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Several antimitotic agents were tested in three embryogenic doubled haploid (DH) lines of swede (Brassica napus ssp. napobrassica). No effect on embryogenesis was observed at the given concentrations of colchicine (5 μmol/L or 50 mg/L) and treatment time of 24 hours. Flow cytometric analysis of microspore embryos revealed a significant increase in the percentage of DH compared to the control for all substances: ethalfluralin, 62.2%; trifluralin, 58.3%; colchicine, 56.1%; amiprophos-methyl, 54.4%; pronamide, 35.0%; control, 13.3%. The occurrence of pure tetraploids was low (0–5%), mixoploids – especially n+2n – were high in all treatments, including the control (29.4–71.1%). Their presence can be explained as a consequence of spontaneous diploidisation and/or endoreduplication during embryogenesis or embryo germination.

Sweet sorghum is a cereal crop that can potentially serve as a source for bioethanol production. This study aims to analyse the genetic diversity of promising genotypes of sweet sorghum at the molecular level. The genetic material consisted of 12 sweet sorghum genotypes. The genetic diversity estimated using 59 SSRs markers showed a polymorphism value of 0.48 and the coefficient of genetic diversity was classified as moderate. The unweighted pair group method arithmetic average (UPGMA) analysis assigned the tested genotypes into three major clusters with a similarity coefficient level of 0.596. This indicates that the genetic similarity of the tested genotypes is moderate to high. Eight unique loci were identified with the SSRs markers in six genotypes, which are considered to control high sugar traits.

Low temperatures are one of the major abiotic stresses that affect alfalfa’s development and yield. Enhancing frost resistance through resistance-related genes is one of the most effective ways to address this issue in alfalfa. Therefore, exploring cold-resistant gene resources and the cultivation of cold-resistant alfalfa cultivars is inevitable in order to achieve high yield and quality. In this study, we conducted transcriptome profiling of roots obtained from two alfalfa genotypes, i.e., Qingda No.1 for freeze tolerance and Gannong No.9 for freeze sensitivity. We observed that Qingda No.1 had more lateral roots and a more developed root system after overwintering, while Gannong No.9 had fewer lateral roots and an underdeveloped root system. After overwintering, Qingda No.1 exhibited higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity compared to Gannong No.9, while Gannong No.9 showed higher perosuperoxide dismutasexidase (POD) activity than Qingda No.1. We identified 25,935 differentially expressed genes, with 12 979 and 12 956 differential genes found in the freeze-tolerant variety Qingda No.1 group and the freeze-sensitive Gannong No.9 group, respectively. The enrichment of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways also differed between the two groups. We also discovered several gene family members, and the most frequent transcription factors were bHLH, B3, NAC, WRKY, and MYB_related. These findings provide comprehensive information to further understand the molecular mechanisms of adaptation to freezing stress in alfalfa and offer potential functional candidate genes for adaptation to abiotic stress.

The Karakılçık landrace is known for its quality traits, especially protein content. However, its high plant height causes lodging and yield loss, which limits the production area. A Levante × Karakılçık population developed by crossing the local Karakılçık wheat with the commercial variety Levante in order to eliminate the disadvantages of Karakılçık and adapt it to wider production areas. In the study, yield, quality, and some physiological traits were investigated in the population. The experiment was conducted in an augmented experimental design in the cropping seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. A total of 36 genotypes from Levante × Karakılçık population, parents and 2 controls were tested. The tested genotypes varied significantly for all investigated traits (P < 0.01). Principal component biplot analysis explained 69.3% of the variations and relationships between the traits and genotypes. Among the investigated traits, genotypes LK26, LK19 and LK3 outperformed their parents in 5 traits (spike length (SL), number of spikelets per spike (SNS), number of grain numbers per spike (GNS), protein content (PC) and wet gluten content (G)), 4 traits (SNS, grain weight per spike (GWS), GNS and PC) and 3 traits (grain yield (GY), GNS and test weight (TW)), respectively. The genotype LK3 for yield and the genotypes LK19 and LK26 for quality traits could be recommended to growers and breeders.

Temperature is a key parameter that influences the uptake and subsequent utilization of nitrogen by plants. Both suboptimal and supraoptimal temperatures can impair nutrient uptake. The close relatives of bread wheat provide a possible source for breeders to increase stress tolerance. The effect of the increasing temperature (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 °C) on nitrate uptake and metabolism in five modern spring cultivars of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two cultivars of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon Schrank), was monitored. Wheat plants were grown under controlled conditions in hydroponics. The parameters of Michaelis-Menten kinetics, maximum uptake rate (V_max), the Michaelis constant (K_m) and selected characteristics of nitrate metabolism, the activity of nitrate reductase (NR) and contents of nitrate in leaves were observed. The effect of temperature was significant for all studied traits except K_m, while the cultivar factor was significant for V_max, K_m, NR and root/shoot ratio (R/S). Emmer wheat cultivar Rudico had significantly higher V_max at 5, 15, 20 and 30 °C than all bread wheat cultivars, on average 7.07, in comparison with 4.09–4.43 μmol NO₃^–/g FW/h in bread wheat cultivars. Emmer wheat Rudico and Tapiruz had significantly higher K_m (on average, 41.59 and 47.22 μM NO₃^–) than bread wheat cultivars (27.59–33.44 μM NO₃^–). Differences in the studied kinetic parameters of nitrate uptake offer the possibility of using T. dicoccon genotypes in breeding for better nitrogen use efficiency.

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) play multiple roles in plants. As a kind of PRRs, chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1 (CERK1) proteins were reported to function in plant resistance to fungal and bacterial pathogens, and tolerance to salt stress. In this study, a predicted cowpea CERK1 homologous gene, designated as VuCERK1, was identified by database search. VuCERK1 protein contains 618 amino acid residues, with a predicted molecular mass of 67.5 kDa and a predicted isoelectric point of 5.04. VuCERK1 shows 58% and 60% sequence identity with AtCERK1 and OsCERK1, respectively. VuCERK1 also shows similar subcellular pattern with AtCERK1 and OsCERK1, suggesting VuCERK1 may function in cowpea immune responses. Gene expression assay indicated, that VuCERK1 was expressed in four different seedling tissues tested, comprising first leave, epicotyl, hypocotyl and root, and it could be induced by salt stress. Furthermore, transient expression of VuCERK1 in Nicotiana benthamiana induced obvious cell death. In addition, heterologous overexpression of VuCERK1 in Arabidopsis thaliana conferred enhanced disease resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000 hrcC^- (Pto DC3000 hrcC^-).

Biofortification provides a sustainable, pragmatic strategy to address the lack of vitamin A and the associated health complications. The objectives of the study encompassed the quantification of the carotenoid content of 147 maize inbred lines, the identification of variable regions within the ZEP1 gene, the correlation of these observed variances in the presence of this gene with carotenoid content, and the identification of lines harbouring the favourable alleles of the crtRB1 gene. The observed correlations among the carotenoids synthesised by distinct branches of the biosynthetic process were both significant and positive. Utilising gel-based genotyping, 24 lines with contrasting carotenoid profiles were selected, evaluated and sequenced. Analysis of the variation in the sequence classified these lines based on their similarities to give 8 allele groups. The findings highlight that inbred lines both group 1 and group 8 exhibited significant associations with the carotenoid content of the lines. Specifically, ZEP1_7852, a discernible variation belonging to group 8, was found to be significantly associated with zeaxanthin content and total carotenoid content. Furthermore, 25 lines were found to have provitamin A content above 15 μg/g, harbouring the favourable alleles of the crtRB1 gene using KASP SNP zm0016. These lines can serve as parents for source populations and hybrids, leading to the further enhancement of provitamin A in maize.

This study investigated the genetic basis of days to heading (DTH) in tropical japonica rice using F₂ populations derived from late-maturing Rojolele and early-maturing Rojolele Srinuk varieties. Phenotypic analysis of DTH showed continuous distribution and positive skewness. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) derived single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) from early and late-heading bulks were used to identify three candidate regions with strong association to DTH: qDTH3.1 and qDTH3.2 on chromosome 3, and qDTH7.1 on chromosome 7, with the latter linked to the Oryza sativa Pseudo-Response Regulator 37 (OsPRR37) gene. InDel markers validated qDTH7.1’s significant linkage to DTH, particularly marker ID14, which is effective for marker-assisted selection of early DTH in Rojolele background.

Sorghum as a C₄ crop has been shown to be both drought tolerant and photosynthetically productive. In this study, we demonstrated that sorghum SbSnRK1βγ2 (SbSNF4-2), the γ subunit of the sucrose non-fermenting 1 (SNF1)/SNF1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) heterotrimeric complex, increased the plant height and biomass in Setaria viridis, a C4 relative of sorghum, but not in rice, a C3 relative, when overexpressed driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter. However, the overexpression did not increase the tiller number in S. viridis, although it caused modest increases in the tiller number in both sorghum and rice. In addition, SbSnRK1βγ2 did not affect the panicle weight in sorghum, but its overexpression doubled the panicle weight in S. viridis in all four evaluated transgenic lines. Overall, the overexpression of SbSnRK1βγ2 tripled the biomass production in S. viridis, indicating SbSnRK1βγ2’s potential in any future cellulosic biofuel production and S. viridis’ utility as an alternative genetic vehicle to functionally characterise sorghum genes.

The testing and evaluation of native populations of perennial ryegrasses (Lolium perenne L.) collected from the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina were conducted from 2020 to 2022 at experimental fields and laboratories of the Institute for Genetic Resources and the Agricultural Institute of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka. Six native populations (labelled G1–G6) and two cultivars, Esquire and Tivoli (labelled G7 and G8), were analysed in this study. The following traits were examined: the plant height (cm), number of generative stems per plant, inflorescence length (cm), number of spikes per inflorescence, seed mass per inflorescence (g), and seed yield per plant (g). The results showed that all the native populations exhibited higher average plant heights compared to the Esquire standard (G7). Population G2 had the highest average number of spikes per inflorescence (26.8), while population G4 achieved the greatest average inflorescence length (27.7 cm). Statistically significant differences in the inflorescence length were observed between populations G2, G3, G4, and G6, compared to the standards G7 and G8 (Esquire and Tivoli). The genotype and year had a significant impact on the seed yield per plant. The average yield ranged from 32.4 g (G7) to 53.4 g (G4). The seed yield per plant showed a strong positive correlation with the number of generative stems per plant, the inflorescence length, and the number of spikes per inflorescence. The native populations G4 and G5 achieved significantly higher seed yields per plant compared to the other populations and may serve as highly valuable material for breeding programmes.

Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (sweet orange) is the most important cultivated citrus fruit in the world. However, Hanglongbing (HLB) disease, caused by Candidatus Liberibactor asiaticus (CLAs), poses a major threat to sweet orange production, by hindering colour, quality and export. Carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCOs), which include carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) and 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases (NCEDs), are essential for plant growth, development, and adaptation to phytohormonal, biotic, and abiotic stresses. This study identified 14 CsCCO genes in C. sinensis. Structural and conservation studies were conducted using gene structure and conserved domain analysis. Genomic localisation, gene duplication, and similarity among these genes were also examined. Gene ontology analysis predicted that CsCCOs could be involved in the carotene catabolic process. Analysis of cis-regulatory elements revealed that most CsCCO genes are involved in responses to stress, light signalling, and plant growth regulation. Genes in the 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) subgroup are predominantly localised in chloroplasts, whereas genes in other subgroups are primarily found in the cytoplasm. All 13 of the CsCCOs genes identified were regulated by 25 microRNAs, indicating the crucial role of microRNAs in gene regulation in Citrus sinensis. The expression patterns of CsCCO genes in response to biotic and abiotic stress were studied. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that CsNCED3 and CsNCED10 were up-regulated in response to HLB. This provides insight into the function of CCO genes in C. sinensis and identifies potential candidate genes for combating citrus greening.

Tomato is a major global crop, extensively cultivated in China. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its responses to high-temperature stress remain poorly understood. This study investigates these mechanisms by examining a heat-resistant tomato variety, Hm 2-2 (R), and a heat-sensitive variety, BY 1-2 (S), under high temperature (40 °C). Total RNA was extracted from samples taken at 0 and 24 h post-treatment, followed by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened based on the criteria of |log₂ fold change| ≥ 2 and false discovery rate ≤ 0.05. Gene ontology (GO) function annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway enrichment analysis were performed to explore the biological significance of these DEGs. The results revealed 6 038 upregulated and 2 866 downregulated DEGs in the R-0 (Hm 2-2 plants treated at 40 °C for 0 h) vs. R-24 (Hm 2-2 plants treated at 40 °C for 24 h) group and 5 297 upregulated and 3 920 downregulated DEGs in the S-0 (BY 1-2 plants treated at 40 °C for 0 h) vs. S-24 (BY 1-2 plants treated at 40 °C for 24 h) group, respectively. GO enrichment analysis indicated that the majority of DEGs were associated with biological processes, followed by cellular components and molecular functions. KEGG pathway analysis identified 130, 131, 89, and 115 regulatory (or altered) pathways in the R-0 vs. R-24, S-0 vs. S-24, S-0 vs. R-0, and S-24 vs. R-24 group comparisons, respectively. Notably, pathways related to protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and plant hormone signal transduction were significantly enriched, suggesting their critical roles in the tomato’s response to heat stress. Moreover, 156 transcription factors (TFs) implicated in heat stress response were identified, spanning various TF families such as MYB, AP2-EREBP, b-ZIP, bHLH, NAC, and WRKY. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of 14 randomly selected DEGs validated the RNA-seq results confirming the reliability of the data. In summary, this study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of tomato’s responses to high-temperature stress, laying a crucial foundation for future research in this area.

The present study investigates the differential protein expression levels between the frost-tolerant variety Qingda No.1 and the frost-sensitive variety Gannong No.9. The analysis was conducted using 4D-Label-free quantitative proteomics technology, with the samples collected prior to and after overwintering. The results showed that the protein expression of Qingda No.1 changed more significantly during the overwintering process, with 451 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) being identified, of which 224 were up-regulated and 227 down-regulated. In contrast, the protein expression of Gannong No.9 differed from that of alfalfa roots of the frost-sensitive variety, with 204 DEPs being identified, of which 93 were up-regulated and 111 down-regulated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis showed that the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway was significantly enriched in both groups. Furthermore, enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H), and chalcone isomerase (CHI) were significantly up-regulated in the freezing-tolerant varieties. Protein interaction network analysis revealed the synergistic regulation mode of DEPs. The present study elucidated the metabolic adaptive mechanism of overwintering in alfalfa roots at the protein level, thus providing a theoretical basis for the selection and breeding of frost-tolerant varieties.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a major global oilseed crop and exhibits significant heterosis. The discovery and characterisation of novel male-sterile accessions remain fundamental for harnessing heterosis in rapeseed breeding. Previously, we developed a male sterile two-type line system 19F08AB in B. napus. In this study, anther abortion in 19F08A was characterised using the squash method. The inheritance of male sterility in 19F08A and its genetic relationship to reported male sterile accessions in rapeseed was investigated using classical genetic analysis and male-sterility-gene-specific molecular markers. Results indicated that male sterile flowers of 19F08A exhibit flat petals, reduced floral organs, short filaments, and completely degenerated stamens devoid of pollen. Pollen mother cells in 19F08A degenerated at the pre-meiotic stage and aborted completely at the tetrad stage, with no dyad or tetrad formation observed. This suggested that 19F08A represents a meiosis abnormality-type male sterility. Classical genetic and molecular marker analysis revealed that male-sterile plants 19F08A carry the genotype of pol (RfpRfpMsms), whereas fertile plants 19F08B possess pol (RfpRfpmsms). The effect of the pol cytoplasm was masked by the Rfp gene. Therefore, fertility in 19F08AB is controlled by a pair of nuclear genes (Ms/ms), with male sterility exhibiting dominance over fertility. The application prospects of this male-sterile accession are also discussed. These findings expand the pool of male-sterile resources available for B. napus hybrid breeding and contribute to plant male sterility theory.

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is a resilient yet underutilised C₄ cereal valued for its adaptability to abiotic stress and high nutritional content. While panicle traits have been linked to yield in many cereals, the spatial arrangement of foxtail millet panicles remained unexplored, especially among locally adapted genotypes. This study aimed to characterise spatial panicle architecture traits and to analyse the DUF-640, a gene controlling primary branch number, among Indonesian foxtail millet genotypes. Results revealed substantial variation in panicle architecture, including primary branch number, grain number, and grain density in eight Indonesian foxtail millet genotypes, suggesting potentially greater diversity across broader germplasm. In contrast to the substantial panicle trait variations, phylogenetic and structural analyses showed that DUF-640 genes were highly conserved across Setaria species. Although previously associated with primary branch development, the coding sequence of DUF-640 was not associated with branching variation in this study. However, its high sequence conservation across Setaria species suggests a vital and possibly conserved regulatory function. This study enhances the understanding of the morphological and genetic diversity of foxtail millet, particularly among Indonesian foxtail millet genotypes. Future research should focus on the functional characterisation of DUF-640 and the identification of regulatory sequences governing its gene expression.

The wheat leaf rust resistance gene Lr1 encodes a typical coiled-coil nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (CC-NBS-LRR) of resistance protein containing 1 344 amino acids. WR003, a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker is derived from the LRR regions of Lr1. In this study, a worldwide collection of 120 Aegilops tauschii accessions and 282 hexaploid wheat varieties was screened for Lr1 alleles using WR003, and the specificity of WR003 for Lr1 was confirmed by pathogenicity tests and genotype analysis. The sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis of 38 Lr1 haplotypes provided a further view of the molecular evolution of Lr1. The results showed that there were very few polymorphisms between the Lr1 alleles from Ae. tauschii and hexaploid wheat with the same resistance phenotype. The polymorphisms of the Lr1 haplotypes were mainly between the different resistance lines, rather than between the different ploidy levels. These results indicate that Lr1 originated from Ae. tauschii and differentiated into resistant and susceptible genotypes before its introgression into hexaploid wheat. Therefore, it is likely that wheat Lr1 has at least two major variants for disease resistance and susceptibility, and except for certain point mutations, few gene conversions and genetic re-combinations occurred during the hexaploid wheat domestication.

Blast disease caused by Pyricularia oryzae is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of rice in Malaysia. Utilisation of resistant varieties is the most efficient management approach towards reducing yield losses. The line IRTP21683 with the Pi9 gene has shown strong resistance against the isolate MPO988.3 of pathotype P_0.0, the most prevalent P. oryzae pathotype in Malaysia. Crossing of IRTP21683 was undertaken with the recurrent parent MR220, a susceptible elite Malaysian rice variety, using a marker assisted backcrossing technique with two simple sequence repeat markers, RM19776 and RM7311, as the tag for the Pi9 gene. Twenty BC₃F₄ lines with the Pi9 gene were resistant when challenged with MPO 988.3. The cluster analysis based on seven agronomic parameters showed that the resistant BC₃F₄ lines could be divided into four groups, of which the members in group 1 and 2 have shown comparable or better performance than MR220. Five lines in group 1, B220PI9-3-48, B220PI9-3-76, B220PI9-3-77, B220PI9-3-79 and B220PI9-3-82 showed outstanding yield performance with early maturation.

The basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) superfamily is the most widespread family of transcription factors in eukaryotic organisms, which can activate the expression of genes by interacting with specific promoters in the genes. The bHLH transcription factors direct the development and metabolic process of plants, including flowering initiation and secondary metabolite production, by attaching to specific sites on their promoters. These transcription factors are essential for encouraging plant tolerance or the adjustment to harsh environmental conditions. The involvement of bHLH genes in anthocyanin formation in fleshy fruit-bearing plants, as well as the role of these genes in response to stimuli including drought, salt, and cold stress, are discussed in this article. New concepts and goals for the production of stress-tolerant fruit species are suggested. Furthermore, solid evidence for the critical role of bHLH genes in the growth and development, as well as anthocyanin biosynthesis in fleshy fruit plants, are also presented in this article. This review identifies several future research directions that can shed light on the roles of bHLH genes in fruit-bearing plants and will assist the use of these genes in efforts to breed fruit crop varieties that are more resistant to stress. Generally, there has been little research carried out on the role of bHLHs transcription factor family genes in fleshy fruit-bearing plant species and more in-depth studies are required to fully understand the diverse role of bHLH genes in these species.

Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of response to environmental stress is fundamental for the development of genetically stress-tolerant crops. This study aims to find vegetable soybean accessions tolerant to cultivation in stressful tropical environments. Fourteen accessions of the vegetable soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) were grown in mineral and beach ridges interspersed with swale (BRIS) soils. The genetic diversity, estimated using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers, revealed 42.50% polymorphism and was regarded as moderate. The unweighted pair-group method arithmetic average (UPGMA) analysis allocated the tested accessions into five major clusters at a similarity coefficient level of 0.43. The lowest values of the genetic distance were between IIUMSOY11 and IIUMSOY13 & IIUMSOY13 and IIUMSOY14, indicating that these accessions were more genetically distant from the other accessions. Ten differentially expressed proteins were identified in the three selected accessions IIUMSOY1, IIUMSOY11 and IIUMSOY14 using mass spectrometry, revealing a unique expression of the proteins involved in the storage, flavonoid metabolism, protein modification, oxidative stress defence, carbohydrate metabolism and respiratory chain. The findings may be valuable for the selection of genetically diverse accessions, to enhance the breeding of vegetable soybean genotypes suitable for stressful tropical environments.

The external fruit colour is an important parameter of the fig fruit quality. Fig anthocyanin content is critical for the peel colour. The peel of mature fruits of the fig cultivar Orphan and its red peel bud mutant Hongyan were separated for a transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. A total of 162 different abundance proteins (DAPs) and 5 015 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The correlation analysis revealed that only two and 15 genes were downregulated and upregulated, respectively, at both the transcriptome and proteome levels. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that the enrichment pathways including Tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism and isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis for DEGs, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and flavonoid biosynthesis may contribute to the mutant color phenotype. Our results provide transcriptomic and proteomic information for two fig cultivars and may help to clarify the potential mechanisms of fig colouration.

One of the main issues addressed by phytology in recent years has been plant tolerance mechanisms for abiotic stress. No combined analysis has been made to identify the genes involved in drought stress tolerance. The meta-analysis of microarray data related to drought stress was analysed by the R software packages and showed 3 029 upregulated genes and 3 017 downregulated genes. The upregulated genes were mostly related to the drought tolerance protein, abiotic stress response, and the Cys2His2 Zinc Finger Transcription Factor (C2H2 zinc finger TF). The downregulated genes were mainly related to the late embryogenesis abundant protein, abiotic stress response, and the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) TF. The common gene ontology (GO) terms in the upregulated and downregulated genes were mainly related to the metabolic process, response to stimulus, cellular metabolic process, and photorespiration. The up and down meta-differential expressed genes (meta-DEGs) mainly belonged to the those following Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways including: the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, plant hormone signal transduction, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway, and RNA degradation. Moreover, in the upregulated and downregulated genes, the TFs with a high percentage mainly belonged to the Teosinte branched1/Cincinnata/proliferating cell factor (TCP), basic helix loop-helix (bHLH) and bZIP. Next, the hub upregulated genes were mainly related to the thiamine biosynthesis protein thiC, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase precursor and heat shock protein. The hub downregulated genes were mainly associated with the elongation factor Ts, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and trigger factor. Finally, the data from the present meta-analysis were compared with previous studies on the qRT-PCR results and their up and down expressions were confirmed. Based on the findings of the current study, novel insights into the drought stress molecular response can be provided and various candidate genes can be introduced for barley drought stress tolerance breeding.

The effective use of high-quality and high-yielding germplasm resources is of great importance for the development of hulless barley varieties. Therefore, the search for such resources has long been a goal of the breeding community. In this study, a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis was performed on an F₂ (Nierumuzha × Kunlun 10) population. A high-density genetic map of hulless barley was constructed, which contained 1 475 efficient single-nucleotide polymorphism markers with 7 052 bin markers. The total length of the seven chromosomes was 1 139.4 cM, with an average marker distance of 0.59 cM. Based on this high-density linkage map, a total of 54 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to the seed traits were detected, including seed colour (SC), thousand kernel weight (TKW), seed average area (SAA), seed perimeter (SP), seed length (SL), seed width (SW), seed length/width (SLW), seed diameter (SD), and seed circular degree (SCD). These QTLs explained 3.32–35.73% (mean = 11.45%) of the phenotypic interpretation, including 24 main QTLs and 30 epistatic QTLs. A total of 24 candidate genes were identified within the QTL region, including one SC-associated transcription factor (ANT1), two TSW-related genes, a transcription factor (NAC021), a gene associated with the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway (ku70), three SAA-associated genes (LOL2, NAC021, TSK), two SL-associated genes (MADS21, MADS4), six SW-associated genes (FIP1, NAC021, DREB 1A, HVA22A, CYP78A6, SAUR71), five LW-related genes (NAM-B2, CRY1, LHY, CYP710A1, WRKY72), two SP-related genes (SKIP11, TCP18), two SD-related genes (NAC021, SKIP8), and three SCD-related genes (MYB1R1, RAX3, NAC100). These genes are involved in the regulation of the cell development, material transport, signal transduction, and plant morphogenesis and play an important role in the regulation of agronomic traits in hulless barley. The high-density genetic mapping and QTL identification of the seed traits in hulless barley provide a valuable genetic resource and the basis for further molecular marker-assisted selection and genomic studies.

The lignin content of forage crops significantly affects the livestock’s forage intake and its dry matter digestibility. The brown midrib (bmr) trait is known for its association with a reduced lignin content and increased digestibility. Pearl millet inbreds having the bmr trait were derived from two populations ICMV bmr and WRajPop bmr via continued selfing up to 6–8 generations. The results from the crosses revealed the presence of the same single recessive gene that controlled the bmr in both the populations. The stable expression of the bmr gene in the new genetic background indicated that there was no effect of modifier genes. Four inbreds were identified with the stable expression of bmr (three in ICMV 155 and one in the WRajPop background) with a high biomass potential, which can serve as a bmr source in future pearl millet forage breeding programmes.

To explore the role of WRKY transcription factors (TFs) in the resistance process of Qingke (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.), leaves of the leaf stripe disease-resistant variety Kunlun 14 and the susceptible variety Z1141 were sequenced by transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). A differentially expressed gene HvnWKRY1 was identified, and its disease-resistance function was preliminarily analysed. The result showed that the open reading frame (ORF) of the gene was 1 062 bp and encoded 354 amino acids. It contained the conserved WRKY domain (273–351) and belonged to the WRKY protein family. The phylogenetic tree results showed that HvWRKY1 was most closely related to Hordeum vulgare L. The WRKY family of Qingke, barley, maize and rice were divided into categories I, II, and III, among which HvWRKY1 was located in group III. Results of the quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that the expression of HvWRKY1 was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in leaf stripe infected leaves of Kunlun 14 than that of Z1141. In Arabidopsis thaliana transformed with HvWRKY1, resistance to Botrytis cinerea was enhanced. The RNA-seq analysis showed there were 824 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Data of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment indicated, that a plant-pathogen interaction pathway was enriched. This study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for further studies of functioning of  the Qingke gene HvWRKY1 in resistance to the leaf stripe disease.

The present study was to determine the genotypic and environmental variability and stability in seed yield, oil content, oil yield, oleic and linoleic acid of 10 safflower lines derived from a cross of Dinçer 5-18-1 × Montola 2000 together with six cultivars under six environments at five locations. The effects of genotypes, environments and genotype × environment interactions were highly significant (P < 0.01) for seed yield and oil content. Averaged across all environments, the seed yield was lowest in the cultivar Olas (2 352 kg/ha), and highest in the line Bay-Er 5 (2 869 kg/ha). According to mean (x_i) and regression coefficient (b_i) values, the Bay-Er 16 was better adapted to unfavourable environmental conditions, whereas the Bay-Er 1, Bay-Er 5 and Bay-Er 14 were better adapted to favourable environmental conditions. The highest oil content across environments, over 35%, was recorded in the line Bay-Er 15 and the cultivars Olas and Linas. The best adaptability to the environments was observed in the cultivar Olas. The oleic acid content of genotypes increased and the linoleic acid contents decreased from the north to the south latitudes. The oil content of genotypes grown in Southeastern Anatolia was higher than in the other regions. Within the regions, seed yield and oil content was higher after autumn sowing than after spring sowing.

Powdery mildew (PM) is a fungus that causes disease in both the field and the greenhouse. Utilizing resistant cultivars is the most effective approach of disease management. To develop insertion-deletion (InDel) markers associated to this trait, the whole genomes of the PM resistant line M17050 (P1) and the PM-susceptible line 28-1-1 (P2) were sequenced. A total of 1 200 InDels, with an average of 100 markers per chromosome, were arbitrarily chosen from the sequencing data for experimental validation. One hundred InDel markers were ultimately selected due to their informative genetic bands. Further, an F₂ segregating population of melons generated from these two parents was inoculated by the PM pathogen. Based on bulk segregant analysis (BSA) using these 100 InDel markers, the powdery mildew resistance was associated with the genomic region LVpm12.1 on the melon chromosome 12. This region overlapped the previously described quantitative trait locus (QTL)-hotspot area carrying multiple PM-resistance QTLs. Moreover, conventional QTL mapping analysis was done, which located LVpm12.1 in the region between 22.72 and 23.34 Mb, where three highly polymorphic InDel markers MInDel89, MInDel92, and MInDel93 were detected. Therefore, these markers could be used to track this resistance locus in melon while the lines carrying this locus could be employed in PM melon resistance breeding programs after validation tests.

Fungal pathogens Plasmopara viticola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Berl. & De Toni (downy mildew) and Erysiphe necator Schwein. (powdery mildew) represent the biggest threats for grape growers worldwide. Under suitable conditions, these pathogens can spread very quickly through vineyards and cause significant damage. The most ecological way to reduce the possibility of infection in vineyards is growing interspecific genotypes which are able to suppress these pathogens and stop the spread of infection. With this in mind, 9 international and 11 Czech grapevine genotypes were analysed in order to genotype the resistance loci present in them. As a tool a set of SSR markers linked to known loci of resistance to downy and powdery mildew was used. Namely, presence of four loci responsible for resistance to Plasmopara viticola (Rpv3, Rpv4, Rpv7, and Rpv10) and two for Erysiphe necator (Ren3 and Ren9) loci were analysed with respective SSR markers. By this way the degree of resistance gene pyramiding was newly assessed in all analysed cultivars and their perspectives in grapevine breeding are discussed.

To investigate the role of the HvnAnt2 gene in the formation of different qingke barley grain colours, HvnAnt2 was isolated from the leaves of the White 91-97-3 (white), Blue qingke (blue), Kunlun 17 (black), and Purple qingke (purple). The HvnAnt2 gene encodes a hydrophilic unstable protein consisting of 561 amino acids, without a transmembrane structure and without a signal peptide, with one bHLH-MYC_N and one HLH domain at amino acids 22–204 and 387–436, respectively. The HvnAnt2 of qingke barley was most closely related to Hordeum vulgare and most distantly related to Triticum monococcum; it was mainly related to light responsiveness and methyl jasmonate responsiveness. The Ant2 gene was highly expressed in Kunlun 17 and Purple qingke barley grains during the later stage of development. The protein interaction prediction showed that flavonoid 3’-monooxygenase, anthocyanin biosynthesis gene regulators, and key enzymes in folate metabolism interacted with the Ant2 protein. This study provides a reference for further analysis of the Ant2 gene in the anthocyanin synthesis pathways of qingke barley with different grain colours.

Yellow rust (YR), caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici (Pst), is a global threat to wheat production. In this study the response of 46 wheat and triticale cultivars to Pst at the adult plant stage (APS) was evaluated during two successive growing seasons at Sulaimania, Iraq. Also, we used a molecular analysis to find the yellow rust resistance (Yr) genes present in the individual cultivars. The results revealed large differences in the response to Pst between the cultivars. Most of the cultivars were susceptible to YR; the mean coefficients of infection (CI) varied from 0.23 in cv. Sarah to 83.33 in Hsad. High resistance levels were found in Al-Wand, Kalar 1, Rezan, and Sarahat APS, while Al-Rashid, Charmo, Faris 1, Maaroof, Rabiea, and Iratom displayed moderate resistance. The level of Yellow rust infection was higher in 2023 than in 2022 in most tested cultivars. Molecular analysis revealed the highest number of Yr genes (Yr2, Yr5, Yr7, Yr9, Yrvav, Yr15, Yr24, Yr26, and Yr32) in the cv. Al-Wand, followed by Sulaimani 2 with eight Yr genes (Yr2, Yr5, Yr7, Yr9, Yr15, Yr24, Yr26, and Yr32). Only one Yr gene was found in Iratom and Tamuz 3. Yr2 was the most frequently identified gene, present in the majority of tested cultivars (87%), followed by Yr7 (76%) and Yr9 (74%), respectively.

Graphene-based materials (GBMs) have become potential soil pollutants due to their wide applications in agricultural environments. Although physiological mechanisms of plant responses to GBMs have been previously explored, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this paper, we analysed the physiological and transcriptomic changes of buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) roots exposed to 100 mg/L graphene oxide (GO) with different diameter. GO negatively affected root growth and higher diameters of GO caused more adverse effects on the root. In total 3 724 GO-responsive genes were identified in root by transcriptome analysis. 70 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in ROS detoxification, and 37 transporter-encoding genes were found to be involved in GO response. These transporters may regulate the uptake and transport of GO in buckwheat. The gene expression of 84 transcription factors (TFs) showed a response to GO stress in the root, which may regulate the transporters and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification-related genes. Finally, the difference in the transcriptomic response of the root to the three GO materials with different diameters was investigated. 49 GO-responsive genes may be involved in the difference in the toxicity of GO with different diameters. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of plant roots to GBMs.