Tea plants are highly susceptible to the adverse effects of a high-temperature climate, which can cause reduced yield and quality and even lead to plant death in severe cases. Therefore, reducing the damage caused by high-temperature stress and maintaining the photosynthetic capacity of tea plants is a critical technical challenge. In this study, we investigated the impact of small oligopeptides (small peptides) and surfactants on the high-temperature-stress tolerance of tea plants. Our findings demonstrated that the use of small peptides and surfactants enhances the antioxidant capacity of tea plants and protects their photosynthetic system. They also induce an increase in gibberellin (GA) content and a decrease in jasmonic acid (JA), strigolactone (SL), auxin (IAA), and cytokinin (CTK) content. At the same time, small peptides regulate the metabolic pathways of diterpenoid biosynthesis. Additionally, small peptides and surfactants induce an increase in L-Carnosine and N-Glycyl-L-Leucine content and a decrease in (5-L-Glutamyl)-L-Amino Acid content, and they also regulate the metabolic pathways of Beta-Alanine metabolism, Thiamine metabolism, and Glutathione metabolism. In summary, small peptides and surfactants enhance the ability of tea plants to resist high-temperature stress.

Climate change and extreme weather affect tea growing. A competitive tea market needs quick, short-term solutions. This study evaluates the effects of various shade nets under mild and extreme cold stress on tea leaf physiology, photosynthetic alterations, antioxidant activities, and physiochemical characteristics. Tea plants were treated with SD0 (0% non-shading), SD1 (30% shading), SD2 (60% shading), and SD3 (75% shading). The 30%, 60%, and 75% shade nets shielded tea leaves from cold damage and reduced leaf injury during mild and extreme cold conditions compared with SD0% non-shading. Shading regulates photochemical capacity and efficiency and optimizes chlorophyll a and b, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents. Moreover, carbon and nitrogen increased during mild cold and decreased in extreme cold conditions. Shading promoted antioxidant activity and physiochemical attributes. In fact, under 60% of shade, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ω-3 alpha-linolenic acid were improved compared with SD0% non-shading during both mild and extreme cold conditions. From these findings, we hypothesized that the effect of different shades played an important role in the protection of tea leaves and alleviated the defense mechanism for “Zhong Cha 102” during exposure to a cold environment.

Flavonoids with significant therapeutic properties play an essential role in plant growth, development, and adaptation to various environments. The biosynthetic pathway of flavonoids has long been studied in plants; however, its regulatory mechanism in safflower largely remains unclear. Here, we carried out comprehensive genome-wide identification and functional characterization of a putative cytochrome P45081E8 gene encoding an isoflavone 2′-hydroxylase from safflower. A total of 15 CtCYP81E genes were identified from the safflower genome. Phylogenetic classification and conserved topology of CtCYP81E gene structures, protein motifs, and cis-elements elucidated crucial insights into plant growth, development, and stress responses. The diverse expression pattern of CtCYP81E genes in four different flowering stages suggested important clues into the regulation of secondary metabolites. Similarly, the variable expression of CtCYP81E8 during multiple flowering stages further highlighted a strong relationship with metabolite accumulation. Furthermore, the orchestrated link between transcriptional regulation of CtCYP81E8 and flavonoid accumulation was further validated in the yellow- and red-type safflower. The spatiotemporal expression of CtCYP81E8 under methyl jasmonate, polyethylene glycol, light, and dark conditions further highlighted its likely significance in abiotic stress adaption. Moreover, the over-expressed transgenic Arabidopsis lines showed enhanced transcript abundance in OE-13 line with approximately eight-fold increased expression. The upregulation of AtCHS, AtF3′H, and AtDFR genes and the detection of several types of flavonoids in the OE-13 transgenic line also provides crucial insights into the potential role of CtCYP81E8 during flavonoid accumulation. Together, our findings shed light on the fundamental role of CtCYP81E8 encoding a putative isoflavone 2′-hydroxylase via constitutive expression during flavonoid biosynthesis.

Purslane, a fleshy herbaceous plant, plays a pivotal role in various preventive and therapeutic purposes. To date, no report has documented the consequence of salt stress on metabolite accumulation in purslane. Herein, we proposed an insight into the metabolic and physiological traits of purslane under saline stress environments. The gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis was used to scrutinize the metabolic profiling of leaves and roots of two purslane genotypes, Tall Green (TG) and Shandong Wild (SD), under the control and saline exposures. Results revealed that the morphological and physiological traits of leaves and roots of both the tested Portulaca oleracea cultivars in response to salt stress (100 mM and 200 mM) were dramatically changed. Similarly, significant differences were found in the metabolite profiles among samples under salinity stress treatments as compared with the control. Thorough metabolic pathway analysis, 132 different metabolites in response to 28 days of particular salt stress treatments were recognized and quantified in roots and leaves of purslane, including 35 organic acids, 26 amino acids, 20 sugars, 14 sugar alcohols, 20 amines, 13 lipids and sterols, and 4 other acids. In conclusion, this study can be useful for future molecular experiments as a reference to select gene expression levels for the functional characterization of purslane.

As a significant crop growing all across the world, coffee is mostly produced in the bean belt of our global atlas. Worldwide variations in environmental conditions are causing a decline in the yield and quality of coffee varieties. Coffee production is the main emphasis of several traditional breeding techniques. But conventional breeding methods are not sufficient to tackle the problems related to coffee. The field of genomics, which includes transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, has made great paces in the last ten years. Proteomics is a well-known technique used to enhance the growth, yield, breeding, and quality of different plants under stable and shifting environments. The regulation of specific enzymes, genes, protein expression, modification, translation, and other features played an important role in the enhancement of important plants. However, relatively less research on the proteomics approach for coffee has been published in the last few years. For this reason, some of the most important aspects of proteome profiling for coffee plants have been covered in this review, including growth, the somatic embryo technique, altitude, environmental adoption, drought, and the role that proteins and important enzymes play in the flavor and taste of coffee. This review can aid in the breeding of new cultivars and improve coffee attributes. Furthermore, the present literature can pave the way for proteomics research on coffee.

Low temperatures have a negative effect on plant development. Plants that are exposed to cold temperatures undergo a cascade of physiological, biochemical, and molecular changes that activate several genes, transcription factors, and regulatory pathways. In this review, the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of Camellia sinensis have been discussed. Calmodulin binding transcription activator (CAMTAs) by molecular means including transcription is one of the novel genes for plants’ adaptation to different abiotic stresses, including low temperatures. Therefore, the role of CAMTAs in different plants has been discussed. The number of CAMTAs genes discussed here are playing a significant role in plants’ adaptation to abiotic stress. The illustrated diagrams representing the mode of action of calcium (Ca²⁺) with CAMTAs have also been discussed. In short, Ca²⁺ channels or Ca²⁺ pumps trigger and induce the Ca²⁺ signatures in plant cells during abiotic stressors, including low temperatures. Ca²⁺ signatures act with CAMTAs in plant cells and are ultimately decoded by Ca²⁺sensors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review reporting CAMAT’s current progress and potential role in C. sinensis, and this study opens a new road for researchers adapting tea plants to abiotic stress.