Plant growth and development are correlated with many aspects, including phytohormones, which have specific functions. However, the mechanism underlying the process has not been well elucidated. Gibberellins (GAs) play fundamental roles in almost every aspect of plant growth and development, including cell elongation, leaf expansion, leaf senescence, seed germination, and leafy head formation. The central genes involved in GA biosynthesis include GA20 oxidase genes (GA20oxs), GA3oxs, and GA2oxs, which correlate with bioactive GAs. The GA content and GA biosynthesis genes are affected by light, carbon availability, stresses, phytohormone crosstalk, and transcription factors (TFs) as well. However, GA is the main hormone associated with BR, ABA, SA, JA, cytokinin, and auxin, regulating a wide range of growth and developmental processes. DELLA proteins act as plant growth suppressors by inhibiting the elongation and proliferation of cells. GAs induce DELLA repressor protein degradation during the GA biosynthesis process to control several critical developmental processes by interacting with F-box, PIFS, ROS, SCLl3, and other proteins. Bioactive GA levels are inversely related to DELLA proteins, and a lack of DELLA function consequently activates GA responses. In this review, we summarized the diverse roles of GAs in plant development stages, with a focus on GA biosynthesis and signal transduction, to develop new insight and an understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant development.

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis) is one of the vegetables with the largest cultivated area in China and has been a great addition to the daily diet of Chinese people. A genetic map has been constructed in our previous study using the F₂ population of two inbred lines of Chinese cabbage, namely “G291” (a hairy line) and “ZHB” (a hairless line), based on which a candidate gene related to trichome traits was identified on chromosome A06 with a phenotypic variance of 47%. A molecular marker was found to co-segregate with the trichome traits of the F₂ population, which is in the 5′-flanking region of BrGL1, and a corresponding patent has been granted (NO. CN 108545775 B). Transcriptome analysis was carried out on the cotyledon, the first true leaf and the leaf closest to each inflorescence of F₂ individuals of “G291 × ZHB” with or without trichomes, respectively. Ten pathways, including 189 DEGs, were identified to be involved in the development of trichomes in Chinese cabbage, which may be specifically related to the development of leaf trichomes. Most of the pathways were related to the biosynthesis of the secondary metabolites, which may help plants to adapt to the ever-changing external environment. DEGs also enriched the “plant-pathogen interaction” pathway, which is consistent with the conclusion that trichomes are related to the disease resistance of plants. Our study provides a basis for future research on the occurrence and development of trichomes in Chinese cabbage.

Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis is a crucial and extensively consumed vegetable in the world, especially Eastern Asia. The market demand for this leafy vegetable increases year by year, resulting in multiple challenges for agricultural researchers worldwide. Multi-omic approaches and the integration of functional genomics helps us understand the relationships between Chinese cabbage genomes and phenotypes under specific physiological and environmental conditions. However, challenges exist in integrating multi-omics for the functional analysis of genes and for developing potential traits for Chinese cabbage improvement. However, the panomics platform allows for the integration of complex omics, enhancing our understanding of molecular regulator networks in Chinese cabbage agricultural traits. In addition, the agronomic features of Chinese cabbage are significantly impacted by the environment. The expression of these agricultural features is tightly regulated by a combination of signals from both the internal regulatory network and the external growth environment. To comprehend the molecular process of these characteristics, it is necessary to have a prior understanding of molecular breeding for the objective of enhancing quality. While the use of various approaches in Chinese cabbage is still in its early stages, recent research has shown that it has the potential to uncover new regulators both rapidly and effectively, leading to updated regulatory networks. In addition, the utilization of the efficient transformation technique in conjunction with gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 will result in a reduction in time requirements and facilitate a more precise understanding of the role of the regulators. Numerous studies about Chinese cabbage have been conducted in the past two decades, but a comprehensive review about its genome still limited. This review provides a concise summary of the latest discoveries in genomic research related to Brassica and explores the potential future developments for this species.

Background: Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) is one of the most popular vegetables in China because of its taste and health benefits. The area of production has obvious effects on the quality of Chinese cabbage. However, metabolite profiling and variations in different production areas are still unclear. Methods: Here, widely targeted metabolite analyses based on the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) approach were performed to study the metabolite profiling of Chinese cabbage planted in the Jiaozhou and Jinan areas. Results: A total of 531 metabolites were detected, of which 529 were present in the Chinese cabbage from both areas, 108 were found to be chemicals related to Chinese traditional medicine, and 79 were found to correspond to at least one disease. Chinese cabbage is rich in nutritious substances such as lipids, phenolic acids, amino acids and derivatives, nucleotides and derivatives, organic acids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, saccharides, alcohols, and vitamins. Comparative analysis showed that the metabolic profiles differed between areas, and 89 differentially altered metabolites (DAMs) were characterized. Of these, 78 DAMs showed higher levels in Jinan Chinese cabbage, whereas 11 had higher levels in Jiaozhou Chinese cabbage. Two metabolites, S-(Methyl)glutathione and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide, were unique in Jiaozhou Chinese cabbage. Based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, the DAMs were enriched into 23 pathways, of which tryptophan metabolism and thiamine metabolism were the significant enrichment pathways. Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the metabolite profiles and production areas affecting the metabolite variations of Chinese cabbage, which will be useful for functional Chinese cabbage cultivation.