A bipartite transcription factor module controlling expression in the bundle sheath of Arabidopsis thaliana.

C4 photosynthesis evolved repeatedly from the ancestral C3 state, improving photosynthetic efficiency by ~50%. In most C4 lineages, photosynthesis is compartmented between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells, but how gene expression is restricted to these cell types is poorly understood. Using the C3 model Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified cis-elements and transcription factors driving expression in bundle sheath strands. Upstream of the bundle sheath preferentially expressed MYB76 gene, we identified a region necessary and sufficient for expression containing two cis-elements associated with the MYC and MYB families of transcription factors. MYB76 expression is reduced in mutant alleles for these transcription factors. Moreover, downregulated genes shared by both mutants are preferentially expressed in the bundle sheath. Our findings are broadly relevant for understanding the spatial patterning of gene expression, provide specific insights into mechanisms associated with the evolution of C4 photosynthesis and identify a short tuneable sequence for manipulating gene expression in the bundle sheath.ERC BBSR

Optimizing Educative Actions through Collaboration between Polish and German Youth Detention Centers

The paper reflects on the results of a comparative analysis conducted in two collaborating youth detention centres: Jugendhilfezentrum Leinerstift in Grossefehn, Germany and the Racibórz Youth Detention Centre in Poland. To obtain research data, the authors visited the two detention centres. The collected data include: the beginning and the development of the 15-year cooperation between the two centres; the similarities and differences in the applied pedagogical methods; favourable changes in rehabilitative treatment during cooperation between the analysed centres; periodic exchanges of the Polish and German youth under rehabilitation; the participation of Polish and German teachers and scholars in conferences and trainings. The multiaspectual comparative analysis of the functioning of the Polish and German rehabilitation centres broadens our practical and theoretical knowledge of comparative pedagogy. The mutual contacts of the teachers and the youth facilitate the process of eliminating prejudices and promoting genuine friendship and tolerance

Use of unmanned aerial vehicles for water sampling in hard-to-reach water reservoirs

Collecting water samples for laboratory analysis from hard-to-reach surface areas such as post-industrial reservoirs (for example, tailings depositories) or overgrown lakes and ponds poses several difficulties, and it is potentially dangerous for the persons carrying out such activity. This can be improved by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) while ensuring an adequate level of safety and full compliance with the requirements of PN-ISO standards. This article presents the possibility of using the BSP in the option of autonomous (automatic) operation, allowing for the collection of water samples intended for physico-chemical tests, from hard-to-reach surface reservoirs, following the provisions of the relevant PN-ISO standards

Cytonuclear interplay in auto- and allopolyploids: a multifaceted perspective from the Festuca-Lolium complex

Restoring cytonuclear stoichiometry is necessary after whole-genome duplication (WGD) and interspecific/intergeneric hybridization in plants. We investigated this phenomenon in auto- and allopolyploids of the Festuca-Lolium complex providing insights into the mechanisms governing cytonuclear interactions in early polyploid and hybrid generations. Our study examined the main processes potentially involved in restoring the cytonuclear balance after WGD comparing diploids and new and well-established autopolyploids. We uncovered that both the number of chloroplasts and the number of chloroplast genome copies were significantly higher in the newly established autopolyploids and grew further in more established autopolyploids. The increase in the copy number of the chloroplast genome exceeded the rise in the number of chloroplasts and fully compensated for the doubling of the nuclear genome. In addition, changes in nuclear and organelle gene expression were insignificant. Allopolyploid Festuca × Lolium hybrids displayed potential structural conflicts in parental protein variants within the cytonuclear complexes. While biased maternal allele expression has been observed in numerous hybrids, our results suggest that its role in cytonuclear stabilization in the Festuca × Lolium hybrids is limited. This study provides insights into the restoration of the cytonuclear stoichiometry, yet it emphasizes the need for future research to explore post-transcriptional regulation and its impact on cytonuclear gene expression stoichiometry. Our findings may enhance the understanding of polyploid plant evolution, with broader implications for the study of cytonuclear interactions in diverse biological contexts.This article is published as Shahbazi, Mehrdad, Joanna Majka, Denisa Kubíková, Zbigniew Zwierzykowski, Marek Glombik, Jonathan F. Wendel, Joel Sharbrough et al. "Cytonuclear interplay in auto‐and allopolyploids: a multifaceted perspective from the Festuca‐Lolium complex." The Plant Journal (2024). doi:10.1111/tpj.16659. © 2024 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made