Cytoplasmic male-sterility (CMS) is important for the utilization of crop heterosis and study of the molecular mechanisms involved in CMS could improve breeding programs. In the present study, anthers of the pepper CMS line HZ1A and its maintainer line HZ1B were collected from stages S1, S2, and S3 for transcriptome sequencing. A total of 47.95 million clean reads were obtained, and the reads were assembled into 31,603 unigenes. We obtained 42 (27 up-regulated and 15 down-regulated), 691 (346 up-regulated and 345 down-regulated), and 709 (281 up-regulated and 428 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in stages S1, S2, and S3, respectively. Through Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, the DEGs were found to be composed of 46 functional groups. Two GO terms involved in photosynthesis, photosynthesis (GO:0015986) and photosystem I (GO:0009522), may be related to CMS. Through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, oxidative phosphorylation (ko00190) and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (ko00940) were significantly enriched in the S1 and S2 stages, respectively. Through the analysis of 104 lipid metabolism-related DEGs, four significantly enriched KEGG pathways may help to regulate male sterility during anther development. The mitochondrial genes orf470 and atp6 were identified as candidate genes of male sterility for the CMS line HZ1A. Overall, the results will provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of pepper CMS.

Peel glossiness is an important commercial trait of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). In this study, two eggplant-inbred lines with different levels of peel glossiness were used to identify genes related to peel glossiness. Paraffin section analysis showed that increased wax thickness and wrinkles on the wax surface of eggplant peels decreased glossiness. Differential gene expression related to eggplant peel glossiness was analyzed by comparing the transcriptomes of eggplant peels with different gloss levels and at different developmental stages. The results identified 996 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 502 upregulated and 494 downregulated genes, possibly related to eggplant peel glossiness. GO enrichment and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the DNA replication pathway (GO:0003688, GO:0006270) and the photosynthesis pathway (map00195) were downregulated and thus may be associated with reduced eggplant peel glossiness. Expression level analysis of eggplant peels with different glossiness levels revealed that a C2H2 transcription factor gene, two ERF transcription factor genes, one long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase gene, and four wax- or cutin-related genes may be associated with the glossiness of eggplant fruit peels. These findings will help guide future genetic improvements in eggplant peel glossiness.

Eggplant cultivation faces major challenges from continuous cropping obstacles, which degrade soil health and limit sustainable production. Microbial inoculants offer a promising strategy for addressing such issues by modifying the soil environment and rhizosphere ecology. In this study, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of three bacterial inoculants, including Bacillus zhangzhouensis (BF1), Bacillus mobilis (BF2), and Zhihengliuella halotolerans (BF3), on soil properties, microbial community structure, and crop performance in a continuously cropped eggplant system. The results showed that three inoculants exerted strain-specific effects: BF1 significantly promoted eggplant vegetative growth and yield, increasing plant height by 32.1%, stem diameter by 28.7%, and total yield by 142.4% relative to the control; BF3 selectively improved fruit quality and soil nutrient status, elevating eggplant fruit total amino acid, soluble protein, and soluble sugar contents by 68.9%, 52.3%, and 41.2%, respectively, and increasing soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and available nitrogen (AN) by 13.73%, 18.03%, and 84.92% compared with the control. BF2 showed limited efficacy relative to the control. All inoculants enhanced the abundance of beneficial bacteria and reshaped the rhizosphere microbial community structure. The findings demonstrate the potential of strain-specific microbial inoculants to alleviate continuous cropping obstacles and promote sustainable eggplant production.