The cell wall, acting as the first line of defense against aluminum (Al) toxicity, is the primary cellular structure that encounters and perceives Al³⁺. Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) plays a pivotal role in mediating cell wall remodeling, a critical mechanism for Al toxicity tolerance. In our previous studies, the candidate gene BnaXTH22 was identified through GWAS and RNA-seq analyses. Under Al toxicity stress, overexpression lines (OEs) exhibited a significant increase in the relative elongation of taproots (9.44–13.32%) and total root length (8.15–12.89%) compared to the wild type (WT). Following Al treatment, OEs displayed reduced MDA content and lower relative electrical conductivity, alongside a significantly higher root activity than WT. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes in OE under Al toxicity were predominantly enriched in stress-related biological processes, including phenylpropanoid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and lignin biosynthesis. These results suggest that BnaXTH22 overexpression could enhance Al toxicity tolerance in rapeseed, potentially by modulating cell wall synthesis to bolster plant resistance.

The cell wall is the primary cellular structure that encounters and perceives Al³⁺, acting as the first line of defense against aluminum (Al) toxicity. Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) plays a pivotal role in mediating cell wall remodeling, a critical mechanism for Al toxicity tolerance. In our previous studies, the candidate gene BnaXTH22 was identified through GWAS and RNA-seq analyses. Under Al toxicity stress, overexpression lines (OEs) exhibited a significant increase in relative elongation of taproots (9.44%–13.32%) and total root length (8.15%–12.89%) compared to the wild type (WT). Following Al treatment, OEs displayed reduced MDA content and lower relative electrical conductivity, alongside significantly higher root activity than WT. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes in OE plants under Al toxicity were predominantly enriched in stress-related biological processes, including phenylpropanoid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and lignin biosynthesis. These findings suggested that BnaXTH22 overexpression enhances Al toxicity tolerance in rapeseed, potentially by modulating cell wall synthesis to bolster plant resistance.

Leaf color, as a key ornamental and quality trait in leafy vegetable sweet potato, is controlled by the coordinated regulation of multiple pigment metabolic pathways. To dissect the mechanisms underlying leaf color variation, the integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on three contrasting phenotypes: green (G), yellow (Y), and purple-red (R). The results showed that purplish-red leaves accumulated the highest levels of anthocyanins (16.36 mg·g⁻¹) and total chlorophyll (2.54 mg·g⁻¹), indicating that the synergistic accumulation of anthocyanins and chlorophyll contributes to their dark pigmentation. In contrast, yellow leaves contained the lowest carotenoid content yet displayed the highest carotenoid-to-chlorophyll ratio (6.44), suggesting that reduced chlorophyll levels coupled with a relatively higher carotenoid proportion underlie the yellow phenotype. Green leaves exhibited a more balanced pigment profile, with a total chlorophyll content of 1.94 mg·g⁻¹. Transcriptomic profiling revealed elevated expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes CHS, CHI, F3H, and chlorophyll metabolism-related genes CHLG and CAO in purplish-red leaves, whereas carotenoid biosynthesis genes LCY and CYP97A3 showed specific regulation in yellow leaves. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that leaf color formation in leafy vegetable sweet potato is determined by the relative accumulation of chlorophylls, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, together with differential regulation of their biosynthetic pathways. This work provides novel insights into the molecular basis of leaf color variation and offers a theoretical foundation for genetic improvement of leafy vegetable sweet potato.

Citrus bud mutants provide valuable genetic resources for breeding early-ripening cultivars with improved fruit quality. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying early ripening traits remain poorly understood. To elucidate the physiological basis for the early-ripening phenotype of the bud mutant ‘Longhuihong’ navel orange, fruit development was systematically monitored from 60 to 240 days after full bloom over two consecutive growing seasons, with the maternal cultivar ‘Newhall’ serving as a control. The results demonstrate that the precocity of ‘Longhuihong’ arises from the coordinated optimization of multiple fruit quality traits in this cultivar. The mutant exhibited enhanced fruit growth potential, with an average increase of 12.07–15.92% in single fruit weight. Peel coloration was significantly accelerated, as reflected by the faster coloring rate. Internal quality development followed a distinct pattern, characterized by high sugar accumulation, rapid acid degradation, and elevated vitamin C content. Notably, citric acid metabolism in ‘Longhuihong’ displayed a unique biphasic profile: substantial accumulation in the early stage, followed by rapid degradation in the later stage, which advanced the peak of the TSS/TA ratio by approximately 15 days. Principal component analysis further confirmed that the early ripening trait represents a systemic and integrated advancement in fruit size, sugar–acid balance, and peel pigmentation. Collectively, these findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying precocity in ‘Longhuihong’ and offer key indices for breeding high-quality, early-ripening citrus cultivars.

The multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) protein plays a crucial role in mediating plant responses to aluminum (Al) toxicity. The key candidate gene BnaMATE43b related to Al toxicity stress in rapeseed was identified using GWAS and transcriptome analysis. In this study, the BnaMATE43b gene was cloned and functionally characterized in rapeseed. Compared with wild-type rapeseed (WT), the BnaMATE43b overexpression lines (OE) demonstrated stronger aluminum tolerance, specifically manifested in higher relative elongation of taproots (RETs) and relative total root length (RTRL); under Al toxicity stress, the enzyme activities (SOD and POD) and root activity were significantly increased in the OE lines, whereas the MDA content and relative electrical conductivity were reduced in rapeseed root. Further transcriptome analysis of OE-3 showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly enriched in zeatin biosynthesis (map00908), glucosinolate biosynthesis (map00966), phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (map00940), and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism (map00053). In addition, the yeast cDNA library of rapeseed was constructed, and twenty-two candidate upstream transcription factors (UTFs) of BnaMATE43b were screened; furthermore, four candidate UTFs were obtained through one-on-one interaction validation and luciferase assays, comprising three bHLH transcription factors (BnaA02g28220D, BnaA06g07840D, and BnaA08g24520D) and one ERF transcription factor (BnaA05g23130D). Collectively, these results suggest that BnaMATE43b could improve Al tolerance in rapeseed by mediating antioxidant enzyme activities and the related metabolic pathway, while the obtained UTFs lay the foundation for further analysis of the gene regulatory network under Al toxicity stress.