Gossypium raimondii is a Verticillium wilt-resistant cotton species whose genome encodes numerous disease resistance genes that play important roles in the defence against pathogens. However, the characteristics of resistance gene analogues (RGAs) and Verticillium dahliae response loci (VdRLs) have not been investigated on a global scale. In this study, the characteristics of RGA genes were systematically analysed using bioinformatics-driven methods. Moreover, the potential VdRLs involved in the defence response to Verticillium wilt were identified by RNA-seq and correlations with known resistance QTLs. The G. raimondii genome encodes 1004 RGA genes, and most of these genes cluster in homology groups based on high levels of similarity. Interestingly, nearly half of the RGA genes occurred in 26 RGA-gene-rich clusters (Rgrcs). The homology analysis showed that sequence exchanges and tandem duplications frequently occurred within Rgrcs, and segmental duplications took place among the different Rgrcs. An RNA-seq analysis showed that the RGA genes play roles in cotton defence responses, forming 26 VdRLs inside in the Rgrcs after being inoculated with V. dahliae. A correlation analysis found that 12 VdRLs were adjacent to the known Verticillium wilt resistance QTLs, and that 5 were rich in NB-ARC domain-containing disease resistance genes. The cotton genome contains numerous RGA genes, and nearly half of them are located in clusters, which evolved by sequence exchanges, tandem duplications and segmental duplications. In the Rgrcs, 26 loci were induced by the V. dahliae inoculation, and 12 are in the vicinity of known Verticillium wilt resistance QTLs.

Gibberellic acid-stimulated in Arabidopsis (GASA), a unique small molecular protein of plants, plays an essential role in plant growth and development. The GASA family genes have been identified and studied in many plants. However, the identification of GASA gene family in Cucurbitaceae species has not been reported yet. Therefore, in this study, based on the available genome information on the Cucurbitaceae species, the GASA family genes in 10 Cucurbitaceae species including cucumber (Cucumis sativus), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), melon (Cucumis melo), pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), wax gourd (Benincasa hispida), sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica), bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), chayote (Sechium edule), and snake gourd (Trichosanthes anguina) were identified with bioinformatics methods. To understand the molecular functions of GASA genes, the expression pattern analysis of cucumber GASA family genes in different tissues and stress responses were also analyzed. The results showed that a total of 114 GASA genes were identified in the 10 Cucurbitaceae species, which were divided into three subfamilies. Synteny analysis of GASA genes among cucumber, Arabidopsis and rice showed that nine cucumber GASA genes were colinear with 12 Arabidopsis GASA genes, and six cucumber GASA genes were colinear with six rice GASA genes. The cis-acting elements analysis implied that the cucumber GASA genes contained many cis-elements associated with stress and hormone response. Tissue-specific expression analysis of cucumber GASA family genes revealed that only the CsaV3_2G029490 gene was lowly or not expressed in all tissues, the CsaV3_3G041480 gene was highly expressed in all tissues, and the other seven GASA genes showed tissue-specific expression patterns. Furthermore, nine cucumber GASA family genes exhibited different degrees of regulatory response under GA, abiotic and biotic stresses. Two cucumber GASA genes, CsaV3_3G042060 and CsaV3_3G041480, were differentially expressed under multiple biotic and abiotic stresses, which indicated that these two GASA genes play important roles in the growth and development of cucumber.

Hydraulic perturbations are among the earliest plant-wide consequences of drought, salinity and wounding, yet they are often treated as passive outcomes rather than as biologically interpreted inputs. This review distinguishes hydraulic state, hydraulic perturbation and hydraulic signal, and evaluates how organ-scale pressure and water-potential changes are converted into local membrane tension, wall strain, turgor and water-flux cues. We propose, as a testable model rather than an established mechanism, a distributed architecture comprising OSCA/TMEM63 and other mechanosensitive channels, cell-wall integrity pathways, aquaporin-mediated conductance control and vacuolar buffering. Evidence for the individual components is substantial, but evidence that they act together within a single physiological event is still limited. These layers are reciprocally coupled to Ca²⁺, ROS, electrical, hormonal and peptide networks. Hydraulic cues are fast, and they differ in amplitude, direction, rise time, duration, recovery and anatomical route, so they are not informationally inert. Specificity nevertheless appears to emerge from the integration of the hydraulic waveform with tissue state and coincident ionic, electrical and biochemical inputs rather than from any single variable. We compare drought, salinity and wounding; clarify the roles of roots, vasculature, bundle sheath, mesophyll and guard cells; and outline experiments that combine calibrated physical perturbations with live reporters, tissue-specific genetics and hydromechanical modeling. The key frontier is no longer to document that pressure changes occur. It is to identify the variables directly sensed, to separate instructive from permissive roles, and to test whether dynamic decoding traits improve crop resilience at acceptable carbon and growth cost.

Background: GeBP genes play important roles in plant development and stress responses; however, they have not yet been systematically characterized in cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ). Results: In this study, six GeBP genes were identified in the cucumber genome. All CsGeBP proteins possess conserved basic regions and leucine zipper–like domain and are predominantly localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic and synteny analyses revealed that the GeBP gene family is highly conserved among cucurbit species and has expanded mainly through segmental duplication events. Expression analyses demonstrated clear functional divergence among CsGeBP genes. CsGeBP5 showed consistently high expression in reproductive tissues and was upregulated in long-fruit cucumber lines, suggesting a potential role in fruit development. In contrast, CsGeBP6 was strongly induced under salt stress, and its expression was further enhanced by silicon treatment. Moreover, it was markedly upregulated in the resistant cucumber line SSL508-28 after powdery mildew inoculation, suggesting a role in both abiotic stress tolerance and disease resistance. Conclusions: Overall, this study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the GeBP gene family in cucumber and identifies key potential genes associated with fruit development ( CsGeBP5 ) and stress responses ( CsGeBP6 ), laying a foundation for future functional studies and molecular breeding.

Grape white rot, primarily caused by Coniella diplodiella and Coniella vitis, is a major fungal disease threatening grape production worldwide, with C. vitis more prevalent in China. Temperature is a critical environmental factor influencing pathogen development and disease outbreaks, but how temperature influences the biological characteristics, pathogenicity, and fungicide sensitivity of these two pathogens remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of temperature on mycelial growth, conidial germination, extracellular enzyme activity, pathogenicity, and fungicide sensitivity of C. diplodiella 2019 and C. vitis GP1. The growth, conidial germination, extracellular enzyme production, pathogenicity, and fungicide control efficacy against the two pathogens were systematically evaluated under different temperature conditions (5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 °C). Results showed temperature significantly affected all investigated traits in both species. Optimal mycelial growth, conidial germination, and pathogenicity occurred at moderate temperatures (25 °C), whereas extreme temperatures (5 °C and 45 °C) significantly markedly inhibited fungal development and disease severity. C. vitis GP1 showed greater adaptability and consistently higher pathogenicity than C. diplodiella 2019 across the tested temperature range. Fungicide sensitivity also differed between the two species, and the inhibitory activity of difenoconazole was significantly reduced under temperature extremes, indicating that fungicide performance is influenced by environmental temperature. These findings demonstrate that temperature regulates both fungal development and fungicide efficacy, providing new insights into the temperature-dependent epidemiology of grape white rot and a scientific basis for optimizing disease management under changing environmental conditions.