Heat stress poses a significant challenge for maize production, especially during the spring when high temperatures disrupt cellular processes, impeding plant growth and development. The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) associated athanogene (BAG) gene family is known to be relatively conserved across various species. It plays a crucial role as molecular chaperone cofactors that are responsible for programmed cell death and tumorigenesis. Once the plant is under heat stress, the BAG genes act as co-chaperones and modulate the molecular functions of HSP70/HSC70 saving the plant from the damage of high temperature stress. The study was planned to identify and characterize the BAG genes for heat stress responsiveness in maize. Twenty-one (21) BAG genes were identified in the latest maize genome. The evolutionary relationship of Zea mays BAGs (ZmBAGs) with Arabidopsis thaliana, Solanum lycopersicum, Theobroma cacao, Sorghum bicolor, Ananas comosus, Physcomitrium patens, Oryza sativa and Populus trichocarpa were represented by the phylogenetic analysis. Differential expressions of BAG gene family in leaf, endosperm, anther, silk, seed and developing embryo depict their contribution to the growth and development. The in-silico gene expression analysis indicated ZmBAG-8 (Zm00001eb170080), and ZmBAG-11 (Zm00001eb237960) showed higher expression under abiotic stresses (cold, heat and salinity). The RT-qPCR further confirmed the expression of ZmBAG-8 and ZmBAG-11 in plant leaf tissue across the contrasting inbred lines and their F1 hybrid (DR-139, UML-1 and DR-139 × UML-1) when exposed to heat stress. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction networks of ZmBAG-8 and ZmBAG-11 further elucidated their role in stress tolerance related pathways. This research offers a roadmap to plan functional research and utilize ZmBAG genes to enhance heat tolerance in grasses.

Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) also known as hot pepper and red pepper is a valuable condiment all around the world. It holds significant importance in the global economy and is used in a variety of products such as sauces, pickles, medicines, and insect-repellent sprays. Pakistan is 4 ^th largest chili producer worldwide. Global warming a is an important issue around the globe that causes losses to global agricultural productivity. In this study, chili germplasm was screened to identify heat-tolerant genotypes. The experiment was carried out following factorial under RCBD (randomized complete block design) having 785 with two treatments and three repeats. The genotypes were sown in nursery trays in November 2023 and transplanted in the field in February 2024. The data recording was performed twice. The data collected in March-April was considered as data from controlled treatment while data recorded during June-July was considered as heat-stressed treatment. The data was recorded for Days to flowering, NDVI value, plant height (cm), number of primary branches per plant, fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), individual fruit weight (g), number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant, and pollen viability. Heat susceptibility indices for all traits were calculated. The data was subjected to analysis of variance, path coefficient, and biplot analysis. Genotypes D1, D4, D7, D12, 12, 42, 75, 76, 118, 172, 217, 229, 424, 497, 514, 532, and 772 are selected as heat tolerant genotypes because the yield of these genotypes was unaffected or slightly affected due to heat stress during the experiment, while on the other hand, the genotypes 41, 44, 57, 63, 94, 123, 141, 154, 285, 347, 516, 540, 601 and 663 are selected as heat susceptible because these genotypes have high heat susceptibility index and there was a huge decrease in the yield in heat-stressed condition as compared to non-stressed condition.

Chili (Capsicum annuum), also known as hot pepper, is a major vegetable crop in the Solanaceae family. It originated from C. annuum var. minimum, native to

Salt tolerance in plants, including tomato, is influenced by the hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channel (OSCA) gene family, which plays an important role in osmotic stress signaling. In this research, thirteen OSCA gene family members were identified in tomato, which were diversified into four clades, in close association with StOSCA genes (Solanum tuberosum) within clade 3, suggesting conservation among the genus, while five genes also closely clustered with Helianthus annuus, indicating a common ancestral lineage predating species divergence. These genes were unevenly distributed across 8 of 12 tomato chromosomes, with chromosome 2 harboring the highest number of SIOSCA genes (five). The highly conserved RSN_7TM (PF02714) domain was present in all SlOSCA proteins. This domain is known for its role in calcium-permeable ion channels and was further verified by the strict localization of 12 SlOSCA proteins (SlOSCA1-11 and SlOSCA13) in the plasma membrane. Sequence logo analysis validated the conserved amino acid residues, including proline (P), aspartic acid (D), arginine (R), valine (V), glycine (G), and tryptophan (W), from the N-terminal to C-terminal regions. The protein-protein interaction network was centered upon Solyc03g095760.2.1, acting as a major protein interacting with several SlOSCA members, including SlOSCA-1 to SlOSCA-7, except SlOSCA-5. The expression analysis showed higher expression of SlOSCA 2, 8, and 10 across all treatments and tissues, particularly in root tissues, highlighting their role in salinity tolerance. This study thus provides a theoretical basis for targeting the SlOSCA gene family for salt tolerance in tomato, a model plant species, and for translating this approach to other economically important crop species.