Although fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) proteins are known to play essential roles in plant growth and development, their involvement in biotic and abiotic stress responses remains insufficiently characterized. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of 31 FAR genes across four cotton species (Gossypium arboreum, G. raimondii, G. hirsutum, and G. barbadense). Phylogenetic and synteny analyses classified these FAR genes into three distinct clades, with whole-genome duplication events contributing significantly to their expansion. Promoter cis-element analysis and transcriptome profiling revealed that while most FAR genes were downregulated under abiotic stress, many were notably upregulated in response to hormone treatments and Verticillium dahliae infection. Among them, GhFAR3 showed strong induction upon pathogen challenge. Functional validation using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) demonstrated that silencing GhFAR3 compromised resistance to V. dahliae, correlating with a marked reduction in suberin deposition in root tissues. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized role of FAR-mediated lipid metabolism in plant defense and establish GhFAR3 as a key positive regulator of cotton resistance to V. dahliae through suberin biosynthesis in roots. This study provides novel insights into the integration of lipid biosynthesis and pathogen resistance pathways in cotton.

Aluminum-activated malate transporter (ALMT) channels mediate root malate efflux, a key response for plant survival in acidic, aluminum-toxic soils. The acidophilic genus Vaccinium is horticulturally important, yet its ALMT family has remained uncharacterized. Leveraging two newly available chromosome-level genomes (Vaccinium darrowii and Vaccinium duclouxii), we present the first genus-wide characterization of this family. Across 11 angiosperms we identified 145 non-redundant ALMT loci, partitioned into six major subfamilies. MCScanX synteny revealed compact retention rather than expansion: diploid Vaccinium genomes encode only 8–10 ALMTs each, with at most one intra-species syntenic paralog pair, versus multiple whole-genome-duplication-derived pairs in apple (Malus domestica, 24 loci). Pairwise Ka/Ks was elevated within Vaccinium in three subfamilies, and codon-based PAML branch-site tests detected Bonferroni-significant positive selection on terminal Vaccinium branches in Subfamilies 5 and 4 (2ΔlnL = 40.65 and 12.95), yielding three Bayes Empirical Bayes candidate sites in Subfamily 5 (F249, E410, L411) and two in Subfamily 4 (E249, G399); Subfamily 2 was non-significant and is interpreted as relaxed constraint. All candidate residues map to C-terminal cytoplasmic regulatory regions rather than the transmembrane pore. These findings indicate that the compact Vaccinium ALMT repertoire retained its ancestral channel architecture while accumulating lineage-associated divergence in cytoplasmic regulatory regions; the identified residues are candidates for downstream functional validation rather than demonstrated drivers of acid-soil adaptation.

Background: The functional role of GhZFP8 (a zinc finger protein gene) in plant growth and development remains unclear. Methods: This study investigated phenotypic and transcriptomic changes in GhZFP8-transgenic vs. wild-type Arabidopsis to clarify GhZFP8’s biological functions. Phenotypes of two transgenic lines (ZFP8_7, ZFP8_21) were observed. Transcriptome sequencing (ZFP8_7 vs. wild-type, 3 biological replicates/sample) was performed, with quality assessment (coverage, depth, alignment rate). Differential genes were screened by |log2(fold change)| > 1 and FDR < 0.05; GO/KEGG enrichment analyses were conducted. Results: Transgenic lines showed slower growth, higher trichome density, ectopic silique trichomes, and reduced fertility. Sequencing quality was satisfactory (97.42% exonic alignment). Most differential genes were highly expressed in wild-type plants, with more downregulated than upregulated genes. Upregulated genes enriched in stimulus response regulation, plant cell walls, and methyltransferase activity (GO); estrogen signaling/tyrosine metabolism (KEGG). Downregulated genes enriched in cell wall/phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (GO); glycosyltransferase/plant MAPK pathways (KEGG). Conclusions:GhZFP8 overexpression induces significant phenotypic changes and alters gene expression in Arabidopsis. Findings provide insights into GhZFP8’s effects, supporting further study of its functional mechanisms.