants possess mechanisms of avoiding intensive intraspecific competition irrespective of soil microbial legacies, whereas for native plants, these mechanisms can be disrupted by soil microbial legacies. This could contribute to the competitive superiority of invasive plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"2124-2134"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13373811/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148007132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-06-04DOI: 10.1111/nph.71320
Jiaqi Zhang, Fan Wang, Sijia Zhang, Qian Yu, Qimiao Dong, Jianbo Li, Xianglei Wei, Huaying Du, Ye Shen, Rong Mu, Yanxiao Jia, Jinping Cheng, Hongsheng Zhang, Ji Huang, Xiuying Gao
{"title":"The GSK3/SHAGGY-like OsGSK3 phosphorylates and inhibits phase separation of OsFCA at Ser-43 and Ser-45 to regulate brassinosteroid signaling and rice architecture.","authors":"Jiaqi Zhang, Fan Wang, Sijia Zhang, Qian Yu, Qimiao Dong, Jianbo Li, Xianglei Wei, Huaying Du, Ye Shen, Rong Mu, Yanxiao Jia, Jinping Cheng, Hongsheng Zhang, Ji Huang, Xiuying Gao","doi":"10.1111/nph.71320","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71320","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brassinosteroid (BR) signaling plays a critical role in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain development. GLYCOGEN SYNTHASE KINASE 3 (OsGSK3), a negative regulator of BR signaling, suppresses the transcriptional activity of OsBZR1 through phosphorylation. In this study, we employed a phosphoproteomic approach to construct an OsGSK3-mediated regulatory network. Within this network, we identified FLOWERING CONTROL LOCUS A (OsFCA) as a positive regulator of BR signaling and grain length, with m-Osfca mutants exhibiting significantly lower sensitivity to brassinolide treatment. Importantly, OsGSK3 interacts with and phosphorylates OsFCA on serine residues S43 and S45, and then forms condensates via liquid-liquid phase separation. Phosphorylated OsFCA promotes the translocation of the OsGSK3-OsFCA complex into the cytoplasm. Within the cytoplasm, OsGSK3 and OsFCA no longer exist in a condensate state. This mechanism provides precise regulation of grain length in rice. Notably, Osfca mutants are late-flowering, with OsFCA promoting heading under long-day conditions by repressing the expression of Grain number, plant height and heading date 7 (Ghd7) while activating that of Early heading date 1 (Ehd1), Heading date 3a (Hd3a), and RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T 1 (RFT1), which is potentially modulated by OsGSK3. This study clarifies the BR signaling transduction network by identifying OsFCA as a positive BR signaling component that regulates grain development and heading date, providing theoretical foundations for molecular breeding design in rice.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"1909-1929"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13373847/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148165540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-05-28DOI: 10.1111/nph.71304
Yaman Shi, Xian Li, Weiyi Lin, Lei Shi, Huangwei Chu, Haiyan Liu, Jianxin Shi
{"title":"OsMYB94 functions as a master regulator of metabolic pathways associated with rice caryopsis maturation and quality formation.","authors":"Yaman Shi, Xian Li, Weiyi Lin, Lei Shi, Huangwei Chu, Haiyan Liu, Jianxin Shi","doi":"10.1111/nph.71304","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71304","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rice (Oryza sativa) caryopses supply essential carbohydrates, energy, and protein to over half the world's population. Caryopsis quality depends on the biosynthesis, modification, and accumulation of primary and secondary metabolites during maturation. Yet, the regulatory and biochemical pathways remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence implicates transcription factors, particularly MYB family members, in this regulation. In this study, the function of R2R3 MYB transcription factor OsMYB94 in regulating metabolic pathways underlying rice caryopsis maturation and quality formation was characterized using integrative approaches. OsMYB94 orchestrates secondary metabolism (for protection), reserve accumulation (for energy storage), reactive oxygen species homeostasis (for antioxidant defense), and hormonal signaling (for desiccation and dormancy) to ensure proper maturation and high-quality formation of rice caryopses. osmyb94 caryopses exhibit poor appearance quality, milling quality, and eating and cooking quality, correlating with incomplete caryopsis filling, thinner aleurone and coat layers, reduced starch and triglyceride accumulation, disrupted lipid metabolism, and downregulation of genes associated with ripening-related metabolic pathways. Furthermore, the OsMYB94-OsLTPL12 module is a key regulator of rice caryopsis glossiness. This study highlights that OsMYB94 is a master regulator of metabolic pathways associated with rice caryopsis maturation and quality formation, offering a genetic target for improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"1889-1908"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13373856/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148057647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-05-21DOI: 10.1111/nph.71285
Licheng Liu, Lianchong Gao, Zhi-Ying Wang, Yan Liu, Huifeng Ju, Huana Lin, Zheng Shi, Wen-Juan Cai, Xue Li, Yan-Bo Huang, Yu Kong, Jing-Jing Xu, Hong-Peng Chen, Xin Fang, Juan Guo, Yong-Hong Hu, Ke Chen, Xiao-Ya Chen, Jie Hao, Lei Yang
{"title":"Cross-stage single-cell and spatial metabolome analyses reveal periderm specialization and tanshinone biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza roots.","authors":"Licheng Liu, Lianchong Gao, Zhi-Ying Wang, Yan Liu, Huifeng Ju, Huana Lin, Zheng Shi, Wen-Juan Cai, Xue Li, Yan-Bo Huang, Yu Kong, Jing-Jing Xu, Hong-Peng Chen, Xin Fang, Juan Guo, Yong-Hong Hu, Ke Chen, Xiao-Ya Chen, Jie Hao, Lei Yang","doi":"10.1111/nph.71285","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71285","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Perennial herbs develop long-lived roots that undergo repeated cycles of secondary growth, during which the periderm functions as a protective barrier and a major site of specialized metabolite accumulation. However, the cellular programs that coordinate periderm differentiation and secondary metabolism in perennial roots remain poorly understood. Single-cell RNA sequencing, together with spatial metabolome analyses, was employed to resolve cell-type composition and transcriptional dynamics in Salvia miltiorrhiza roots at different developmental stages. Based on Batch Integration via Precision Annotation and Consistency Testing-integrated single-cell data, the developmental trajectory from epidermal to peridermal lineages was reconstructed, revealing distinct transcriptional programs associated with diterpenoid biosynthesis. Spatial metabolome analyses confirmed that tanshinones were predominantly accumulated in cork cells of mature roots. Integrative analysis further indicated that SmCYP76AK5 participates in tanshinone biosynthesis. This cellular framework enables the prediction of metabolic activities in specific cell types and facilitates the inference of developmental differences between young and mature roots. It also provides a basis for integrating single-cell data into models of secondary metabolism in perennial plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"1267-1282"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13326519/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147989686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
New PhytologistPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-06-01DOI: 10.1111/nph.71289
Changru Mo, Jixun Hu, Zhanpeng Li, Yang Wang, Guangyang Wang, Qingzhong Li, Muhammad Bilal, Tao Hu
{"title":"FaCPK19-FaTT1 axis decodes heat-induced Ca<sup>2+</sup> signals and enhances thermotolerance in tall fescue.","authors":"Changru Mo, Jixun Hu, Zhanpeng Li, Yang Wang, Guangyang Wang, Qingzhong Li, Muhammad Bilal, Tao Hu","doi":"10.1111/nph.71289","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.71289","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ca<sup>2+</sup> signals play a crucial role in heat stress (HS) resistance. However, how Ca<sup>2+</sup> signals are decoded and regulate the downstream targets of HS signaling remains unclear in plants. Cool-season grasses are sensitive to high-temperature conditions and should evolve distinctive heat stress response mechanisms. Here, we identified the calcium-dependent protein kinase 19 (FaCPK19), which decoded the unique Ca<sup>2+</sup> signal triggered by HS in cool-season grass tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). The FaCPK19 was activated upon HS and positively regulated thermotolerance in tall fescue. FaCPK19 interacted with the thermo-tolerance 1 (FaTT1), which encodes an α2 subunit of the 26S proteasome, and phosphorylated its Thr172 (T172) residue. Under HS, overexpressing FaTT1<sup>T172A</sup> (FaTT1<sup>T172A</sup>-OE, phospho-deficient) grasses resulted in significantly lower 20S and 26S proteasome activity and reduced expression of downstream HS-responsive genes compared to gain-function transgenic grasses (FaTT1-OE). The Facpk19 mutant was weakened in 20S and 26S proteasome activity under HS. Loss of T172 phosphorylation in FaTT1<sup>T172A</sup>-OE showed a weakened heat-tolerance phenotype than FaTT1-OE. T172 residue at TT1 is evolutionarily conserved from plants to animals, indicating it could be widely used for thermotolerance breeding in grasses and crops. Our findings reveal a Ca<sup>2+</sup>-FaCPK19-FaTT1 axis by which an HS-induced Ca<sup>2+</sup> signal is decoded with enhanced thermotolerance in tall fescue.</p>","PeriodicalId":48887,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":" ","pages":"1841-1857"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13373817/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}