SBP-box is an important plant-specific transcription factor family and is involved in diverse biological processes. Here, we identified a total of 15 SBP-BOX genes in the important fruit crop sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and characterized their gene structures, conserved domain and motif, chromosomal location, and cis-acting regulatory elements. SBP genes were classified into four subfamilies based on the amino acid sequence homology, and the classification is equally strongly supported by the gene and protein structures. Our analysis revealed that segmental duplication events were the main driving force in the evolution of CsSBP genes, and gene pairs might undergo extensive purifying selection. Further synteny analysis of the SBP members among sweet orange and other plant species provides valuable information for clarifying the CsSBP family evolutionary relationship. According to publicly available RNA-seq data and qRT-PCR analysis from various sweet orange tissues, CsSBP genes may be expressed in different tissues and developmental stages. Gene expression analysis showed variable expression profiles of CsSBP genes under various abiotic stresses, such as high and low-temperature, salt, and wound treatments, demonstrating the potential role of SBP members in sweet orange response to abiotic stress. Noticeably, all CsSBP genes were also downregulated in sweet orange upon the infection of an important fungal pathogen Diaporthe citri. Our results provide valuable information for exploring the role of SBP-Box in sweet orange.

Food security remains a pressing global challenge, particularly for staple crops like rice. The traditional Yunnan landrace rice variety Mowanggu (MWG) exhibits broad‐spectrum and durable resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae , the causal agent of destructive rice blast disease, making it a valuable germplasm resource for breeding. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance remain unclear due to the lack of a high‐quality genome. Here, we present a chromosome‐scale draft genome assembly of MWG, combining Nanopore long‐read and Illumina short‐read sequencing. Through comparative genomic analyses, we identified structural variations, gene family expansions and divergence events. We identified nine RLK genes within the Pi49 resistance locus, among which overexpression of OSAmwg_038136 enhanced the expression of pathogenesis‐related genes and increased resistance to rice blast. OSAmwg_038136 was shown to interact with OsDIP1, a member of the R3H protein family, which positively regulates blast resistance. Our findings provide critical insights into the molecular basis of MWG durable blast resistance and offer a foundation for engineering broad‐spectrum disease resistance in rice.