Background: Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile, commonly known as desert date, is a thorny evergreen tree belonging to the family Zygophyllaceae and subfamily Tribuloideae that is widespread in arid and semiarid regions. This plant is an important source of food and medicines and plays an important role in conservation strategies for restoring degraded desert ecosystems. Results: In the present study, we sequenced the complete plastome of B. aegyptiaca. The chloroplast genome was 155,800 bp, with a typical four-region structure: a large single copy (LSC) region of 86,562 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,102 bp, and inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) of 25,568 bp each. The GC content was 35.5%. The chloroplast genome of B. aegyptiaca contains 107 genes, 75 of which coding proteins, 28 coding tRNA, and 4 coding rRNA. We did not observe a large loss in plastid genes or a reduction in the genome size in B. aegyptiaca, as found previously in some species belonging to the family Zygophyllaceae. However, we noticed a divergence in the location of certain genes at the IR-LSC and IR-SSC boundaries and loss of ndh genes relative to other species. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree constructed from the complete chloroplast genome data broadly supported the taxonomic classification of B. aegyptiaca as belonging to the Zygophyllaceae family. The plastome of B. aegyptiaca was found to be rich in single sequence repeats (SSRs), with a total of 240 SSRs. Conclusions: The genomic data available from this study could be useful for developing molecular markers to evaluate population structure, investigate genetic variation, and improve production programs for B. aegyptiaca. Furthermore, the current data will support future investigation of the evolution of the family Zygophyllaceae.

Apple mint (Mentha suaveolens Ehrh.) is a plant of the genus Mentha in the family Lamiaceae, commonly known by pineapple mint, woolly mint, and/or round leaf mint. Similar to many aromatic plants, it is valued for its aroma, essential oil content, flavor, and/or other secondary metabolites associated with pharmaceutical properties. M. suaveolens, a sweet-scented aromatic herb, is well-known for flavoring candies, medicines, teas, and toothpaste, as well as being used in many other products. It usually found along streams and humid places in western and southern Europe, as well as the Mediterranean region. In the current study, the chloroplast genome of M. suaveolens was assembled characterized, and compared with other seven Mentha spp. chloroplast genomes, including three natural hybrids. The M. suaveolens circular genome length is 152,053 bp, and there are 134 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), with a total GC content of 37.9%. A chloroplast genome feature comparison between M. suaveolens and six Mentha species was conducted, revealing genomic variability among the studied accessions. Variation among the LSC-IR-SSC boundaries was observed, as well as the RSCU varied according to the region, while the protein-coding regions were more conservative than the intergenic spacers in number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Based on the phyloplastomic, two clades were identified beside M. canadensis. In addition to being informative for any plastomic and/or evolutionary studies of the genus Mentha and family Lamiaceae, the provided information report the maternal source of the Mentha hybrid species.

Plant cell and tissue culture techniques are fundamental to contemporary plant science, providing essential tools for genetic manipulation and crop improvement. This review examines the primary applications of these techniques, emphasizing their role in advancing fundamental plant biology and developing novel agricultural strategies. Micropropagation is a technique that enables the rapid and efficient asexual propagation of superior genotypes, which is crucial for conserving and disseminating valuable plant material. Furthermore, meristem culture effectively eradicates viruses from infected plants, ensuring the production of disease-free planting stock. Tissue culture techniques are also instrumental in generating genetic variability through somaclonal variation, in vitro mutagenesis, and in vitro selection. These methods provide a substantial source of genetic diversity, facilitating the development of new plant varieties with advantageous characteristics. Beyond generating variation, tissue culture is indispensable for genetic engineering, allowing for the stable integration of exogenous DNA into plant cells to produce transgenic plants with novel traits. Embryo rescue is another significant application. It overcomes challenges in seed development and enabling successful hybridization between otherwise incompatible plant species. By salvaging immature embryos and culturing them to maturity, this technique allows for the creation of hybrid plants possessing desirable trait combinations that would be unattainable through conventional breeding. In conclusion, these techniques have profoundly transformed plant science, offering diverse applications for genetic manipulation, crop improvement, and basic research. By enabling precise control over plant development at the cellular and tissue levels, these techniques are critical for developing improved crops with enhanced yield, nutritional quality, and resilience to environmental stressors.

Background and objectives: The human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is among the important respiratory pathogens affecting children. Genotype-specific attachment (G) gene sequencing is usually used to determine the virus genotype. The reliability of the fusion (F) gene vs. G gene genotype-specific sequencing was screened. Materials and Methods: Archival RNA from Saudi children who tested positive for hRSV-A were used. Samples were subjected to a conventional one-step RT-PCR for both F and G genes and direct gene sequencing of the amplicons using the same primer sets. Phylogeny and mutational analysis of the obtained sequences were conducted. Results: The generic primer set succeeded to amplify target gene sequences. The phylogenetic tree based on partial F gene sequencing resulted in an efficient genotyping of hRSV-A strains equivalent to the partial G gene genotyping method. NA1, ON1, and GA5 genotypes were detected in the clinical samples. The latter was detected for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Different mutations in both conserved and escape-mutant domains were detected in both F and G. Conclusion: It was concluded that a partial F gene sequence can be used efficiently for hRSV-A genotyping.

Exploring genetic diversity is crucial for effective breeding strategies to enhance crop performance under diverse environmental conditions and accelerate selection with improved yield and adaptability to climate change. This study aimed to explore the genetic diversity of eleven flax genotypes (Linum usitatissimum L.) using Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) markers and evaluate their performance in fibre yield contributing characters and seed yield-related traits in two field trials during 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. SCoT markers revealed varying degrees of polymorphism, with primers SCoT-1, SCoT-24, and SCoT-27 displaying 100% polymorphism, indicating high genetic diversity among the genotypes. Genetic similarity analysis categorized the genotypes into four diverse groups. The agronomic performance indicated that ‘S.620’, ‘Sakha 3’, and ‘S.651’ excelled in straw yield and associated traits such as technical length, plant height, fibre percentage, total fibre yield, fibre length, and straw yield, while ‘Sakha 5’ and ‘S.945’ showed the lowest. On the other hand, ‘Sakha 5’ followed by ‘S.933/15/2’ and ‘Sakha 6' were the top performers for seed yield and related characteristics, including fruiting zone length, number of capsules per plant, seed index, seed yield, oil percentage, and seed and oil yields, while ‘IV2’ exhibited the lowest values. Hierarchical clustering divided the genotypes into distinct clusters based on straw and seed performance. Moreover, the principal component analysis highlighted a clear separation between genotypes excelling in straw and seed traits, with strong associations among related characters. These findings provide valuable insights for breeding programs to improve flax fibre and seed production.