Wheat is one of the most important crops contributing to global food and nutritional security. However, the gradual increase in soil salt content significantly impairs wheat growth and development, ultimately resulting in reduced yields. Therefore, enhancing the salt tolerance of wheat is of significant importance. Salt stress commonly induces oxidative stress in plants, and nucleoredoxin (NRX) has been shown to effectively maintain redox homeostasis under stress conditions. However, the functional role and molecular mechanism of the NRX gene in regulating salt tolerance in wheat remain to be elucidated. The results of this study demonstrated that TaNRX1-2D homologous overexpression (OE) lines exhibited significantly enhanced tolerance to salt stress. The survival rate and antioxidant enzyme activities (including superoxide dismutase and catalase) in the OE lines were higher than those in the wild type (WT). In contrast, the levels of superoxide anion (O₂⁻), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the OE lines were markedly lower than those in the WT. Conversely, the RNA interference (RNAi) lines displayed opposing trends. The results of yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual luciferase assays (D-LUC) demonstrated that the TaERD15L-3B transcription factor positively regulated the expression of the TaNRX1-2D gene by binding to the ABRERATCAL cis-acting element in the TaNRX1-2D promoter. Through luciferase complementation assay (LCA), bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay, and a “mutation capture strategy”, it was found that TaNRX1-2D (C54, 327S) interacted with TaCAT2-B, indicating that TaCAT2-B was the target protein of TaNRX1-2D. The results of data-independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics analysis indicated that TaNRX1-2D may mediate salt tolerance in wheat through the positive regulation of nsLTP protein abundance and the negative regulation of hexokinase protein abundance. In general, the TaERD15L-3B/TaNRX1-2D regulatory module played a crucial role in conferring salt tolerance in wheat. This study provided an important theoretical basis and identified a potential gene target for developing salt-tolerant wheat varieties through molecular breeding approaches.

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a crop with a good ability to adapt to the environment. Over 8800 accessions have been collected in the national gene bank of China. The huge quantity of germplasms made it difficult for analysis and evaluation. Although a broomcorn millet core collection (CC) comprising 780 accessions was established, the number is still too large for researchers to explore in depth. In this study, the genetic diversity of 634 broomcorn millet accessions from the core collection was analyzed based on SSR markers. A mini-core collection (MC) containing 256 accessions was extracted. The mini-core collection accounted for less than half of the original core collection and only about 2.8% of the total resources but still provided a good representation. In addition, the results of this study validated that Shanxi is the origin of broomcorn millet, and accessions from the South region may contain novel genes. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive characterization of the genetic diversities of broomcorn millet core collection in China. Moreover, an MC may aid in reasonably and efficiently selecting materials for broomcorn millet breeding as researchers could screen for aimed genetic characters within a smaller scope.

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) enhance plant growth through multiple mechanisms; however, the underlying plant molecular response pathways remain i

SMXL proteins serve as central regulators of strigolactone (SL) and karrikin (KAR) signaling pathways, orchestrating key developmental processes including shoot branching, floral transition, photomorphogenesis and stress responses. However, the SMXL gene family has not been systematically characterized in Lavandula angustifolia. We identified 37 LaSMXL genes in the lavender genome. Phylogenetic and synteny analyses classified these proteins into four subgroups (Groups I–IV) and indicated that family expansion in lavender was mainly driven by whole-genome and segmental duplications, with most duplicated pairs evolving under strong purifying selection. Gene structure and motif analyses revealed high conservation within each subgroup. Promoter cis-element analysis suggested that LaSMXL genes are integrated into light-, hormone- and stress-responsive regulatory networks. RNA-seq profiling showed that most LaSMXL genes are weakly expressed, but a small subset displays pronounced tissue specificity and clear transcriptional responses to low temperature. Protein–protein interaction predictions and co-expression network analysis further placed highly expressed LaSMXLs within conserved SL/KAR and chloroplast/light-associated modules, alongside D14, KAI2, MAX2, CCD7/CCD8, and CYP711A. Together, these findings provide the first comprehensive overview of the SMXL gene family in lavender and identify candidate LaSMXL genes for future functional studies aimed at optimizing plant architecture and inflorescence-derived essential oil biosynthesis.

Background: Foxtail millet ( Setaria italica L.) is an important minor cereal crop cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the molecular mechanisms determining variations in its edible quality remain unclear. In this study, 12 foxtail millet varieties were subjected to systematic edible quality evaluation. The molecular basis of quality differences between high- and low-quality varieties was elucidated by integrating comparative transcriptomics and untargeted metabolomics analyses. Results: Flavor, grain color, and palatability were the key indicators of variety quality. Transcriptomic analysis identified 667 differentially expressed genes. Up-regulated genes were significantly enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid/anthocyanin biosynthesis, and terpenoid metabolism pathways, whereas down-regulated genes were enriched in defense response and plant-pathogen interaction pathways. Nineteen key genes were identified, including those encoding flavanone 3-dioxygenase ( F3H ), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase ( DFR ), and anthocyanin 3- O -glucosyltransferase ( 3GT ). Metabolomic analysis detected 455 differential metabolites, 50 of which were significantly differential. Combined pathway analysis revealed a molecular network wherein high-quality varieties activated flavonoid/anthocyanin synthesis and terpenoid metabolism pathways with significant accumulation of homoplantaginin, delphinidin, kaempferide, myristicin, and (-)- trans -carveol. Meanwhile, these varieties suppressed defense responses and pectin synthesis, which reduced the content of bitter metabolites such as ingenol and cichorioside B and optimized the cell wall structure, may collectively contribute to improved edible quality. Conclusions: This study systematically elucidated the molecular basis of edible quality differences in foxtail millet from a multi-omics perspective, providing candidate genes for genetic improvement.