New Phytologist

Summary Signalling pathways have originated and diversified extensively during evolution. Using AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) as a model, we examine how a plant signalling system evolved through the co‐option of pre‐existing transcriptional regulators, a principle well established in evolutionary biology in organisms, such as animals. ARFs are an ancient family of DNA‐binding proteins that predat…

Summary Why do tree species' distributions occasionally collapse? Paleoecologists have puzzled over the problem since recognizing that eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.), a North American conifer tree, declined abruptly range‐wide amid the ostensibly stable climates of the Holocene. The decline c. 5000 yr before 1950 CE (YBP) highlights risks that either ecological tipping points or u…

Summary Boreal forest ecosystems constitute a large terrestrial reservoir of carbon. In these nitrogen‐limited environments, release of nutrients through decomposition of soil organic matter is of fundamental importance. Fungi, particularly saprotrophic Agaricomycetes, are thought to drive this process using lignocellulolytic enzymes to degrade plant litter. However, some ectomycorrhizal fungal l…

Summary Accurate species identification is essential for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, yet standard plant DNA barcoding often fails to achieve species‐level resolution. We present a large‐scale empirical evaluation of genome skimming as a tool to improve plant species discrimination. Using standardised data from 1969 individuals representing 475 species from 32 genera across majo…

Summary Reciprocal iron–sulfur regulation in durum wheat converges on a few metabolic hubs that integrate nutrient status with plant growth and performance. Iron and sulfur availabilities were factorially modulated in hydroponically grown wheat to establish how each nutrient and their interaction shape growth, ionome, amino acid and organic acid metabolism, and the expression of key S‐ and Fe‐hom…

Summary The Farquhar–von Caemmerer–Berry model is used as the standard to investigate leaf photosynthetic CO 2 ‐ and light‐responses in plant physiology. The model was developed for C 3 photosynthesis with the native photorespiratory cycle. However, it is also frequently used to parameterize photosynthesis of plants with synthetic photorespiratory bypasses. Here, we point out that this latter pra…

Auxin is an important regulator of reproductive development. The families of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) genes, important components of the auxin signal, have expanded in flowering plants. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has two copies of ARF8, which are negatively regulated by miR167. Here, we investigated the involvement of this expanded SlmiR167-SlARF8 module in flower development. Mutants w…

Climate change and habitat loss are driving rapid evolutionary responses in populations world-wide, which creates an urgent need for evolutionary forecasting in conservation and agriculture. Such forecasting can be categorized into three time scales: trait-based models that use multivariate quantitative genetic equations to project correlated phenotypic responses up to c. 20 generations, allele-b…

Cell elongation is a fundamental process in plant growth and development, and it is significantly affected by temperature changes. While the signaling mechanisms driving high-temperature-induced cell elongation have been extensively studied, the strategies plants employ to counteract excessive temperature-induced elongation remain poorly understood. Using Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyls as a mode…

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules essential for growth and development in eukaryotes. In plants, the master gene DICER-LIKE 1 (DCL1) catalyzes the biogenesis of miRNAs by processing double-stranded precursors that give rise to mature miRNAs. We sought to understand the function and evolution of microRNAs using Marchantia polymorpha, a model bryophyte that allows comparative ap…

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) threaten global food security. Although epigenetic modifications are crucial for plant immunity, how histone modifiers contribute to root-knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne incognita) resistance remains unclear. Here, using genetic, molecular and biochemical approaches, we investigated the epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms underlying RKN resistance mediated…

Summary Sphagnum mosses regulate peatland carbon storage, hydrology, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem functioning. However, the links among their surface chemistry, photosynthesis, responses to submersion and pH remain poorly understood. We quantified surface‐chemical properties and biosorption potential in 20 field‐collected species and four axenically cultivated conspecific clones. We measured g…

The slaco1/3/6/7 quadruple fruit display normal ripening while the slaco1/3/4/6/7 quintuple fruit is severely defective in ripening.

Summary Gibberellin (GA) promotes seed germination, but sustained or excessive GA signaling after germination can lead to aberrant root and shoot elongation. How GA homeostasis is transcriptionally restrained during post‐germinative seedling development remains unclear. Using overexpression and gene‐edited maize materials, we demonstrate that ZmMYB59 inhibits root and shoot elongation during post…

Summary Intraspecific plant diversity is a major component of community diversity, yet its role in shaping plant–microbial interactions and soil functioning remains poorly understood. In particular, plant genotypic diversity may modulate ecosystem responses to defoliation, a key driver of ecosystem processes in grazed systems. We subjected genotypic monocultures and mixtures of the grass Anthoxan…

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 …

Trade-offs between soil persistence and the provision of certain soil services and activity/functions.