A lichen is a unique composite organism formed through close interactions between a filamentous fungus (mycobiont) and its photosynthetic partners [algae and/ or cyanobacteria, referred together as photobiont(s)]. In an effort to better understand these mutualistic interactions, Joisten-Rosenthal et…

Plant breeders have long relied on genetic markers to predict how crops will perform, but many important traits such as yield, flowering time, and stress responses are shaped by complex interactions between genes and the environment. In this study, Creach et al. investigated whether combining multiple…

How do plants decide where to invest their resources when nutrients and energy are limited? A new study highlights trehalose-6-phosphate (Tre6P), a key sugar-status signal, as a critical coordinator. Previous work demonstrated that transgenic plants expressing modified versions of TPS1, the enzyme responsible…

The role of the chloroplast extends far beyond hosting photosynthesis; these organelles also serve as a regulatory hub for plant immunity. As a result, many plant pathogens, such as the barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) have evolved strategies to circumvent this immunity and exploit the chloroplast as…

Stromules are stroma-filled tubules that extend from plant and algal plastids. Their formation is dynamic, and their abundance increases following many different stresses and hormone treatments, yet questions remain about their function. In a recent article, Rahpeyma et al. set about to understand the…

The inflorescence meristem is the tiny structure that is  foundational to most of our food supply. A new work by Moreno-Ramírez et al. reveals insights into these little marvels through the use of single-nucleus transcriptomics. Their analysis identified 18 cell-type clusters that they assigned to…

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi trade soil phosphate for plant carbon at arbuscules, the short-lived, branched hyphal structures they build inside root cortical cells, but how phosphate uptake is coordinated across this constantly changing interface has been hard to observe. McGaley et al. used non-invasive,…

Over millions of years, plants and pathogens have been engaged in an evolutionary war. As plants adopt new defense systems to protect themselves, pathogens evolve strategies to fight back. A well-characterized pathogen strategy is to secrete effectors that target plant defenses. Although protein effectors…