The 14–3-3 proteins are highly conserved regulatory eukaryotic proteins, which are crucial in growth, development, and stress responses. However, systematic characterization of the 14–3-3 gene family in Brassicaceae species and their evolutionary relationships have not been comprehensively reported. This study conducted genome-wide identification, structural characteristics, and comparative evolutionary analysis of 14–3-3 gene family members in Arabidopsis thaliana, A. lyrata, A. pumila, Camelina sativa, and Brassica oleracea using comparative genomics. Overall, a total of 108 14–3-3 genes, which were phylogenetically classified into ε and non-ε groups were identified in the five species, with the non-ε members exhibiting more similar exon–intron structures and conserved motif patterns. Collinearity analysis revealed that the Brassicaceae 14–3-3 gene family members underwent varying degrees of expansion following whole-genome duplication (WGD) events. Notably, the number of 14–3-3 gene family members between A. lyrata and A. thaliana remained similar despite the former having approximately 1.66-fold larger genome size. In contrast, the number of 14–3-3 gene family members in A. pumila and C. sativa increased in proportionately to their genome size, while gene members in the more distantly related species to A. thaliana, B. oleracea, showed irregular expansion patterns. Selection pressure analysis revealed that 14–3-3 homologs in all the five species underwent purifying selection, with the group ε members experiencing relatively weaker purifying selection. Cloning of ApGRF6-2 gene from A. pumila indicated that the ApGRF6-2 protein was localized in the cell membrane and cytoplasm, while ectopic overexpression of ApGRF6-2 in A. thaliana could promote early flowering by upregulating the expression of floral meristem identity genes. This study provides a comprehensive and systematic identification of the 14–3-3 gene family members in five Brassicaceae species using updated genome sequences, and the results could form a basis for further validation of functional and molecular mechanisms of 14–3-3 genes in plant growth, development, abiotic stress responses, as well as flowering regulation.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade is a crucial signaling component of eukaryotic cells. It senses endogenous or exogenous stimuli and exerts a critical regulatory influence on stress responses. The MAP kinase kinase kinase (MEKK) gene is located upstream in the MAPK cascade. It is extensively engaged in plant growth and development, playing a pivotal role in tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salt, drought, and extreme temperatures. Arabidopsis pumila, a short-lived cruciferous plant native to the southern desert area of the Gurbantünggüt Desert in Xinjiang exhibits excellent stress adaptation and contains a rich array of stress resistance genes. Previous research has demonstrated that the expression of ApMEKK18 is continuously upregulated under saline stress, although its function in the response to this type of abiotic stress is unclear. The findings of this study reveal that the ApMEKK18 protein is localized in the cell nucleus, and the ApMEKK18 gene is upregulated in response to abscisic acid (ABA), NaCl, PEG6000, and mannitol, exhibiting varying expression patterns under different conditions. Using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, we overexpressed ApMEKK18 in rice. Compared to the control variety Nipponbare (NP), no substantial differences were observed in plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, grain width, and thickness in the ApMEKK18-overexpressing transgenic rice. However, the number of tillers, panicle length, grain length, 1,000-grain weight, and single-plant yield were significantly increased. Furthermore, ApMEKK18 overexpression enhanced seed germination under high salt and ABA stress conditions, while reducing sensitivity to exogenous ABA and improving salt tolerance in seedlings. The results of this study provide a theoretical foundation for further research on the function of ApMEKK18 and lay the groundwork for mining stress-resistance genes from A. pumila. Additionally, the findings offer insights into improving crop stress tolerance through genetic engineering.

A exploration and understanding of cultivar adaptability to specific environmental conditions are critical in rice breeding. This study aimed to compare the agro-morphological data of 36 japonica rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.) from Chinese rice accessions grown under two different environments (Fengyang and Hexian) and to identify important genes associated with key traits in the cultivars. Higher significant differences were observed between Fengyang and Hexian in traits like, grain width, grain length, yield per plot, plant height, and tiller number with cultivars grown in Hexian having the greatest values. This revealed that the environment in Hexian favored these traits, and most cultivars performed better in Hexian than in Fengyang. Correlation analysis also showed strong positive correlations between tiller number and yield per plot in both environments, indicating the influence of tiller number on rice yield potential. The PCR analysis showed the amplification of DEP1, Ghd7, Wx, Chalk5, COLD1, DST, Xa13, and Bph6 in most japonica cultivars, indicating presence of these genes in the cultivars. This study suggests that differences in agronomic performance between the cultivars grown in Fengyang and Hexian might be caused by differences in environmental conditions. This finding could be valuable for future breeding of high-yielding and climate-resilient cultivars.

An exploration and understanding of cultivar adaptability to specific environmental conditions are critical in rice breeding. This study aimed to compare the agro-morphological data of 36 japonica rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.) from Chinese rice accessions grown under two different environments (Fengyang and Hexian) and to identify important genes associated with key traits in the cultivars. Higher significant differences were observed between Fengyang and Hexian in traits like, grain width, grain length, yield per plot, plant height, and tiller number with cultivars grown in Hexian having the greatest values. This revealed that the environment in Hexian favored these traits, and most cultivars performed better in Hexian than in Fengyang. Correlation analysis also showed strong positive correlations between tiller number and yield per plot in both environments, indicating the influence of tiller number on rice yield potential. The PCR analysis showed the amplification of DEP1, Ghd7, Wx, Chalk5, COLD1, DST, Xa13, and Bph6 in most japonica cultivars, indicating presence of these genes in the cultivars. This study suggests that differences in agronomic performance between the cultivars grown in Fengyang and Hexian might be caused by differences in environmental conditions. This finding could be valuable for future breeding of high-yielding and climate-resilient cultivars.