iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 3h

🌻💧 RESEARCH 💧🌻 Failure of the water-transporting system during drought stress was not reversed during recovery in sunflower, which challenges previous evidence and highlights the need to revisit similar assumptions in other species - Stewart et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 3.Xylem embolism within a sunflower plant during drought stress and well-watered recovery. (A, B) Photographic images of a sunflower plant while stressed (i.e. at the end of the dry down) (A) and after 1 week of recovery under well-watered conditions (B). (C–E) Micro-computed tomographic images of xylem embolism (highlighted within the outlined tissues) in the stem, petioles (Pet.), and leaf midribs when the plant was subjected to drought stress (ΨStem of −1.23 MPa) (C), re-watered and allowed to recover overnight (D), and allowed to recover for 1 week (E). The arrows in (A, B) indicate the approximate locations of scanned tissue. For images without annotated features, see Supplementary Fig. S7. For (C–E), scale bar is 1 mm.

062

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 5h

🦠 RESEARCH 🦠 Sugimoto et al. integrated bacterial and fungal community analyses to characterize leaf-side differences in interaction networks and predicted functional potential emphasizing combined effects of leaf surface traits and local microclimate. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 3.Inter-kingdom co-occurrence networks on leaf surfaces. (A) Inter-kingdom co-occurrence networks on adaxial and abaxial surfaces of all trees. The node color represents bacterial (blue) and fungal (yellow) genera. The node size depends on the degree of connection. The edge color shows positive (light green) and negative (red) correlations. (B) Proportion of intra-kingdom (bacterial–bacterial and fungal–fungal) and inter-kingdom positive and negative correlations in microbial networks on adaxial and abaxial surfaces. (C) Degree values of bacterial and fungal genera in microbial co-occurrence networks on leaf surfaces (ns, not significant; Wilcoxon rank-sum test). (D) Degree and correlation type of the top 10 nodes in the microbial networks.

143

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 8h

🐛 RESEARCH 🐛 Through integrated phenotypic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses in Arabidopsis and Brassica rapa, this study shows that similar seed-primed pest resistance phenotypes arise from distinct molecular pathways - Talavera-Mateo et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2.Transcriptome and metabolome profiling of non-primed (NP) and MeJA-primed B. rapa plants after 24 h of herbivore infestation. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated features (DAFs) were analysed. (A) Bar plots showing the number of DEGs and DAFs between MeJA and NP plants under three conditions: undamaged control (C), T. urticae-infested (T), and P. brassicae-infested (P). (B) Venn diagrams of DEGs and DAFs comparing MeJA and NP plants for each infestation condition, illustrating shared and unique features across treatments. (C) DEGs and DAFs identified by comparing pest-infested versus undamaged control plants within each priming condition (NP or MeJA), then identifying those features shared between NP and MeJA responses (lines). Bar graphs show the number of shared DEGs or DAFs, with connecting lines indicating whether regulation direction is conserved.

032

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 11h

🌾💧 RESEARCH 💧🌾 CNW-Wheat is an innovative whole plant functional–structural model coupling turgor pressure, carbon–nitrogen metabolism, and leaf growth in interaction with aboveground and belowground abiotic factors - Acker et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2.Coordination of leaf elongation. The graph shows the normalized length (logarithmic scale) of main stem leaves versus the phyllochronic time relative to leaf emergence (based on Fournier et al., 2005; Gauthier et al., 2020). Symbols are phytomer rank. Each point is the median of 5–10 observations. The dashed line is the emergence of the previous leaf (En–1), which triggers the transition from an exponential-like elongation (phase I) to a sigmoidal elongation (phase II). Below the graph, illustrations of the growing leaf stages are represented during both phases. From the initiation of leaf n to En–1, leaf n is represented as a homogenous hidden growth zone (hz, yellow), and follows an exponential-like elongation. After En–1, leaf n elongation is calculated according to the turgor-driven growth model (Lockhart–Ortega phase).

001

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 13h

🌾🧬 RESEARCH 🧬🌾 Integrated phenological and gene-expression time courses across environments enabled robust phenotyping and validation of a molecularly grounded flowering model for wheat - Brown et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig (shortened, full legend in paper): 1.An example of the CAMP models time series predictions of apical development (A), Vrn gene expression (B) and gene and environment interactions (C). (A) Representation of apical development (ApDev) in CAMP as a bounded accumulation process with respect to Haun stage (HS). Developmental progress is constrained by a maximum rate (MaxVrn) and a base rate (VrnB), illustrating that CAMP represents relative developmental effect rather than direct gene expression on morphology. (B) Idealized relative activity of the major flowering-time genes Vrn1, Vrn2, and Vrn3 across developmental progression, shown on the same HS scale. Vertical dashed lines indicate the HS timing of vernal induction (VIHS), terminal spikelet (TSHS), and flag leaf appearance (FLHS). Stage labels on the x-axis denote developmental events; bracketed values beneath axis ticks indicate representative HS timings for the example simulation and are provided for orientation only.

021

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 14h

🚨 SPECIAL ISSUE - CLOSING SOON 🚨 🔬 Proteases in Cell Fate Regulation 📝 Edited by Peter Bozhkov & Simon Stael 📅 Closing date: 31 October 📇 Got a suitable manuscript? Contact the JXB office: bit.ly/JXBissues #JXBspecialissues #PlantScience 🧪 @sebiology.bsky.social

077

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🌾🌡️ RESEARCH 🌡️🌾 Reaction norms to post-flowering heat estimated with the photoperiod-extension method effectively revealed variation in heat tolerance across wheat genotypes that could be useful to develop more tolerant cultivars - Yahya et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2 (shortened, full legend in paper): Genotype reaction norms (A–C), genotype tolerance thresholds (D–F), and coefficient of determination from the reaction norms (G–I) for grain yield (A, D, G) and individual grain weight (IGW; B, C, E, F, H, I) in response to post-flowering heat for the 25 studied genotypes in photoperiod-extension method (PEM) trials (spike level; B, E, H) and plot trials (crop level; A, C, D, F, G, I). In (A–C), genotype reaction norms are expressed relative to the number of hot days (T>32 °C) occurring between 0 °Cd and 500 °Cd after flowering. Reaction norms for seven selected genotypes are presented in colour including modern benchmark cv. Suntop, Mace, and Scout as well as EGA Wylie, and experimental lines Sokoll//FRTL and ZWB10-37. Red dashed horizontal lines indicate benchmarks, that is 250 g m−2 for yield and 30 mg for IGW.

121

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

☀️ RESEARCH ☀️ Gao et al. used genetic variation in photosynthesis to improve yield potential in barley by integrating selected photosynthesis-related parameters assessed during development under field conditions into genomic prediction of yield. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 6.Prediction abilities of the photosynthesis-related parameters. (A) Prediction abilities across different years. Y21 and Y22 represent the adjusted entry means calculated from the experiment from year 2021 and 2022, respectively. ALL represents the adjusted entry means calculated from the combined datasets Y21 and Y22. The prediction ability was calculated by using 5-fold cross-validation with 100 replications. (B) Prediction abilities across different developmental phases. SEP, REP, and ASP represent the adjusted entry means calculated from the measurements taken in the slow expansion phase, rapid expansion phase, and anthesis and senescence phase, respectively. The common 199 genotypes across the three datasets were used for 5-fold cross-validation with 100 replications. ALL represents the adjusted entry means calculated from the combined datasets of the three developmental phases.

041

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🌾❄️ RESEARCH ❄️🌾 A chilling-tolerant Miscanthus accession fine-tunes zeaxanthin, anthocyanin and chlorophyll levels in response to combined stresses, accelerating photoprotection under chilling conditions - Turc et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Schematic overview of the Miscanthus growth chamber experiments. Plants were grown in growth chambers under control conditions (20 °C/25 °C night/day) in fertile or low-fertility soil for 3 weeks and then subjected to three different temperature and light combinations: control (20 °C/25 °C night/day), warm night with chilling day (20 °C/10 °C night/day), or chilling night with warm day (5 °C/25 °C night/day). Photoperiod is indicated by the gray (night) and yellow (day) boxes. Temperature is indicated by orange (warm, 20 °C/25 °C night/day) and blue (chilling, 5 °C/10 °C night/day) boxes. Arrows indicate measurement points.

033

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🥑🌱 RESEARCH 🌱🥑 Immature fruitlet abscission in avocado is mediated by a hormone-driven and transcriptome reprogramming that activates a senescence program of development in the seed coat to trigger abscission - Haberman et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 9.Differential expression of seed-dormancy signaling genes during fruitlet growth arrest in avocado. (A, B) Representative images of (A) a persisting and (B) a recently abscised fruitlet; EM, embryo; the red arrowhead indicates the seed coat. (C) Schematic diagram of dormancy signaling pathways. (D) Heatmaps of differentially expressed of ABA-associated dormancy-signaling genes in the seed coat, pericarp, and embryo during natural growth arrest (NGA), defoliation-induced early growth arrest (DEGA), and defoliation-induced late growth arrest (DLGA), as described in Fig. 3. (E) Heatmaps of differential expression of FT- and MFT-associated genes. The heatmaps show the log2(fold-change) of expression according to the colour gradient. Genes with a log2(fold-change)≤1 were assigned a value of 0. n=5.

077

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🌾☀️ RESEARCH ☀️🌾 Pre-anthesis inflorescence greening supports floral survival and pollen viability, revealing a previously overlooked trait influencing reproductive success and grain yield - Babanna et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2.Effects of dark treatment on developing inflorescences. (A) Schematic representation of the treatment groups and their respective treatment phase. (B) Images of the developing inflorescences at different developmental stage between W2 until maturity and anther at W9 from dark treated and control treatments. (C) Chlorophyll autofluorescence in control (left) and dark-treated (right) inflorescence meristems at W4.5.

065

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🌿🔬 EDITOR'S CHOICE 🔬🌿 Single-nucleus RNA sequencing in Artemisia annua uncovers a novel WD40 protein, WDR1, which modulates trichome development and artemisinin production via a WDR1–SPL9–HD1 regulatory loop - Lv et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Single-nucleus sequencing of glandular trichomes from A. annua leaves. (A) Diagram of a glandular trichome. B, basal cell; Sec, secretory cell; St, stalk cell. (B, C) Scanning electron micrographs of leaf 1 (B) and leaf 2 (C) from 10-day-old A. annua seedlings used for single-nucleus sequencing showing the different developmental stages of glandular trichomes on their epidermis. Scale bars, 20 µm. (D) Diagram of the A. annua single-nucleus sequencing pipeline.

0104

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🌾🌿 RESEARCH 🌿🌾 Catechin boosts rice nitrogen use efficiency through dual activation of ammonium transport and nitrogen-assimilating enzymes, driving inorganic nitrogen conversion into free amino acids to enhance rice growth - Du et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 7 (shortened, full legend in paper): Identification of key factors affecting the formation of the N usage index. The identification was based on a partial least squares path model (A), criterion-direct effect of major factors on the formation of the N usage index (B), and weights of the main factors accounted for by the variables (C). Nitrogen, different N levels (LN, MN, and HN); Varieties, different NUE varieties (XS and JY); Catechin, catechin concentrations of 0 mg l–1 and 20 mg l–1 (C0 and C20). N absorption represented by NO3−-N and NH4+-N ion flux rates in rice roots under different treatments; N transport represented by expression of NRT (OsNRT2;1, OsNRT2;2, OsNRT2;3) and AMT (OsAMT1;1, OsAMT1;2, OsAMT2;1, OsAMT2;2) family genes in rice roots; N assimilation represented by NR, GS, and GOGAT enzyme activities in rice; N content represented by NO3−-N and NH4+-N content in rice.

020

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🧬 RESEARCH 🧬 Heterogeneity of ethylene receptor paralog interactions extends the ethylene response range, furthering knowledge of the emergent function of genetically redundant paralogs with low degrees of functional redundancy in fitness- Zhao et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 6.Annotated structures of ERPs in species at different evolutionary stages. The ERP structural features of the indicated species of Charophyta (A), Bryophyta (B), Pteridophyta (C), Gymnosperms (D), and Angiosperms (E). (F) A phylogeny of the species with their ERP structural features analyzed in this study. The species and accession numbers are indicated, and ERPs are not found in Cyanobacteria, Rhodophyta, and Chlorophyta species (Table 1; Supplementary Fig. S4; Supplementary Appendices S1, S2). Structures are analyzed by SMART, and the annotated domains are indicated. H, N, G1, F, and G2 denote the residues of the conserved signature motifs of the HK domain, indicated by asterisks (*). GAF, cGMP-specific phosphodiesterases, adenylyl cyclases, and FhlA.

072

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🚨 FINAL CALL 🚨 ⏰ Our 2027 Editorial Internship call closes TOMORROW at 23:59 BST 🌱✍️ Don’t leave it to last minute – the application takes a bit of work. You'll need: 📄 A CV 📝 A Cover letter 🔍 An Insight-style article Apply here: bit.ly/jxbinterns @sebiology.bsky.social

bit.ly

JXB Editorial Internships

About the internships The aim of these part-time internships is to provide early career researchers with experience of scientific publishing from the editorial

055

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

🌾🔬 RESEARCH 🔬🌾 This biofortification strategy can stably increase grain iron and zinc concentrations in rice cultivars Nipponbare and Huaidao 5, offering a potential solution to alleviate global human iron and zinc deficiencies - Gong et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 5.Grain yield components in the transgenic NB plants. Photographs of (A) harvested grains and (B) the length and width of grains. (C) Total grain yield per plant, (D) 1000-grain weight, (E) length of grain, (F) width of grain, (G) plant height, (H) number of panicles per plant, (I) grain filling, (J) filled grain number per plant, (K) total grain number per plant, and (L) germination rates were analyzed. Scale bars=1 cm. Data represent the means ±SD (n=3). Statistical comparison was performed by one-way ANOVA followed by the Student’s t-test. All data were compared with the Nipponbare (NB) control (*P<0.05, **P<0.01).

043

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🌾🧬 REVIEW 🧬🌾 Neupane et al. review challenges to functional interpretation of rice WRKY TFs, including multifunctionality, redundancy, context dependency, and complex regulation, and outline emerging strategies to solving those challenges. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Classification and conserved domain structure of the WRKY TF family in rice [modified from X. Chen et al. (2019)]. The WRKY family is divided into three major groups, with Group II and III further subdivided based on the type of their WRKY domains and zinc-finger motifs. Group I proteins contain two WRKY domains (NT: N-terminal and CT: C-terminal) followed by a C2H2-type zinc-finger motif. Group II proteins contain a single WRKY domain followed by a C2H2-type motif. Group III proteins contain a single WRKY domain and C2HC-type zinc finger motif. Green boxes indicate the conserved WRKY heptapeptide, while the orange boxes show the zinc-finger motifs (C, cysteine; H, histidine; N, asparagine; R, arginine; T, threonine; X, any amino acid). Dashed lines and associated numbers indicate variable regions between motifs, highlighting structural diversity within the family. Created in BioRender. Neupane, K. (2026) https://BioRender.com/ro50ved.

064

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🍐🧬 RESEARCH 🧬🍐 A cross-species protoplast isolation system for woody plants is developed alongside a DNA-free CRISPR/Cas9 multiplex editing platform for Pyrus, enabling rapid trait analysis and transgene-free precision breeding - Shao et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): A streamlined and efficient protoplast-based method for transgene-free genome editing and rapid gene functional analysis in woody perennials. (A) Outline of the optimization process of enzymatic hydrolysis conditions to yield high-purity and high-viability protoplasts across diverse woody species. (B) PEG–Ca2+-mediated delivery of plasmids and Cas9-single-guide RNA ribonucleoproteins to achieve overexpression or DNA-free efficient editing. (C–E) Multi-dimensional functional validation across different woody plant genera. The system facilitates a comprehensive analysis pipeline, including: (C) real-time subcellular localization and phenotypic analysis using high-resolution confocal imaging technology; (D) evaluation of editing efficiency and identification of mutation types through high-throughput sequencing; and (E) quantitative transcriptional analysis to investigate gene expression patterns and downstream regulatory networks.

034

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🫛☀️ FLOWERING NEWSLETTER REVIEW ☀️🫛 In this review, Henriques & Benlloch explore how photoperiod-dependent flowering in legumes relies on the coordinated action of conserved (e.g. phyA) and specific (e.g. E1 proteins) molecular regulators 🧬 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2 (shortened, full legend in paper): Role of phyA in photoperiodic flowering in Genistoid, Galegoid, and Phaseoloid legumes. (A) phyA function in Genistoid legumes (lupins) is poorly characterized and whether they act as floral promoters or repressors and their relationship to the lupin E1 proteins remains to be elucidated. (B) In LD Galegoid legumes (pea and Medicago), phyA acts as a flowering promoter, activating (directly or indirectly) the expression of GI, FT genes, and E1L. (C) In SD Phaseoloid species (soybean), phyA represses flowering by: (i) interacting with LUX and activating E1, E1La, and E1Lb expression; (ii) stabilizing E1, E1La, and E1Lb proteins; and (iii) directly binding and repressing FT genes. This model reflects information available in soybean, where more detailed molecular studies have been carried out.

041

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🌾 RESEARCH 🌾 Dinh et al. identified a rice genetic region that increases lateral root density by coordinating hormone pathways, offering new insight into regulation of lateral root primordia initiation and elongation in a phosphorus-efficient genotype. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 3.Evaluation of F3 progeny lines derived from backcrossing a line carrying the DJ123 allele at qLDC5 with NERICA4, conducted in an upland field in Mahajanga, Madagascar, in 2025. (A) Graphical representation of genotypes on chromosome 5 of parents and 12 BC2F3 lines used to confirm the qLDC5 effect on LLR branching density on primary roots. Marker positions on chromosome 5 (in kb) are indicated for the region with a DJ123 introgression from 24 425 kb until the end of chromosome 5. (B) Root photos of presentative lines excavated from the field. Line T1-2 was a negative control while Line H10-3 carried the positive allele at qLDC5.

031

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Mirjam Meischner @mm-ecophys.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I am looking forward to meeting the #stable_isotope community and presenting our recent work on tree-tree signalling (📅Tue 06. Oct., 9:30 am) at this year's #ASI2026 at @uni-freiburg.de. 🙏to 👥 @simonhaber.bsky.social, @chriswernerlab.bsky.social, @jpschnitzler.net & 📄 @jxbotany.bsky.social

0157

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Meroz Lab @merozlab.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

🌱 We introduce Segment Any Plant (SAP) in @jxbotany.bsky.social Alex Abbey developed a framework for plant image segmentation that works without task-specific training 🪩 Building on foundation vision model SAM2, SAP can segment and track growing plants across time and z-stacks tinyurl.com/4uw64paf

062

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

IceLab @icelabumu.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

New #plantscience publication out now from IceLab affiliate @treesandgrowth.bsky.social, also including work from IceLab affiliate Jun Yu and IceLab alums Bertold Mariën and Alexander Vergara. Read the article & learn about boosting poplar growth while preserving seasonal adaptation. 👇🌱

052

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Maria E. Eriksson @treesandgrowth.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Delighted to share the results of years of work on modulating GA levels in #trees, made possible with a little help from molecular clockwork⏰ #PlantSci Biotechnological adaptation of high-yielding, gibberellin-overproducing Populus trees to seasonal growth patterns academic.oup.com/jxb/article/...

academic.oup.com

Biotechnological adaptation of high-yielding, gibberellin-overproducing Populus trees to seasonal growth patterns

Abstract. Tree growth is central to both terrestrial ecology and the forestry industry. Biotechnology for inducing the overproduction of phytohormones such

173

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Umeå Plant Science Centre @umeaplantsciencecentre.se · 28/09/2026

🧪🌾PAPER – Can trees grow more without losing their seasonal rhythm? By fine-tuning gibberellin production using a component of the internal clock, @treesandgrowth.bsky.social show that Populus trees can combine increased growth with seasonal adaptation.🌳⏰ Read more in @jxbotany.bsky.social👇

041

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

🍅🧬 EXPERT VIEW 🧬🍅 Phosphate starvation in tomato activates anthocyanin biosynthesis, in which crosstalk between the phosphate starvation response and the jasmonate pathway may play a key role - Junco et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): Phosphate starvation (PiS) induces anthocyanin accumulation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaves through jasmonate (JA) signaling. Under high Pi (HP, Pi sufficient conditions), elevated levels of inositol pyrophosphate (InsP8) promote the association of SPX with PHR/PHL proteins, maintaining PHR/PHLs in an inactive state and keeping phosphate starvation response (PSR) genes turned OFF. Under low Pi or phosphate starvation (LP/PiS) conditions, the proposed sequence of events is organized into three regulatory modules: (A) Pi sensing and PSR activation; (B) JA pathway engagement, and (C) regulatory integration and anthocyanin output. (A) Pi sensing and PSR activation: (1) Pi starvation is associated with a decrease in InsP8 content, while the Pi-responsive enzyme MIPS2 contributes to the adjustment of the cellular myo-inositol/InsP pool.

262

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

🌾🧭 BRIEF COMMUNICATION 🧭🌾 Cereal roots maintain gravitropic setpoint angles (GSAs) via auxin-dependent mechanisms - Stemp-Walsh et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Wheat seminal and rice crown roots return towards their original angle after reorientation. Upward (black arrows) and downward (white arrows) bending wheat ‘Bobwhite’ seminal roots (A, C) and rice ‘Nipponbare’ crown (B, D) roots reorientated at 30° for 24 h. Plants were grown in germination pouches and imaged at 0 and 24 h, ‘g’=direction of gravity, scale bar=10 mm, P<0.05.

081

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🌸🧬 RESEARCH 🧬🌸 Gao et al. suggest that SNAP30 forms a SNARE complex with VAMP726 and SYP131 on the plasma membrane of the Arabidopsis pollen tube tip and regulates pollen tube tip growth by mediating apical exocytosis. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): Mutation of SNAP30 reduced the Arabidopsis pollen tube growth rate in vitro and inhibited pollen tube tip growth in vivo. (A) Time-lapse images of the WT and snap30 pollen tubes at intervals of 2 min. Scale bar: 50 μm. (B) The statistical results revealed that the average pollen tube growth rate of the WT was 3.07±0.45 μm min–1, whereas that of snap30 was only 2.01±0.37 μm min–1. Statistical analysis revealed that SNAP30 knockout clearly reduced the pollen tube growth rate in vitro (mean ±SD; 12<n<15; **P<0.01, Student’s t-test). (C) After hand pollination on the WT pistils for 8 h and 16 h, the length of the pollen tubes of snap30 was significantly shorter than that of the WT. After pollination for 30 h, the snap30 pollen tubes reached the bottom of the ovary. Scale bars: 500 μm. (D) Quantitative analysis of the pollen tube relative length (pollen tube/ovary).

053

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

SEBiology @sebiology.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🌱 Join the (@jxbotany.bsky.social) team as an Assistant Editor! A 12-month opportunity based in Lancaster, supporting peer review, journal meetings, content promotion and editorial development. 📅 Apply by 23 October 2026 More information: www.sebiology.org/resource/joi...

036

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🌱🧬 BRIEF COMMUNICATION 🧬🌱 Conserved residues within the swapped N-terminal transmembrane domain are essential for PDCT function, and co-expression of complementary inactive N- and C-terminal PDCT mutants partially restores activity - Balogh et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): Sequence and structural analysis of PDCT and targeted mutagenesis of GmPDCT1. (A) Sequence alignment of eight selected, characterized PDCTs. Alignments were performed using ClustalOmega and visualized with ESPript3.2. Regions corresponding to the eight α-helices (coloured in rainbow colours; transmembrane, with black boxes; peripheral, no box) that make up the structure are annotated below. The conserved motifs typical of LPT proteins, C2 (SGH) and C3 (HXXXD), are highlighted in pink. Red arrows above the alignments indicate the residues targeted for mutagenesis, including E75 and D89 (this study) and D230 (Ulch et al., 2025). (B) Predicted structure (by AlphaFold 3) of GmPDCT1 as an N-terminal domain-swapped homodimer. The structure is shown as a cartoon, with key α-helices (α1–8) of one protomer identified and coloured in a rainbow scheme. Note that α2 from the N-terminus of one protomer completes the active site of its binding partner.

043

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Fantastic review with a new perspective on MADS box genes and floral organ development.

031

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🌱🧬 RESEARCH 🧬🌱 This study identifies 11 soybean MYB transcription factors that regulate root suberin formation and reveals a hierarchical transcriptional network, providing new insights into how soybean roots establish protective barriers - Lu et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 4.Suberin deposition in soybean hairy roots overexpressing GmMYB genes. Hairy roots were harvested 15 days after induction, and tissues were sampled 2 cm from the root tip. Suberin deposition was visualized by fluorol yellow (FY088) staining in soybean hairy roots from the empty-vector control (EV) and 11 GmMYB overexpression lines. White arrows indicate ectopic suberin deposition in GmMYB41b, GmMYB41d, GmMYB74/102a, GmMYB74/102d, GmMYB53/92, and GmMYB93 overexpression lines. Scale bars = 50 μm.

0104

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Marie Monniaux @mariemonniaux.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Thanks to @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social for reaching out and to @jxbotany.bsky.social for the smooth publication experience :)

121

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Marie Monniaux @mariemonniaux.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

We have written a review on MADS-box genes expression in developing floral organs, which has been under-explored as compared to their early role to specify floral organ identity. Congrats to Emma Désert for her first review article as a PhD student! #proudPI @rdplab.bsky.social

22814

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🌸 FLOWERING NEWSLETTER REVIEW 🌸 MADS-box transcription factors specify floral organ identity at the primordia stage, but also have late and spatially restricted roles in developing or mature floral organs, which Désert et al. explore in this review 🧬 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): Chosen examples of floral MADS-box transcripts or proteins with a precise spatial localization described in developing or mature floral organs. (A) Orchid Phalaenopsis perianth-code. The dorsal sepal, petal, lateral sepal, and lip express different combinations of OAGL6-1, OAGL6-2, OAP3-1, and OPA3-2 proteins, forming complexes with OPI (not displayed here). The lateral sepal shows a further zonation into its upper and lower part, expressing different protein complexes. Adapted from Hsu et al. (2021). (B) During rice floret development, OsMADS2 is distally and laterally enriched in the lodicules, which restricts lodicule elongation (for simplicity, only expression in the lodicule is depicted here). In the pistil, OsMADS2 expression is enriched in the ovary adaxial layers and ovule outermost layers. OsMADS4, in contrast, is uniformly expressed in the lodicule and in the ovule.

182

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🌱 TECHNICAL INNOVATION 🌱 A rapid MXRF method enables precise, extraction-free analysis of light elements in small plant samples, advancing studies of salinity tolerance and early development - Kahlon et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Schematic representation of the experimental procedure utilized for detecting low-energy elements using the Z-Spec MXRF E-lite instrument. The flowchart outlines the key steps involved in the analysis (A) including sample preparation and (B) packing configurations used for dried plant samples. The plunger method compacts plant material directly into sample cups and is typically used for larger sample masses (5–200 mg; ∼200 mg shown here), whereas the embedded method packs smaller amounts of plant material within a matrix between films (1–50 mg; ∼1 mg shown here), enabling measurements with minimal sample material. (C) MXRF instrument, X-ray excitation, and the resulting data acquisition. The output spectrum is derived from the certified reference material NIST 1570a, highlighting the fluorescence peaks of Na, Cl, K, and Ca.

064

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🧬 TECHNICAL INNOVATION 🧬 Qin et al. applied a novel CRISPR/Cas gene-editing system, including optimization of an economical delivery method, in the seaweed Ulva prolifera, offering an AT-rich-targeting Cas variety for precision editing in seaweeds 🌊 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Comparison of UpAPT selection system between CRISPR/Cas9 and Cas12a genome editing in U. prolifera. (A) A simplified schematic diagram depicting the mechanism of the endogenous UpAPT selection system in U. prolifera. (B) Statistics of sgRNA/crRNA numbers in the whole-genome sequence (WGS) and DNA coding sequence (CDS) of U. prolifera. (C) Target sequence of sgRNA/crRNA and representative mutations induced by the three genome editors at the target locus.

084

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🚨🌱 1 week to go! 🌱🚨 There are only 7 days left to apply for the 2027 JXB Editorial Internship programme! ⚠️ Don’t leave it to last minute. You'll need: 📄 A CV 📝 A Cover letter 🔍 An Insight-style article ⏰ Deadline: 30 Sept 2026 👉 bit.ly/jxbinterns?ut... #PlantScience 🧪 SEBiology

JXB EDITORIAL
INTERNSHIPS 2027
"My JXB internship was an excel-lent opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the editorial and publishing process."
Sujit Jung Karki, University
College Dublin, JXB intern 2024 19
"I had the opportunity to publish an Insight article as the sole author, which was something I did not expect to be able to achieve at this early point in my career."
Katie Watson,
University of Hong Kong,
JXB intern 2025
"Being an editorial intern has been an enriching and formative
experience."
Luis Alonso Baez,
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, JXB intern 2025
Apply by
30th September 2026
bit.ly/jxbinterns

067

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🌿🔬 RESEARCH 🔬🌿 Using genetically encoded biosensors, we revealed the spatiotemporal dynamics of pattern-triggered immunity responses induced by different danger signals and by Pseudomonas syringae in Arabidopsis seedlings - Mor et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): Global exposure of seedlings to pathogen-derived signals induces pH and redox response gradients from roots and petioles to hypocotyls. (A) Five-day-old seedlings expressing the cytosolic pH or redox sensors, pUBQ10::pHGFP or p35S::roGFP2-Orp1, were used to monitor immune responses over 120 min in petioles, hypocotyls, and roots after treatment with 100 µM flg22 or elf18, or ddH2O (mock). (B) Representative microscopy images (of the merged channel) of seedlings treated with ddH2O (mock), elf18, or flg22 at the indicated time points reveal cytosolic acidification and oxidation [calibration bar using the Rainbow Look-Up Table (LUT) shows a shift from blue towards red]; scale bar=250 µm. (C) Quantification of relative acidification and oxidation as shown in (B).

1116

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🌲🌡️ BRIEF COMMUNICATION 🌡️🌲 High temperatures result in large transpiration rates due to suppressed stomatal control, leading to large declines in stem water potential in Pinus radiata, a strongly isohydric species - Sharma et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Series of temperature (°C) and corresponding needle-to-air vapour pressure deficit (VPDneedle) (kPa) employed as five different treatments in the study. Different colours represent the replicates used.

043

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🔬 TECHNICAL INNOVATION 🔬 Franzisky et al. present a minimally invasive method for repeat extraction of apoplastic fluids with low contamination from dicot leaves, capturing dynamic spatial and temporal patterns vital to nutrient transport and signaling 🧪 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience

Graphical abstract (shortened, full legend in paper): The leaf apoplast is involved in nutrient transport, microbe–host interactions, systemic signaling, and cell wall dynamics, serving as an interface for various other physiological processes. The composition of the apoplastic solute pool, which supports many of these functions, is dynamic and shaped by developmental and environmental cues. However, analyzing these fluids—and thus the associated physiological processes—remains technically challenging. We introduce a minimally invasive method for extracting apoplastic fluids from leaves of selected dicots (e.g. Arabidopsis thaliana, Vicia faba, and many more), offering two key advantages: (i) repeated extractions from the same leaves to generate time-series data, such as every 24 h, over consecutive days; and (ii) high spatial resolution, enabling identification of macrodomains within the leaf apoplast.

094

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🌸🌡️ DARWIN REVIEW 🌡️🌸 Laitinen & Elomaa review current knowledge on changing temperatures on genetic regulation of flower development traits and their plasticity, and their implications for plant adaptation and resilience. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 3.Examples of diversity of floral displays in inflorescences. (A) A basic monopodial raceme as in Arabidopsis thaliana grows continuously and generates flowers in a sequential manner from the main axis (photo credit: Elli Kotka, University of Helsinki). (B) In sympodial growth, the main axis terminates into a flower, but the growth continues from a secondary meristem creating a zig-zag pattern. In tomato inflorescences, the flowers, and consequently the fruits, are formed in zig-zag-like trusses. (C) The level of inflorescence branching in compound inflorescences such as thyrses in the wild woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) may vary and ultimately determine final flower number affecting berry yield (photo credit: Sergei Lembinen, University of Helsinki).

0126

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🌾📊 REVIEW 📊🌾 Uncritical advocacy for crop yield stability is common. Here, Sadras et al. advance a biologically informed statistical synthesis of yield stability, and test theoretical predictions with actual wheat and oat yield data 📈 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2.Testing the agronomic value of phenotypic plasticity. Percentile–plasticity plots highlighting two extreme genotypes: blue, with the lowest phenotypic plasticity; and pink, with the highest phenotypic plasticity; open symbols represent genotypes with intermediate phenotypic plasticity. A sample of three patterns is shown where (A) the pink genotype is superior under favourable conditions (90th percentile, black line) with no trade-off under stress (10th percentile, grey line); (B) the blue genotype is superior under stress with no trade-off under favourable conditions; (C) the pink genotype is superior under favourable conditions and inferior under stress. Experimental evidence supporting the patterns in A–C: [1] Giordano et al. (2024), [2] Giordano et al. (2026), [3] Peltonen-Sainio et al. (2011), [4] Elazab et al. (2025), [5] Sadras et al. (2016), [6] de Felipe and Alvarez Prado (2021), [7] Hayes et al. (2026), [8] Sadras et al. (2009), [9] Alvarez Prado et al. (2014).

033

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

IRNASA-CSIC @irnasa.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

📢 New paper out! 📜 "Multiscale strategies to enhance plant resilience under climate change", published in @jxbotany.bsky.social. 👩‍🔬 @monicabalsera.bsky.social, from #IRNASA-CSIC, is one of the corresponding authors. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

Plant in arid soil. Photo: Алексей Вечерин.

011

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🔬 DARWIN REVIEW 🔬 Biomolecular condensates, through integration of phase separation, proteostasis, and translational control emerge as regulators of plant development, signaling and stress adaptation to a changing environment- Maruri-López et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2.Biomolecular condensates regulate flowering time through opposing control of FLC expression. Biomolecular condensates provide a spatial and temporal framework to regulate the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a central repressor of flowering in A. thaliana. (A) At warm temperatures, the RNA-binding protein FCA forms nuclear condensates associated with 3′-end RNA processing machinery at the FLC locus, promoting COOLAIR proximal polyadenylation and facilitating FLC repression, promoting flowering transition. (B) At cold temperatures, the flowering activator FRIGIDA (FRI) assembles into nuclear condensates that sequester transcriptional activators and RNA processing factors, thereby delaying FLC expression under prolonged cold conditions. The regulator SUF4 also forms nuclear condensates that dynamically reorganize in response to thermal cues, suggesting an additional layer of condensate-mediated control of FLC expression.

0106

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

🧬🌿 VIEWPOINT 🌿🧬 Moving beyond transcriptional control, inteins enable regulation of protein activity, offering a complementary strategy for conditional and context-dependent control of proteins in plant biotechnology - Rathinam & Sreevathsa. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 2 (shortened, full legend in paper): Intein types and mechanism of protein splicing. In continuous or complete inteins, splicing occurs within a single polypeptide, whereas split inteins are expressed as separate N- and C-terminal fragments that associate in trans upon co-localization, enabling protein reconstitution. Protein splicing proceeds through a series of nucleophilic rearrangements involving conserved residues, resulting in excision of the intein and seamless ligation of the exteins. (1) A conserved nucleophilic residue, typically cysteine, threonine or serine at the N-terminus of the intein attacks the upstream peptide bond, forming a (thio)ester linkage. (2) A nucleophile at the +1 position of the C-extein (cysteine, serine, or threonine) attacks this (thio)ester, generating a branched intermediate.

073

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

🌱🧬 VIEWPOINT 🧬🌱 The recruitment of thermospermine to OVERACHIEVER-modified ribosomes represents a substantive advance in understanding how polyamines regulate vascular differentiation during plant development - Silva et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1 (shortened, full legend in paper): Converging genetic and molecular evidence positions ribosome composition and RNA processing as prerequisite gatekeepers of thermospermine responsiveness. Thermospermine (tSpm), synthesized by ACL5 in vascular precursor cells, is decoded by OVAC-methylated ribosomes carrying the m3U2952 modification at the peptidyl transferase center. Two independent lines of evidence reinforce this ribosome-centric model. First, suppressor alleles of RPL10A and RPL4A (Mutsuda et al., 2025) selectively enhance translation of thermospermine-responsive uORF-containing transcripts without broadly increasing translational output, indicating that ribosome composition modulates access to defined mRNA subsets.

063

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

🥑🌸 INSIGHT 🌸🥑 "Studying early events leading to fruitlet abscission". Alon Samach discusses findings published in JXB by Haberman et al. 📝 Insight: doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... 🔬 Research: doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 10 of Haberman et al. A model for the role of the seed coat in avocado fruitlet abscission. The immature fruit abscission signaling event is initiated in the seed coat by a decrease in auxin activity, which is transmitted to the pericarp and embryo to induce fruitlet growth arrest. As auxin activity declines, increases in ABA, ACC, and JA-Ile collectively act to promote a senescence program of development in the seed coat, which suppresses growth and triggers fruitlet abscission. During the transition to seed-coat senescence, ABA accumulation in the maternal organs induces seed dormancy.

033

Reposted by Journal of Experimental Botany

Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

📢 New JXB Issue 📢 🌻 Issue 17 of 2026 is out now 🌻 📔 On the cover: Image of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) stem cross-section that has been stained to highlight the xylem tissues (Photo credit: Jared Stewart & Brendan Allen). 🔗 Read the full issue: academic.oup.com/jxb... #PlantScience 🧪

The cover of Vol 77 | Issue 17 | 2026 of the Journal of Experimental Botany. Light pink coloured banners border the top and bottom of the page and in the centre is an image of a cross-section of a sunflower stem. Photo legend: Image of a sunflower (Helianthus annuus) stem cross-section that has been stained to highlight the xylem tissues. Image credit: Jared J. Stewart and Brendan S. Allen. See Stewart et al., pp. 5890—5900.

0136