Background: The Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters (SWEETs) are a newly discovered family of sugar transporters whose members exist in a variety of organisms and are highly conserved. SWEETs have been reported to be involved in the growth and development of many plants, but little is known about SWEETs in daylily (Hemerocallis fulva), an important perennial ornamental flower. Results: In this study, 19 daylily SWEETs were identified and named based on their homologous genes in Arabidopsis and rice. Phylogenetic analysis classified these HfSWEETs into four clades (Clades I to IV). The conserved motifs and gene structures showed that the HfSWEETs were very conservative during evolution. Chromosomal localization and synteny analysis found that HfSWEETs were unevenly distributed on 11 chromosomes, and there were five pairs of segmentally duplicated events and one pair of tandem duplication events. The expression patterns of the 19 HfSWEETs showed that the expression patterns of most HfSWEETs in different tissues were related to corresponding clades, and most HfSWEETs were up-regulated under low temperatures. Furthermore, HfSWEET17 was overexpressed in tobacco, and the cold resistance of transgenic plants was much higher than that of wild-type tobacco. Conclusion: This study identified the SWEET gene family in daylily at the genome-wide level. Most of the 19 HfSWEETs were expressed differently in different tissues and under low temperatures. Overexpression further suggests that HfSWEET17 participates in daylily low-temperature response. The results of this study provide a basis for further functional analysis of the SWEET family in daylily.

In response to environmental stimuli, plants rapidly activate calcium signaling to initiate downstream responses. The transmission of calcium signals involves three primary processes: perception, decoding, and relay. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs/CPKs), as key Ca ²⁺ sensors, not only detect calcium signals but also respond to them by translating these signals into physiological activities within the cell. The influx of calcium ions (Ca ²⁺ ) induced by pathogens triggers the conformational activation of cytosolic CPKs, which in turn enables the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, MAPK cascades, transcriptional reprogramming, and hormone signaling. Acting as pivotal hubs in signal transduction, CPKs integrate diverse pathways to fine-tune the balance between growth and defense. We synthesize recent advances in understanding CPK-mediated immune mechanisms and their molecular crosstalk with other signaling networks. By highlighting emerging discoveries and unresolved questions, we provide a conceptual framework for exploiting CPKs to enhance durable and broad-spectrum disease resistance in crops.

Research on the waterlogging tolerance mechanisms of Paeonia ostii helps us to further understand these mechanisms in the root system and enhance its root bark and oil yields in southern China. In this study, root morphological identification, the statistics of nine physiological and biochemical indicators, and a comparative transcriptome analysis were used to investigate the waterlogging tolerance mechanism in this plant. As flooding continued, the roots’ vigor dramatically declined from 6 to 168 h of waterlogging, the root number was extremely reduced by up to 95%, and the number of roots was not restored after 96 h of recovery. Seven of the nine physiological indicators, including leaf transpiration and photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, root activity, and soluble protein and sugar, showed similar trends of gradually declining waterlogging stress and gradual waterlogging recovery, with little difference. However, the leaf conductivity and super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity gradually increased during flooding recovery and decreased in recovery. The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is essential for plants to grow and survive and plays a central role in the breakdown, or catabolism, of organic fuel molecules, also playing an important biological role in waterlogging stress. In total, 591 potential candidate genes were identified, and 13 particular genes (e.g., isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and fumarase (FumA)) in the TCA cycle were also tested using qPCR. This study identifies potential candidate genes and provides theoretical support for the breeding, genetic improvement, and enhancement of the root bark yields of P. ostii, supporting an in-depth understanding of the plant’s physiological and molecular response mechanisms to waterlogging stress, helping future research and practice improve plant waterlogging tolerance and promote plant growth and development.

The MYB transcription factor family, one of the largest in plants, plays a crucial role in responding to abiotic stress responses. Daylily ( Hemerocallis fulva L.) is a salt-tolerant plant ideal for coastal landscaping. In this study, we identified 33 MYB transcription factors from the ‘Autumn Red’ daylily roots under seawater stress, a discovery reported here for the first time. Chromosome mapping revealed an uneven distribution of these genes, with numerous segmental and tandem repeats. Phylogenetic analysis with Arabidopsis and rice MYBs classified the daylily MYBs into six subfamilies, which were further divided into five subclasses based on conserved domains. Expression profiling across different seawater treatment periods revealed distinct H, L, and M expression patterns. Through an integrated analysis of phylogeny, motif structure, and expression profiles, we identified HfMYB10 as a key candidate. Heterologous expression of HfMYB10 in Arabidopsis yielded homozygous transgenic linesexhibiting significantly enhanced seawater tolerance. Our findings clarify the role of daylily MYB transcription factors in seawater tolerance and offer valuable insights for breeding salt-resistant varieties.

Nano-agriculture is a fast-growing interdisciplinary field advancing from lab research to practical field application to tackle global food security and ag