Petra Svetlikova, Huei‐Jiun Su, Kenji Suetsugu, Filip Husnik
Summary Holoparasitic plants are nongreen plants that depend entirely on their host plants for essential resources. The transition to parasitism often results in functional reduction and gene loss, but its timing and extent remain unclear. Although Balanophora is known to have extremely reduced plastid genomes, only five species from a few geographically restricted regions have been studied. Here, we sampled seven species from 12 populations across Taiwan and Japan, assembled their plastomes and transcriptomes, and inferred multigene trees from diverse plastid and nuclear markers. To understand the plastid's functional role, we predicted the subcellular localization of nuclear‐encoded proteins. All the plastid genomes are reduced to 14–16 kb. They are colinear, AT‐biased (87–88%), and share the same noncanonical genetic code (TAG→Trp). Phylogenomics of Balanophora implies independent origins of obligate agamospermy in island populations of several species. Over 700 Balanophora proteins were predicted to be plastid‐targeted, suggesting retained capacity for the biosynthesis of amino acids, fatty acids, riboflavin, and other pathways. The plastid genome reduction occurred before the diversification of Balanophora . Similar to other parasites, it primarily erased photosynthesis‐related functions without massive elimination of other functions. Balanophoraceae thus emerge as a fascinating model for reconstructing the evolutionary changes associated with photosynthesis loss in land plants.
{"title":"Phylogenomics clarifies Balanophora evolution, metabolic retention in reduced plastids, and the origins of obligate agamospermy","authors":"Petra Svetlikova, Huei‐Jiun Su, Kenji Suetsugu, Filip Husnik","doi":"10.1111/nph.70761","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70761","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> Holoparasitic plants are nongreen plants that depend entirely on their host plants for essential resources. The transition to parasitism often results in functional reduction and gene loss, but its timing and extent remain unclear. Although <jats:italic>Balanophora</jats:italic> is known to have extremely reduced plastid genomes, only five species from a few geographically restricted regions have been studied. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Here, we sampled seven species from 12 populations across Taiwan and Japan, assembled their plastomes and transcriptomes, and inferred multigene trees from diverse plastid and nuclear markers. To understand the plastid's functional role, we predicted the subcellular localization of nuclear‐encoded proteins. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> All the plastid genomes are reduced to 14–16 kb. They are colinear, AT‐biased (87–88%), and share the same noncanonical genetic code (TAG→Trp). Phylogenomics of <jats:italic>Balanophora</jats:italic> implies independent origins of obligate agamospermy in island populations of several species. Over 700 <jats:italic>Balanophora</jats:italic> proteins were predicted to be plastid‐targeted, suggesting retained capacity for the biosynthesis of amino acids, fatty acids, riboflavin, and other pathways. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> The plastid genome reduction occurred before the diversification of <jats:italic>Balanophora</jats:italic> . Similar to other parasites, it primarily erased photosynthesis‐related functions without massive elimination of other functions. Balanophoraceae thus emerge as a fascinating model for reconstructing the evolutionary changes associated with photosynthesis loss in land plants. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145609194","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}
Pablo Almela, James J. Elser, Anthony Zmuda, Thomas Niehaus, Trinity L. Hamilton
Summary Snow algae blooms visibly alter snow color and surface energy balance, yet the biological basis of this variability remains unclear. We investigated how pigment composition and community structure shape the optical properties of snow algae blooms of distinct colors – red, orange, and green – co‐occurring within the same snowfield in Glacier National Park, USA. We measured the spectral reflectance, pigment composition (HPLC), and algal community composition (18S rRNA amplicon sequencing) of each bloom type to quantify how biological characteristics influence snow reflectance and radiative forcing. Astaxanthin dominated all blooms, while Chl a was most abundant in green blooms. Distinct algal taxa characterized each color, with Sanguina dominating red blooms and Chloromonas being more abundant in green and orange. Red blooms showed the lowest reflectance and highest radiative forcing (56 W m −2 ), exceeding that of green (21 W m −2 ) and orange blooms (25 W m −2 ), enhancing energy absorption into the snowpack and promoting localized melting of adjacent ice crystals. Our data indicate that bloom color reflects distinct community compositions, characterized by differences in dominant taxa and pigment pools, which together drive the radiative balance of snowfields. However, these relationships may not be universal, and color is best viewed as an emergent property shaped by multiple biological and environmental factors.
雪藻的大量繁殖明显地改变了雪的颜色和表面能量平衡，但这种变化的生物学基础尚不清楚。我们研究了色素组成和群落结构如何塑造不同颜色的雪藻华的光学特性——红色、橙色和绿色——在美国冰川国家公园的同一雪原内共同发生。我们测量了每种水华类型的光谱反射率、色素组成（HPLC）和藻类群落组成（18S rRNA扩增子测序），以量化生物特性如何影响雪的反射率和辐射强迫。青花中虾青素含量最高，绿花中Chl a含量最高。每种颜色都有不同的藻类类群，以血藻为主的红色花朵和绿单胞菌在绿色和橙色中更为丰富。红色华表现出最低的反射率和最高的辐射强迫（56 W m−2），超过了绿色华（21 W m−2）和橙色华（25 W m−2），增强了积雪对能量的吸收，促进了邻近冰晶的局部融化。我们的数据表明，开花颜色反映了不同的群落组成，以优势分类群和色素池的差异为特征，共同驱动了雪原的辐射平衡。然而，这些关系可能并不普遍，颜色最好被视为一种由多种生物和环境因素形成的紧急属性。
{"title":"Community‐driven variations in snow algae color modulate snow albedo reduction","authors":"Pablo Almela, James J. Elser, Anthony Zmuda, Thomas Niehaus, Trinity L. Hamilton","doi":"10.1111/nph.70775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70775","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> Snow algae blooms visibly alter snow color and surface energy balance, yet the biological basis of this variability remains unclear. We investigated how pigment composition and community structure shape the optical properties of snow algae blooms of distinct colors – red, orange, and green – co‐occurring within the same snowfield in Glacier National Park, USA. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We measured the spectral reflectance, pigment composition (HPLC), and algal community composition (18S rRNA amplicon sequencing) of each bloom type to quantify how biological characteristics influence snow reflectance and radiative forcing. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Astaxanthin dominated all blooms, while Chl <jats:italic>a</jats:italic> was most abundant in green blooms. Distinct algal taxa characterized each color, with <jats:italic>Sanguina</jats:italic> dominating red blooms and <jats:italic>Chloromonas</jats:italic> being more abundant in green and orange. Red blooms showed the lowest reflectance and highest radiative forcing (56 W m <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> ), exceeding that of green (21 W m <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> ) and orange blooms (25 W m <jats:sup>−2</jats:sup> ), enhancing energy absorption into the snowpack and promoting localized melting of adjacent ice crystals. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Our data indicate that bloom color reflects distinct community compositions, characterized by differences in dominant taxa and pigment pools, which together drive the radiative balance of snowfields. However, these relationships may not be universal, and color is best viewed as an emergent property shaped by multiple biological and environmental factors. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"89 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145599394","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}
Luke L. Fountain, Matthew Gilliham, Chiara Amitrano, Nafiou Arouna, Richard J. Barker, Maik Böhmer, Markus Braun, Nicolas J. B. Brereton, Rebecca L. Brocato, Jess M. Bunchek, Emma L. J. Canaday, Nicol Caplin, Paola Castaño, Christine Chamberlain, Mélanie Decourteix, Marta Del Bianco, Veronica De Micco, Colleen J. Doherty, Michel F. Franke, Sigfredo Fuentes, Simon Gilroy, Lynn Harrison, Karl H. Hasenstein, Jens Hauslage, Raúl Herranz, Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, Dylan Shun Izuma, Kirima Junya, John Z. Kiss, Valérie Legué, James P. B. Lloyd, Massimo E. Maffei, Gioia D. Massa, Alexander D. Meyers, Imara Y. Perera, Lucie Poulet, Suruchi Roychoudry, Giovanni Sena, Dorothy E. Shippen, Jared Stoochnoff, Hideyuki Takahashi, Sarah E. Wyatt, Elison B. Blancaflor
Plants are critical for sustaining human life and planetary health. However, their potential to enable humans to survive and thrive beyond Earth remains unrealized. This Viewpoint presents a collective vision outlining priorities associated with plant science to support a new frontier of human existence. These priorities are drawn from the International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG) Plants for Space Exploration and Earth Applications workshop, held at the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) conference in September 2024. First, we highlight transformative advances gained from using the ‘laboratory of space’ in understanding how plants respond to gravity and other stressors. Second, we introduce a new crop Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) readiness level (BRL) framework – extending the existing Crop Readiness Level (CRL) – to assist in overcoming challenges to establish resilient, sustainable crop production. Materializing the vision of plants as enablers of space exploration will require innovative approaches, including predictive modeling, synthetic biology, robust Earth-based analogue systems, and reliable space-based instruments to monitor biological processes. Success relies upon a unified international community to promote sharing of resources, facilities, expertise, and data to accelerate progress. Ultimately, this work will both advance human space exploration and provide solutions to enhance sustainable plant production on Earth.
{"title":"Expanding frontiers: harnessing plant biology for space exploration and planetary sustainability","authors":"Luke L. Fountain, Matthew Gilliham, Chiara Amitrano, Nafiou Arouna, Richard J. Barker, Maik Böhmer, Markus Braun, Nicolas J. B. Brereton, Rebecca L. Brocato, Jess M. Bunchek, Emma L. J. Canaday, Nicol Caplin, Paola Castaño, Christine Chamberlain, Mélanie Decourteix, Marta Del Bianco, Veronica De Micco, Colleen J. Doherty, Michel F. Franke, Sigfredo Fuentes, Simon Gilroy, Lynn Harrison, Karl H. Hasenstein, Jens Hauslage, Raúl Herranz, Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, Dylan Shun Izuma, Kirima Junya, John Z. Kiss, Valérie Legué, James P. B. Lloyd, Massimo E. Maffei, Gioia D. Massa, Alexander D. Meyers, Imara Y. Perera, Lucie Poulet, Suruchi Roychoudry, Giovanni Sena, Dorothy E. Shippen, Jared Stoochnoff, Hideyuki Takahashi, Sarah E. Wyatt, Elison B. Blancaflor","doi":"10.1111/nph.70662","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70662","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plants are critical for sustaining human life and planetary health. However, their potential to enable humans to survive and thrive beyond Earth remains unrealized. This Viewpoint presents a collective vision outlining priorities associated with plant science to support a new frontier of human existence. These priorities are drawn from the International Space Life Sciences Working Group (ISLSWG) <i>Plants for Space Exploration and Earth Applications</i> workshop, held at the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) conference in September 2024. First, we highlight transformative advances gained from using the ‘laboratory of space’ in understanding how plants respond to gravity and other stressors. Second, we introduce a new crop Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) readiness level (BRL) framework – extending the existing Crop Readiness Level (CRL) – to assist in overcoming challenges to establish resilient, sustainable crop production. Materializing the vision of plants as enablers of space exploration will require innovative approaches, including predictive modeling, synthetic biology, robust Earth-based analogue systems, and reliable space-based instruments to monitor biological processes. Success relies upon a unified international community to promote sharing of resources, facilities, expertise, and data to accelerate progress. Ultimately, this work will both advance human space exploration and provide solutions to enhance sustainable plant production on Earth.</p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"249 2","pages":"656-669"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.70662","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145599395","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}
Austen Apigo, Sabrina Heitmann, Devin Leopold, Leander D. L. Anderegg, Posy E. Busby
Summary The scope of plant control over its microbiome is a central question in evolutionary biology and agriculture. Leaf traits are known to shape pathogen colonization and disease development, but their impact on the broader community of largely non‐pathogenic fungi that colonize plant leaves remains an open question. We used reciprocal common gardens of the model tree, Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood), to examine relationships between leaf traits and the leaf mycobiome in two strongly contrasting environments. We measured six leaf traits (stomatal length, stomatal density, carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and specific leaf area) and used fungal marker gene sequencing to characterize leaf fungal communities for 57 tree genotypes replicated in one mesic and one xeric common garden (809 trees). Several leaf traits covaried with the leaf mycobiome, yet one relationship was paramount: plant genotypes with longer, sparser leaf stomata hosted a greater richness and diversity of more similar fungal species compared to plant genotypes with shorter, denser leaf stomata. These relationships, while modulated by the environment plants were sourced from and grown in, suggest that stomatal traits may be a general mechanism through which plants and the leaf mycobiome influence one another.
{"title":"Stomatal traits covary with leaf mycobiome diversity and composition","authors":"Austen Apigo, Sabrina Heitmann, Devin Leopold, Leander D. L. Anderegg, Posy E. Busby","doi":"10.1111/nph.70749","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70749","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> The scope of plant control over its microbiome is a central question in evolutionary biology and agriculture. Leaf traits are known to shape pathogen colonization and disease development, but their impact on the broader community of largely non‐pathogenic fungi that colonize plant leaves remains an open question. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We used reciprocal common gardens of the model tree, <jats:italic>Populus trichocarpa</jats:italic> (black cottonwood), to examine relationships between leaf traits and the leaf mycobiome in two strongly contrasting environments. We measured six leaf traits (stomatal length, stomatal density, carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and specific leaf area) and used fungal marker gene sequencing to characterize leaf fungal communities for 57 tree genotypes replicated in one mesic and one xeric common garden (809 trees). </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Several leaf traits covaried with the leaf mycobiome, yet one relationship was paramount: plant genotypes with longer, sparser leaf stomata hosted a greater richness and diversity of more similar fungal species compared to plant genotypes with shorter, denser leaf stomata. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> These relationships, while modulated by the environment plants were sourced from and grown in, suggest that stomatal traits may be a general mechanism through which plants and the leaf mycobiome influence one another. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145592990","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}
Patricia Scholz, Janis Dabisch, Ana C. Vilchez, Alyssa C. Clews, Philipp W. Niemeyer, Magdiel S. S. Lim, Siqi Sun, Lea Hembach, Mayuko Naganawa, Fabienne Dreier, Katharina F. Blersch, Lea M. Preuß, Martin Bonin, Elena Lesch, Yuya Iwai, Takashi L. Shimada, Jürgen Eirich, Iris Finkemeier, Katharina Gutbrod, Peter Dörmann, You Wang, Robert T. Mullen, Till Ischebeck
{"title":"Arabidopsis root lipid droplets are hubs for membrane homeostasis under heat stress, and triterpenoid synthesis and storage","authors":"Patricia Scholz, Janis Dabisch, Ana C. Vilchez, Alyssa C. Clews, Philipp W. Niemeyer, Magdiel S. S. Lim, Siqi Sun, Lea Hembach, Mayuko Naganawa, Fabienne Dreier, Katharina F. Blersch, Lea M. Preuß, Martin Bonin, Elena Lesch, Yuya Iwai, Takashi L. Shimada, Jürgen Eirich, Iris Finkemeier, Katharina Gutbrod, Peter Dörmann, You Wang, Robert T. Mullen, Till Ischebeck","doi":"10.1111/nph.70726","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70726","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"249 2","pages":"892-916"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.70726","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145599393","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}
Summary As a core component of the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle, plant photosynthetic C assimilation regulates soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. However, the allocation patterns of photosynthetic C across different soil layers in desert ecosystems remain unclear. Through in situ field 13 CO 2 pulse labeling applied to Alhagi sparsifolia , a keystone desert species, we traced photosynthetic C dynamics over 360 d. This included vertical translocation from plant aboveground to belowground systems (0–30, 30–60, 60–100, and 100–200 cm depths) and subsequent partitioning into SOC, soil microbial biomass (phospholipid fatty acid), microbial necromass (amino sugars), and plant residue (lignin phenols). Over time postlabeling, 13 C in plants gradually shifted from aboveground to belowground biomass. Although plant residue 13 C accumulated gradually in the soil, its contribution to SOC was only 0.2–1.1%, lower than that of microbial necromass (12–30%). In the 0–100 cm soil layer, microbial necromass 13 C and its contribution to SOC increased initially and then stabilized over time, while it continued to increase at 100–200 cm depth. Microbial necromass 13 C dynamics were more strongly associated with SOC than plant residue. In desert ecosystems, microbes are the primary contributors to deep SOC accumulation, more than in surface layers.
{"title":"Long‐term fate of photosynthetic carbon in desert plants: microbial necromass‐driven pathways for soil carbon stabilization","authors":"Mengfei Cong, Zhihao Zhang, Yang Hu, Akash Tariq, Corina Graciano, Jordi Sardans, Weiqi Wang, Yanju Gao, Xinping Dong, Guangxing Zhao, Jingming Yan, Josep Peñuelas, Fanjiang Zeng","doi":"10.1111/nph.70768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70768","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> As a core component of the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle, plant photosynthetic C assimilation regulates soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. However, the allocation patterns of photosynthetic C across different soil layers in desert ecosystems remain unclear. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Through <jats:italic>in situ</jats:italic> field <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> pulse labeling applied to <jats:italic>Alhagi sparsifolia</jats:italic> , a keystone desert species, we traced photosynthetic C dynamics over 360 d. This included vertical translocation from plant aboveground to belowground systems (0–30, 30–60, 60–100, and 100–200 cm depths) and subsequent partitioning into SOC, soil microbial biomass (phospholipid fatty acid), microbial necromass (amino sugars), and plant residue (lignin phenols). </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Over time postlabeling, <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C in plants gradually shifted from aboveground to belowground biomass. Although plant residue <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C accumulated gradually in the soil, its contribution to SOC was only 0.2–1.1%, lower than that of microbial necromass (12–30%). In the 0–100 cm soil layer, microbial necromass <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C and its contribution to SOC increased initially and then stabilized over time, while it continued to increase at 100–200 cm depth. Microbial necromass <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C dynamics were more strongly associated with SOC than plant residue. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> In desert ecosystems, microbes are the primary contributors to deep SOC accumulation, more than in surface layers. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"164 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582946","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}
Mathilda Gustavsson, Lionel Hill, Keara A. Franklin, Ashley J. Pridgeon
Summary Obtaining sufficient light for photosynthesis and avoiding desiccation are two key challenges faced by seedlings during early establishment. Perception of light quality via specialised photoreceptors signals the availability of sunlight for photosynthesis. Canopy shade is depleted in red (R) and enriched in far‐red (FR) light, lowering R : FR ratio, while direct sunlight and sunflecks contain UV‐B. The balance between these wavelengths can determine the developmental strategy adopted by seedlings to either avoid shade, via stem elongation, or promote the expansion of photosynthetic organs. How seedlings regulate stomatal movements in different light environments is poorly understood. Using FR and UV‐B supplementation to mimic aspects of canopy shade and sunlight, respectively, we monitored stomatal apertures in Arabidopsis thaliana cotyledons and gas exchange in the cotyledons of Chinese kale ( Brassica oleracea var alboglabra). We show that low R : FR inhibits stomatal opening via a mechanism involving PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) and increased abscisic acid (ABA). UV‐B perceived by the UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) photoreceptor acts antagonistically, promoting stomatal opening in a response that requires phototropin photoreceptors. The convergence of phytochrome and UVR8 signalling to control ABA abundance enables plants to coordinate stem elongation and water use, potentially facilitating seedling establishment in dynamic light environments.
{"title":"Integration of light quality signals regulates ABA abundance and stomatal movements during seedling establishment","authors":"Mathilda Gustavsson, Lionel Hill, Keara A. Franklin, Ashley J. Pridgeon","doi":"10.1111/nph.70746","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70746","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> Obtaining sufficient light for photosynthesis and avoiding desiccation are two key challenges faced by seedlings during early establishment. Perception of light quality via specialised photoreceptors signals the availability of sunlight for photosynthesis. Canopy shade is depleted in red (R) and enriched in far‐red (FR) light, lowering R : FR ratio, while direct sunlight and sunflecks contain UV‐B. The balance between these wavelengths can determine the developmental strategy adopted by seedlings to either avoid shade, via stem elongation, or promote the expansion of photosynthetic organs. How seedlings regulate stomatal movements in different light environments is poorly understood. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Using FR and UV‐B supplementation to mimic aspects of canopy shade and sunlight, respectively, we monitored stomatal apertures in <jats:italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</jats:italic> cotyledons and gas exchange in the cotyledons of Chinese kale ( <jats:italic>Brassica oleracea</jats:italic> var alboglabra). </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We show that low R : FR inhibits stomatal opening via a mechanism involving PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) and increased abscisic acid (ABA). UV‐B perceived by the UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) photoreceptor acts antagonistically, promoting stomatal opening in a response that requires phototropin photoreceptors. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> The convergence of phytochrome and UVR8 signalling to control ABA abundance enables plants to coordinate stem elongation and water use, potentially facilitating seedling establishment in dynamic light environments. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582948","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}
Guangkai Zhou, Daniel F. Petticord, Xingchang Wang, Ülo Niinemets, Ziyan Zhang, Guangze Jin, Zhili Liu
Summary Plants make tradeoffs between growth and defense. However, differences in these tradeoffs interindividual, variation on the axes of trait expression, remain poorly understood. We evaluated six key leaf traits – defense traits (total phenols, condensed tannins, flavonoids, and specific leaf density) and nutrient acquisition traits (nitrogen and phosphorus content)—across 1985 individuals representing 314 species in 18 natural forest communities along a 4000‐km latitudinal gradient in China. We found deciduous plants have higher nutrient content, whereas evergreen plants consistently invest more heavily in defense. Moreover, this broad difference in functional type (deciduous vs evergreen) was also a useful lens to examine the influence of intraspecific, interindividual variation on defense–acquisition trait axes. In evergreen plants, intraspecific variation causes a substantial shift in the orientation of trait space, with a 46.75° rotation of the defense–nutrient axis, compared to just 1.11° in deciduous plants. Only one trait–phenology combination (specific leaf density in evergreen plants) changed in a predictable way based on phylogeny. Overall, our results suggest evergreen plants are more constrained in how much they can vary their traits. This advances our understanding of evolution along the conservation/acquisitive axis, at least with regard to leaf traits.
{"title":"Intraspecific variation in the growth–defense trade‐off among deciduous and evergreen broadleaf woody plants","authors":"Guangkai Zhou, Daniel F. Petticord, Xingchang Wang, Ülo Niinemets, Ziyan Zhang, Guangze Jin, Zhili Liu","doi":"10.1111/nph.70781","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70781","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> Plants make tradeoffs between growth and defense. However, differences in these tradeoffs interindividual, variation on the axes of trait expression, remain poorly understood. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We evaluated six key leaf traits – defense traits (total phenols, condensed tannins, flavonoids, and specific leaf density) and nutrient acquisition traits (nitrogen and phosphorus content)—across 1985 individuals representing 314 species in 18 natural forest communities along a 4000‐km latitudinal gradient in China. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We found deciduous plants have higher nutrient content, whereas evergreen plants consistently invest more heavily in defense. Moreover, this broad difference in functional type (deciduous vs evergreen) was also a useful lens to examine the influence of intraspecific, interindividual variation on defense–acquisition trait axes. In evergreen plants, intraspecific variation causes a substantial shift in the orientation of trait space, with a 46.75° rotation of the defense–nutrient axis, compared to just 1.11° in deciduous plants. Only one trait–phenology combination (specific leaf density in evergreen plants) changed in a predictable way based on phylogeny. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> Overall, our results suggest evergreen plants are more constrained in how much they can vary their traits. This advances our understanding of evolution along the conservation/acquisitive axis, at least with regard to leaf traits. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"191 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582945","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}
Lorinda Bullington, Emily Martin, Ylva Lekberg, Mary Sadyrova, Diana L. Six
Summary Bark beetles introduce fungi into trees, shaping both beetle fitness and tree physiology. However, the impact of these symbioses on fungal endophytes, the succession of fungal communities, and downstream consequences for tree nutrient dynamics and decomposition remain poorly understood. Yet, these interactions can play an important role in forest nutrient cycling and carbon storage. We established logs colonized and uncolonized by red turpentine beetles to track fungal communities, changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in sapwood and phloem, and sapwood density, from pre‐colonization to after brood emergence. We observed turnover of endophytic fungi in all logs, but beetle‐colonized logs developed distinct fungal communities and experienced greater sapwood density loss. Phloem – where beetles feed – became enriched in N (33.3%), P (33.1%), and C (2.8%) after beetle colonization compared to uncolonized logs, while N in the sapwood became more depleted (15.6%). Isotope tracing of N and C further indicated fungal‐mediated nutrient transfer from sapwood to phloem, and ultimately, to beetles. We show that bark beetles can benefit from nutrient provisioning via both beetle‐vectored and nonvectored fungi. Moreover, beetle–fungal interactions reshaped decomposer communities and accelerated sapwood density loss, underscoring their broader role in nutrient redistribution and C dynamics in forest ecosystems.
{"title":"Bark beetle–fungi symbioses reshape nutrient dynamics, fungal decomposer succession, and decay rates in ponderosa pine","authors":"Lorinda Bullington, Emily Martin, Ylva Lekberg, Mary Sadyrova, Diana L. Six","doi":"10.1111/nph.70778","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70778","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item> Bark beetles introduce fungi into trees, shaping both beetle fitness and tree physiology. However, the impact of these symbioses on fungal endophytes, the succession of fungal communities, and downstream consequences for tree nutrient dynamics and decomposition remain poorly understood. Yet, these interactions can play an important role in forest nutrient cycling and carbon storage. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We established logs colonized and uncolonized by red turpentine beetles to track fungal communities, changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in sapwood and phloem, and sapwood density, from pre‐colonization to after brood emergence. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We observed turnover of endophytic fungi in all logs, but beetle‐colonized logs developed distinct fungal communities and experienced greater sapwood density loss. Phloem – where beetles feed – became enriched in N (33.3%), P (33.1%), and C (2.8%) after beetle colonization compared to uncolonized logs, while N in the sapwood became more depleted (15.6%). Isotope tracing of N and C further indicated fungal‐mediated nutrient transfer from sapwood to phloem, and ultimately, to beetles. </jats:list-item> <jats:list-item> We show that bark beetles can benefit from nutrient provisioning via both beetle‐vectored and nonvectored fungi. Moreover, beetle–fungal interactions reshaped decomposer communities and accelerated sapwood density loss, underscoring their broader role in nutrient redistribution and C dynamics in forest ecosystems. </jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145582947","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}
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