Cryptochromes (CRYs), as essential blue-light photoreceptors, play pivotal roles in modulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. Although CRY-mediated light signaling has been extensively studied in model species, their functions remain limited in wheat. In this work, a comprehensive analysis of the TaCRY gene family was performed in wheat, identifying 12 TaCRY members localized to distinct chromosomes 2, 6, and 7. TaCRYs contain the conserved PHR and CCT domains and diverse gene structures. Collinearity relationships indicated their dynamic evolution patterns during polyploidization. Cis-acting elements of TaCRY members associated with light responsiveness, phytohormone signaling, and abiotic stress were also identified. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the differential expression patterns of TaCRY members under seed vigor process. This study expands our understanding of TaCRY diversity and provides valuable molecular information for marker-assisted selection in wheat improvement.

9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases (NCEDs), serving as the rate-limiting enzymes in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, play a pivotal role in regulating plant growth and development, as well as responses to abiotic stresses. Despite their agronomic importance, the molecular dialog between ABA signaling and vernalization, a cold-induced switch from vegetative to reproductive growth in wheat, remains poorly characterized, particularly regarding the TaNCED gene family members. Here, we systematically identified 13 TaNCED members in hexaploid wheat, followed by multi-omics characterization encompassing physicochemical properties, exon–intron architectures, conserved catalytic domains, protein motifs, and cis-acting elements. By analyzing transcriptome data from vernalization treatments, we profiled the expression patterns of TaNCED genes during vernalization. Notably, TaNCED5-6A, TaNCED5-6B, and TaNCED5-6D exhibited significant upregulation in vernalized leaves and tiller buds, while maintaining basal expression in the shoot apical meristem, the site of floral induction. This tissue-specific expression pattern implicates their specialized role in mediating vernalization responses via ABA biosynthesis. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of ABA-mediated vernalization in wheat and offer valuable targets for vernalization efficiency in cereal breeding programs.

Background: Ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺) serves as a vital nitrogen source, playing pivotal regulatory roles in plant growth, development, and high-yield formation. Ammonium transporters (AMTs), encoded by the AMT gene family, are central to NH₄⁺ transport. However, the functional roles of AMT genes in wheat remain poorly understood. Methods: A comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the TaAMT gene family numbers was conducted, encompassing investigations into gene structure, protein motif composition, gene duplication events, collinearity relationships, and cis-acting regulatory elements. Furthermore, the expression patterns of distinct TaAMT members were examined under varying ammonium supply conditions and pathogen stress. Results: In this study, a total of 21 TaAMT members were identified. Additionally, all TaAMT proteins were localized to the plasma membrane. Phylogenetic analysis clustered these genes into four distinct subgroups. Comparative analyses of gene structure and conserved motifs revealed conserved domain composition and motif organization within each subgroup. Interspecific synteny analysis highlighted evolutionary conservation across species. Promoter region analysis identified multiple cis-regulatory elements associated with hormone signaling, light responsiveness, and abiotic stress adaptation. Expression profiling demonstrated that TaAMT members exhibit both tissue-specific and constitutive expression patterns across developmental stages. RT-qPCR further revealed that the expression of TaAMT members responds to varying concentrations of ammonium nitrogen supply, as well as infection stresses caused by stripe rust and powdery mildew. Conclusions: Collectively, this study uncovered the functional diversity of TaAMT members, offering novel molecular targets and theoretical foundations for breeding wheat varieties with enhanced nitrogen use efficiency and disease resistance.

Background: Ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺) serves as a vital nitrogen source, playing pivotal regulatory roles in plant growth, development, and high-yield formation. Ammonium transporters (AMTs), encoded by the AMT gene family, are central to NH4+ transport. However, the functional roles of AMT genes in wheat remain poorly understood.Methods: In this study, a total of 21 TaAMT members were identified. A comprehensive genome-wide analysis was conducted, encompassing investigations into gene structure, protein motif composition, gene duplication events, collinearity relationships, and cis-acting regulatory elements. Furthermore, the expression patterns of distinct TaAMT members were examined under varying ammonium supply conditions and pathogen stress. Results: All TaAMT proteins exhibited hydrophobic characteristics and localized to the plasma membrane. Phylogenetic analysis clustered these genes into four distinct subgroups. Comparative analyses of gene structure and conserved motifs revealed conserved domain composition and motif organization within each subgroup. Interspecific synteny analysis highlighted evolutionary conservation across species. Promoter region analysis identified multiple cis-regulatory elements associated with hormone signaling, light responsiveness, and abiotic stress adaptation. Expression profiling demonstrated that TaAMT members exhibit both tissue-specific and constitutive expression patterns across developmental stages. RT-qPCR further revealed that the expression of TaAMT members responds to varying concentrations of ammonium nitrogen supply, as well as infection stresses caused by stripe rust and powdery mildew. Conclusions: Collectively, this study provides the useful molecular information into the roles of TaAMT members in nitrogen use efficiency and disease resistance, offering valuable genetic resources for wheat breeding programs aimed at enhancing agronomic traits.

The ABCB subfamily, a subset transporter of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily, is vital for various plant life processes, especially in the transport of polar auxin and brassinosteroids. Although ABCB transporters have been characterized in diverse plant species, their specific functions in wheat remain largely unexplored. In this study, we identified 99 TaABCB members in wheat and categorized them into four groups based on their conserved domains and phylogenetic relationships. These members were found to be unevenly distributed across all 21 wheat chromosomes. We conducted a comprehensive genome-wide analysis encompassing gene structure, protein motifs, gene duplication events, collinearity, and cis-acting elements. Transcriptome analysis revealed that different TaABCB members displayed distinct expression patterns under phosphate starvation stress. Notably, we discovered that TaABCB7 might play a role in regulating wheat’s phosphate starvation. Crucially, we pinpointed an elite haplotype, H001, of the candidate gene TaABCB7, which has been progressively selected and employed in wheat breeding improvement programs. Overall, this study enhances our comprehensive understanding of TaABCB members and offers a potential gene resource for molecular marker-assisted selection breeding in wheat.