Sucrose synthase (SUS) and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) are essential in plant sucrose metabolism. The potato is an important crop worldwide, but systematic analyses of the StSUS and StSPS gene families in potatoes are still lacking. Ten sucrose metabolism-related genes were identified in this study. The SUSs and SPSs could each be split into three subgroups through phylogenetic analysis. StSUSIc was the most highly expressed gene in different developmental tissues. Ka/Ks analysis showed that StSUSIb and StSUSIc were subjected to more-significant homozygous selection pressure. Our cis-acting element analysis of the StSUS and StSPS promoter sequences showed four elements: defense- and stress-responsive, hormone-responsive, light-responsive, and transcription factor elements. The expression of StSUS and StSPS genes was found to be regulated by circadian rhythm. In the treatments of 1% to 5% sucrose, glucose, and fructose, the expression of StSUS and StSPS family genes was enhanced by sucrose, but inhibited at high-glucose and fructose concentrations. This study identified six StSUS and four StSPS genes and analyzed their gene structure, conserved motifs, chromosome position, promoter elements, phylogenetic tree, and tissue-specific expression patterns. Our results will motivate more research into the biological process underlying the genes of sucrose metabolism in potatoes.

Potatoes are a globally important crop with high nutritional value. Different potato varieties display notable variations in color, texture, and nutrient composition. However, the influence of cooking on tuber color, texture, and metabolites has not been comprehensively explored. This study evaluated the color and texture of five potato varieties before and after cooking. Cooking significantly altered tuber color, decreased hardness and adhesiveness, and increased springiness, particularly after steaming. The metabolomic analysis of Zhongshu 49 (ZS49) and Shishu 3 (SH3) tubers was conducted using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-MS/MS. GC-MS identified 122 volatile metabolites, with 42 significantly varying between cooking treatments, while UHPLC-MS/MS detected 755 nonvolatile metabolites, 445 of which showed significant differences. Compared to ZS49, SH3 exhibited a marked increase in umami- and flavor-related metabolites, especially after cooking. This study provides new insights into how cooking affects the quality, texture, and metabolite profiles of potato tubers.

The network regulatory mechanism governing the dynamics of plant maturity and tuber development in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) has remained a major focus in potato molecular biology research. In this study, three potato cultivars with different maturity periods (‘Shishu 2’, ‘Zhongshu 3’, and ‘Zhongshu 49’) were examined. RNA sequencing was performed on samples from five tissues, including the leaves, stems, stolon (T0), sub-apical swellings (T1), and initiation stage (T2), to reveal the co-expression regulatory network involved in leaf, stem, and tuber development. StSWEET11 and StSP6A were significantly upregulated in the early-maturing cultivar ‘Shishu 2’. Differentially expressed genes were classified into 18 modules (ME) using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Among these, ME1, ME3, and ME13 showed significant positive correlations with leaf tissue, ME2, ME4, and ME15 with stem tissue, and ME7, ME8, and ME14 with T1 and T2 tissues. StSP5G was identified as the core hub gene of ME4. Genes such as StCOL1, StSWEET11, and StSP6A exhibited significant co-expression in leaf-related modules. StGIGANTEA and StGIGANTEA-like played important regulatory roles in linking the expression networks of stems and tubers. Metabolism-related genes, including StSUSⅠc/StSuSy4 and StDPE1, were also found to be crucial in mediating interactions between leaf and tuber tissues. Therefore, this study provides new insights into the regulatory network governing tuberous signal transmission from leaves and stems to tubers.