The TCP gene family encodes plant-specific transcription factors that regulate plant growth, development, and stress responses. Although this gene family has been widely studied in various species, its function in mung bean (Vigna radiata) remains unclear. In this study, we identified 26 VrTCP genes, which were classified into two groups: Class I (PCF subfamily) and Class II (CYC/TB1 and CIN subfamilies). These family members likely function in the nucleus. VrTCP genes are unevenly distributed across chromosomes and are associated with gene duplication events. Their cis-regulatory elements are involved in plant growth, hormone signaling, and stress responses. Co-expression network analysis further supports these findings, identifying 1,304 genes co-expressed with VrTCPs, among which VrTCP19, VrTCP10, VrTCP16, and VrTCP20 act as hub genes regulating hormone signaling and the MAPK pathway. Overall, VrTCP genes play a key role in salt stress responses, providing molecular insights that may facilitate the development of salt-tolerant mung bean varieties through molecular breeding. These findings also offer a foundation for future functional studies aimed at improving crop resilience under abiotic stress conditions.

Salt stress severely limits crop productivity worldwide. However, in mung bean (Vigna radiata), an important legume for agriculture and nutrition, the transcriptional mechanisms underlying dose-dependent salt adaptation remain largely unexplored. We combined physiological assays, transcriptomic profiling, and a dose-adapted time-ordered gene co-expression network (TO-GCN) analysis to dissect the regulatory responses of mung bean under a gradient of salt stress concentrations. Salt exposure increased reactive oxygen species and osmolyte accumulation, accompanied by transcriptional reprogramming that intensified with higher salinity. Network analysis identified eight hierarchically organized regulatory layers corresponding to distinct salt stress stages, revealing coordinated activation of ethylene and jasmonic acid signaling pathways. Notably, lipid transfer proteins (VrLTPs) were predominantly induced under high-salt conditions, co-expressed with key transcription factors such as WRKY, MYB, and NAC, and likely function as central regulators of late-stage stress adaptation. These findings reveal a multi-tiered regulatory framework—captured through a dose-responsive TO-GCN approach—integrating hormonal signaling and lipid-mediated defense mechanisms. The identification of VrLTPs as salt-induced transcriptional hubs highlights their critical role in mung bean’s adaptive strategy under high salinity.

Peas (Pisum sativum) are vital for human nutrition and have significantly contributed to the understanding of Mendelian inheritance laws. In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing on 11 distinct pea tissues, offering an extensive gene expression dataset. This study not only provides valuable insights into the gene expression patterns across various pea tissues but also lays the foundation for future research aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying pea growth, development, and response to environmental stimuli. In this study, we conducted transcriptome sequencing on tissue samples from 11 distinct pea plants, each with three biological replicates. This approach yielded a comprehensive RNA-seq dataset, abundant in transcriptomic information. Through principal component analysis (PCA) and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, we identified significant variations in gene expression across different samples. This valuable transcriptomic resource enhances our understanding of gene expression in diverse pea tissues and provides new strategies, along with potential candidate genes, for the genetic improvement of peas.

Importin α (IMPα) proteins are key mediators of nucleocytoplasmic transport and play crucial roles in plant development and stress adaptation. Here, we performed a genome-wide identification of the IMPα gene family in Glycine max, followed by gene structure and conserved motif analyses, chromosomal distribution and duplication inference, synteny and selection (Ka/Ks) analyses, and expression profiling across tissues and stress conditions using public RNA-seq datasets and expression browsers. The GmIMPα genes exhibited diverse gene structures and conserved motifs, suggesting functional diversification within the family. Segmental duplication was identified as the main contributor to family expansion, and most duplicated gene pairs underwent purifying selection. Promoter analysis revealed numerous stress- and hormone-responsive cis-elements, implying complex transcriptional regulation. Expression profiling demonstrated that GmIMPα5 and GmIMPα7 were strongly induced under drought, heat, and salt stresses, indicating potential roles in abiotic stress tolerance. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive framework for the evolution and functional divergence of the GmIMPα family in soybean and offer candidates for improving stress resilience.

To clarify cultivar differences in growth performance, yield formation, and bioactive characteristics at the sprout and fresh seed stages, twelve pea cultivars were evaluated. Growth traits, yield formation, and changes in phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity during sprouting were assessed, and the nutritional quality and mineral element composition of fresh seeds were also determined. The results showed that cultivars 24-164 and 24-510 exhibited low germination rates and severe cotyledon decay, making them unsuitable for sprout production. Significant differences were observed among the remaining cultivars in growth traits, edible ratio, and yield efficiency, with cultivars 24-724 and 24-486 showing superior processing efficiency and utilization value. During sprouting, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, as well as 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), were significantly influenced by both cultivar and light exposure stage. Root length and root diameter were significantly and positively correlated with phenolic accumulation and antioxidant activity. Analysis of fresh seed quality revealed marked inter-cultivar variation in nutritional and health-related traits. Cultivar 24-486 exhibited the highest values for phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, vitamin C, vitamin E, and Fe and Se accumulation, whereas cultivar 24-013 showed advantages in calcium and potassium contents. These results identify cultivars 24-724 and 24-486 as promising candidates for sprout production and highlight cultivar 24-486 as a dual-purpose genotype for both sprout and fresh seed utilization.

Pea ( Pisum sativum L.), a widely cultivated cool-season legume crop globally, serves as a high-quality source of plant protein for humans. Despite its critical importance, systematic evaluations of the genetic diversity and population structure of a phenotype−guided core collection integrating germplasm from multiple regions remain limited. In this study, a core collection of 144 pea accessions with important breeding value was evaluated for genetic diversity using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) molecular markers to elucidate their population genetic structure. The genetic diversity results revealed an average number of alleles (Na) of 4.923, an average number of effective alleles (Ne) of 2.130, an average expected heterozygosity (He) of 0.468, and an average observed heterozygosity (Ho) of 0.207. The average Shannon’s information index (I) and average polymorphism information content (PIC) were 0.895 and 0.4219, respectively, indicating relatively rich genetic diversity within the pea population. Population structure analysis (K = 2) divided the accessions into two major genetic groups, with 32 accessions assigned to Group I, 61 to Group II, and 51 accessions (35.4%) showing admixed ancestry. The UPGMA dendrogram and principal component analysis were broadly consistent with this grouping. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that most genetic variation was distributed within populations (87%), whereas variation among populations accounted for 13% (Fst = 0.129, P < 0.001). These findings provide a genetic stratification framework that can guide germplasm conservation, parental selection, and future marker−assisted breeding efforts in pea.