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Biological systems are continuously subjected to a high level of environmental factor/stressor complexity, and this complexity has been gradually increasing in recent years due to climate change and rising pollution levels. The simultaneous or sequential occurrence of different stressors impacting a biological system creates unique interactions between various pathways and processes. These interactions could lead to opposing outcomes, presenting a significant challenge for the health of cells, organisms, and even ecosystems. Recent studies have identified different regulators, physiological processes, and signal transduction events that control the response of plants to conditions involving stressor combinations. In this opinion article, we describe these studies, discuss the different facets of stressor combinations, and highlight the importance of studying this process in biology, ecology, and medicine.

Cytokinin signaling, long regarded primarily as a developmental regulator, has emerged as a central integrator of plant terrestrial adaptation. Comparative genomic and structural phylogenetics indicate a stepwise assembly of the phosphorelay, where receptor domains diversified alongside lineage-specific shifts in cytokinin usage, from cis-zeatin-enriched systems in early-diverging lineages toward trans-zeatin-dominant signaling in vascular plants, while downstream executors remained evolutionarily constrained. Cross-lineage transcriptomic comparisons under heat stress suggest a rewiring of physiological outputs. Although growth repression is deeply conserved, broader metabolic responses differ across clades: trehalose-associated osmoprotection in early land plants, whereas angiosperms transitioned to redox- and transport-based strategies. Overall, cytokinin signaling forms a modular framework that enabled early environmental buffering and was subsequently refined to support the complex architectures of vascular plants.

Trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P), a trehalose synthesis intermediate and sugar phosphate, serves as a signaling molecule coordinating sucrose status with plant growth and development. Beyond its metabolic role, the T6P pathway integrates exogenous and other endogenous cues to regulate key developmental transitions, including embryogenesis, seed maturation and filling, shoot branching, vegetative and reproductive phase transitions, and tuber and lateral root formation. Dynamic spatiotemporal expression patterns of T6P-pathway genes correlate with developmental stages, though their specific contributions to the initiation and progression of these transitions remain under investigation. Here, we provide recent insights and future perspectives on the T6P pathway, emphasizing its role in orchestrating diverse plant developmental programs across model and crop species and highlighting emerging mechanistic insights into its functions.

The nitrogen (N) cycle is traditionally framed as a microbe-dominated process, with plants treated largely as passive sinks. We challenge this dichotomy by proposing a codriven framework where N cycling emerges from tight plant–microbe coregulation. While microorganisms execute biochemical machinery for transformations, plants actively steer the rate, location, and pathways of these processes through strategic carbon allocation, chemical signaling, and root trait deployment. We argue that plants dynamically balance ‘Outsourcing’ strategies that stimulate microbial N mobilization with ‘Do-It-Yourself’ foraging to synchronize N supply with plant demand. Reframing the N cycle as a coregulated system shifts theory from reaction-based to control-based, providing a mechanistic foundation to integrate plant traits into next-generation biogeochemical models, improving N use efficiency and reducing environmental risks.

Artificial small RNAs (art-sRNAs) mediate highly specific RNAi in plants, but their broader use has been constrained by long precursor architectures and dependence on transgenic delivery. Recent work shows that accurate and efficient art-sRNA biogenesis can be achieved using precursors of minimal size rather than full-length endogenous scaffolds, without compromising silencing efficacy. We discuss how minimal art-sRNA precursors represent a versatile platform for precision RNAi and, critically, unlock RNA viruses as stable, programmable platforms for the production of highly specific art-sRNAs. In other words, minimal art-sRNA precursors transform RNA viruses from generators of heterogeneous small RNA populations into nontransgenic, programmable vectors that deliver defined art-sRNAs for precision gene silencing and antiviral protection.

Many plant species exhibit chemical polymorphisms in the composition of specialized metabolites belonging to certain chemical families. This has led to the classification of chemotypes, that is, groups of plants that can be distinguished by their chemical profiles of metabolites within a single chemical family. We present existing definitions and approaches for classifying chemotypes and describe the factors that determine them. We argue that it should always be stated explicitly on which organ the chemotype specification is based on, because chemical profiles can differ among organs. Moreover, the chemical family must be stated explicitly, as plants may be grouped differently when other metabolites are taken into account. We argue that gaining more knowledge about chemotypes is highly relevant to both basic and applied science.

Plants employ mobile RNAs as systemic signals to coordinate growth, development, and environmental responses across tissues. Recent techniques have identified diverse RNAs that move cell-to-cell and long-distance, potentially via plasmodesmata, extracellular vesicles, and the phloem. Members of these RNAs have been shown to regulate numerous key processes such as leaf polarity, tuberization, and flowering time. Furthermore, we discuss the mechanisms governing RNA mobility, including sequence motifs, RNA-binding proteins, and epitranscriptomic modifications, and highlight their applications, such as mobile clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated protein 9 for transgene-free breeding and RNA-based nanocarriers for sustainable pest management. Taken together, we summarize recent insights into the mechanisms and functions of mobile RNAs and progress in agricultural applications of them, offering innovative strategies for sustainable crop improvement and protection in the future.

Plant awareness disparity is the human tendency to overlook plants, with negative consequences for education, biodiversity conservation, and sustainability. Philosophy, as a way of life, can promote plant awareness by re-examining how humans perceive and value plant life. I propose four complementary modes of perception, based on hierarchy, similarity, relation, and otherness, each revealing how cultural assumptions shape human attention and ethical attitudes toward plants. Drawing on phenomenology, Indigenous worldviews, Eastern thought, ecofeminism, everyday aesthetics, and vegetal ontology traditions, I integrate philosophical thought with the emerging construct of plant awareness. Practicing seeing plants differently through philosophy can retrain human perception toward them and nurture humility, gratitude, and responsibility. Such reflection on the plant–human bond reinforces the dialogue between science, education, and the humanities, and strengthens the ethical foundations of sustainability.

As sessile organisms, plants must constantly survey their surroundings and make appropriate responses in their metabolism or development. Numerous receptors and kinases, as well as phytocytokines that play key roles in signal transduction for a multitude of cues, have been revealed in the past 2 decades. However, the mechanisms coordinating these responses remain poorly understood. Recently, the conserved plant metacaspase family emerged as a versatile switch that plays multiple roles, from early signal perception to downstream propagation, by proteolysis of propeptides or other signaling proteins to mediate their conversion to activated forms. In addition, evidence for proteolysis-independent functions of plant metacaspases has also emerged. In this feature review, we summarize advances in plant metacaspase functions and consider approaches to unravel their complex impacts.

Water lilies provide a unique blueprint for early angiosperm evolution and aquatic adaptation. Genomic insights into aquatic resilience and ancestral flower models have facilitated modern crop engineering. By leveraging these ancient genetic networks, researchers can develop blue aromatic flowers, implement stolon-mediated expansion in cereal crops, and enhance the flood tolerance of terrestrial crops, thereby building a resilient agricultural future.