Plant-pathogenic phytoplasmas secrete specific virulence proteins into a host plant to modulate plant function for their own benefit. Identification of phytoplasmal effectors is a key step toward clarifying the pathogenic mechanisms of phytoplasma. In this study, Zaofeng3, also known as secreted jujube witches’ broom phytoplasma protein 3 (SJP3), was a homologous effector of SAP54 and induced a variety of abnormal phenotypes, such as phyllody, malformed floral organs, witches’ broom, and dwarfism in Arabidopsis thaliana. Zaofeng3 can also induce small leaves, dwarfism, and witches’ broom in Ziziphus jujuba. Further experiments showed that the three complete α-helix domains predicted in Zaofeng3 were essential for induction of disease symptoms in jujube. Yeast two-hybrid library screening showed that Zaofeng3 mainly interacts with proteins involved in flower morphogenesis and shoot proliferation. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays confirmed that Zaofeng3 interacted with these proteins in the whole cell. Overexpression of zaofeng3 in jujube shoot significantly altered the expression patterns of ZjMADS19, ZjMADS47, ZjMADS48, ZjMADS77, and ZjTCP7, suggesting that overexpressing zaofeng3 might induce floral organ malformation and witches’ broom by altering the expression of the transcriptional factors involved in jujube morphogenesis.

Lindera megaphylla, a broad-leaved evergreen that is used as a landscape ornamental plant and medicinal plant, is an ecologically important and dominant tree species. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of its growth, development, and metabolism. The selection of suitable reference genes is critical for molecular biological analyses. To date, no research on reference genes as a foundation for gene expression analysis has been undertaken in L. megaphylla. In this study, 14 candidate genes were selected from the transcriptome database of L. megaphylla for RT-qPCR assay under different conditions. Results showed that helicase-15 and UBC28 were most stable in different tissues of seedlings and adult trees. For different leaf developmental stages, the best combination of reference genes was ACT7 and UBC36. UBC36 and TCTP were the best under cold treatment, while PAB2 and CYP20-2 were the best under heat treatment. Finally, a RT-qPCR assay of LmNAC83 and LmERF60 genes were used to further verify the reliability of selected reference genes above. This work is the first to select and evaluate the stability of reference genes for the normalization of gene expression analysis in L. megaphylla and will provide an important foundation for future genetic studies of this species.

Lindera megaphylla, a Lauraceae species, is valued for timber, horticulture, landscape architecture, and traditional medicine. Here, a high-quality genome of L. megaphylla was obtained at the chromosome level. A total of 96.77% of genomic sequences were mapped onto 12 chromosomes, with a total length of 1309.2 megabase (Mb) and an N50 scaffold of 107.75 Mb. Approximately, 75.91% of genome consists of repetitive sequences and 7004 ncRNAs were predicted. We identified 29 482 genes, and 28 657 genes were annotated. Gene family analysis showed expanded gene families were mainly involved in energy metabolism and cellular growth, while contracted ones were associated with carbohydrate metabolism and signal transduction. Our analysis revealed that L. megaphylla has undergone two rounds of whole-genome duplication (WGD). Our results revealed that volatile compounds in L. megaphylla leaves inhibited the growth of several fungi and bacteria. Fifty-two terpene synthase (TPS) genes were identified and classified into six subfamilies, with significant expansion observed in the TPS-b, TPS-f, and TPS-g subfamilies in L. megaphylla. Transcriptomic and metabolomic co-analysis revealed that 43 DEGs were correlated with 117 terpenoids. Further analysis revealed that LmTPS1 was significantly correlated with caryophyllene oxide content. The overexpression of LmTPS1 in transgenic tomato lines significantly increased the contents of β-caryophyllene and humulene, which further improved the resistance of transgenic tomato plants to common fungal and bacterial diseases. The integrated analysis of genome, metabolome, and transcriptome provides comprehensive insights into the evolution of L. megaphylla and clarifies the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of caryophyllene against biotic stress.

Jujube production is threatened by jujube witches’ broom (JWB) disease, which is caused by JWB phytoplasma. The jujube TCP transcription factor (TF) ZjTCP16 may be involved in the interaction of jujube plants with JWB phytoplasma. In this study, qRT-PCR proved that the expression pattern of ZjTCP16 was altered by JWB phytoplasma. The gene functions of ZjTCP16 were analyzed by its overexpression in Arabidopsis and jujube, as well as knock-down in. The overexpression of ZjTCP16 in Arabidopsis and jujube resulted in dwarfism and small leaves, while the zjtcp16 CRISPR mutants were higher than the WT. Microscopic observation of paraffin sections of jujube stems showed that ZjTCP16 affected the size of cells. The interactions of ZjTCP16 with ZjAS2 and ZjLOB in both the cytoplasm and nucleus were demonstrated by yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays and qRT-PCR further confirmed that ZjTCP16 affected the expression of genes involved in leaf morphogenesis and cell proliferation (ZjAS1, ZjKNAT1, ZjKNAT2 and ZjKNAT6) at the mRNA level through the ZjAS2 and ZjLOB pathways. In conclusion, ZjTCP16 regulates plant growth and cell size by altering the expression pattern of morphogenesis-related genes in jujube.

Against the backdrop of global warming and the urgent demand for sustainable development, blue–green spaces (BGSs) play a vital role in carbon reduction and sequestration, yet the multi-scale spatial mechanisms by which blue–green space patterns (BGSPs) regulate carbon storage (CS) remain unclear. Taking the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area as the study area, this research clarifies the BGSP-CS correlations at both class and landscape levels and quantifies their spatial interaction mechanisms, providing scientific support for integrated BGS planning that aligns with sustainable development objectives. Using the InVEST model coupled with regional carbon density correction, the total CS of the area is estimated at 1112.27 × 10⁶ t. Spearman’s correlation analysis shows that at the class level, area–edge and shape complexity indicators (e.g., Landscape Shape Index, LSI: r = −0.427) are negatively correlated with CS, while connectivity indicators exert no significant effect. At the landscape level, Shannon’s Diversity Index (SHDI: r = −0.635) and area–edge indicators inhibit CS, whereas Shannon’s Evenness Index (SHEI: r = 0.602), Largest Patch Index (LPI: r = 0.618) and shape complexity indicators exert positive effects. A comparative analysis of three regression models reveals that the multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model outperforms the ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models, with R² values of 0.505 (class level) and 0.484 (landscape level). It effectively captures the “west–strong and east–weak” spatial heterogeneity of BGSP impacts on CS. This study identifies key BGSP indicators regulating CS and their spatial mechanisms, providing scientific support for integrated BGS planning, regional carbon sink enhancement, the achievement of “dual carbon” goals, and the promotion of sustainable development in metropolitan areas. Future research may optimize model parameters through field surveys and explore the coupling mechanism between BGSPs, land surface temperature and CS to better align BGS management with sustainable development agendas.