Scientia Horticulturae最新文献

{"title":"High-efficiency somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants of Ornithogalum caudatum Ait","authors":"Mu Ze ,&nbsp;Binyue Zhang ,&nbsp;Haoyu Ma ,&nbsp;Yanbo Guo ,&nbsp;Yao Yang ,&nbsp;Ming Dong ,&nbsp;Lijuan Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ornithogalum caudatum</em> Ait (<em>O. caudatum</em>), a highly valued ornamental and medicinal species, holds notable commercial potential for bioprospecting industries. This study established both direct and indirect somatic embryogenesis (SE) pathways using leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with plant growth regulators (PGRs). Leaf explants treated with 1.0–3.0 mg L⁻¹ auxin (α-naphthylacetic acid (NAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)), and four types cytokinins (thidiazuron (TDZ), 6-benzyladenine (BA), kinetin (Kin), and zeatin (ZT)) directly or direct produced somatic embryos. IBA as the sole PGR optimally induced direct SE, yielding 16.3 ± 2.5 embryos per explant at 84.7 % frequency. Treatment with 2,4-D generated embryogenic calli via an indirect pathway, with subsequent SE induction peaking at 43.6 % (8.6 ± 1.5 embryos/explant). Cytokinin - auxin synergism markedly enhanced regeneration efficiency: 0.3 mg L⁻¹ NAA with 2.0 mg L⁻¹ TDZ or BA achieved maximal SE induction (100 % and 98.9 %, respectively) and embryo production (24.7 ± 1.8 and 22.5 ± 3.1 per explant). Gibberellic acid 3 (GA₃) promoted somatic embryo maturation. SE-derived plantlets exhibited 98.0 % survival during greenhouse acclimatization. This work established a trustworthy and efficient strategy for regeneration through direct and indirect SE pathways, enabling scalable propagation, genetic engineering, and germplasm conservation of this commercially valuable species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114265"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144549912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of 2,4-Di‑tert-butylphenol treatment on the active constituents of Lilium brownii var. viridulum and its mechanism","authors":"Xin Yu ,&nbsp;Jiani Li ,&nbsp;Xingjie Li ,&nbsp;Xiaolong Liu ,&nbsp;Qingning Deng ,&nbsp;Qi Huang ,&nbsp;Qineng Lu ,&nbsp;Rungen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114251","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114251","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Continuous cropping obstacles in <em>Lilium brownii</em> var. <em>viridulum</em> (<em>L. brownii</em>), a medicinal plant, are significantly influenced by autotoxicity, yet its impact on active components remains unexplored. This study investigates the effects of varying concentrations (0.02–2 mg mL^-1) of the autotoxin 2,4-di‑tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) on the active constituents of <em>L. brownii</em> bulbs across three developmental stages: initial bulb formation (May 7, Stage 1), mid-bulb formation (June 16, Stage 2), and maturity (July 21, Stage 3). High 2,4-DTBP concentrations (2 mg mL^-1) enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and increased total phenols, flavonoids, and saponins. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that 2,4-DTBP induced significant changes in gene expression in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, with 76 and 26 DEGs in Stage 2, respectively, decreasing to 48 and 6 DEGs in Stage 3. Metabolomic profiling showed significant upregulation of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in Stage 2, with notable accumulation of dihydrocaffeic acid 3-O-glucuronide and typhaneoside. Correlation analysis identified 80 genes strongly associated with flavonoid metabolites. These findings elucidate the mechanisms underlying changes in <em>L. brownii</em>’s active components under autotoxic stress, providing theoretical support for optimizing its cultivation and medicinal applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114251"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144556736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"SlCESA6 and SlCEL2 antagonistically affect tomato fruit firmness by influencing cellulose deposition","authors":"Xueou Li ,&nbsp;Dawei Xu ,&nbsp;Lida Zhang ,&nbsp;Lingxia Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The firmness of fleshy fruits is closely associated with primary cell wall (PCW) structure and polysaccharide metabolism. A tomato (<em>Solanum lycopersicum</em>) mutant, <em>yellow-fruited tomato 1</em> (<em>yft1</em>, derived from M82) was found to exhibit a firmer fruit phenotype than wild-type cultivar M82, as well as reduced expression of the ethylene signaling gene <em>ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 2</em> (<em>SlEIN2</em>) and a higher levels of cellulose. Two cellulose deposition-associated genes, <em>CELLULOSE SYNTHASE subunit A6</em> (<em>SlCESA6</em>) and <em>ENDO-β-1,4-GLUCANASE 2</em> (<em>SlCEL2</em>), were induced and repressed respectively in <em>yft1</em>. In this study, <em>SlCESA6</em> and <em>SlCEL2</em> were expressed at high levels in immature fruit and mature fruits, respectively. The fruit-specific expression patterns suggest their involvement in regulating tomato fruit firmness. Thus, the level of <em>SlCESA6</em> and <em>SlCEL2</em> transcription was suppressed using RNA interference (RNAi), and double mutant was generated via crossing, termed <em>slcesa6, slcel2</em> and <em>slcesa6 slcel2</em>, respectively. Phenotypic analysis revealed that <em>slcesa6</em> fruits exhibited significantly reduced firmness at 35, 47, and 54 days post-anthesis (dpa), accompanied by a marked decrease in pericarp cellulose content and thinner cell walls. Furthermore, <em>slcesa6</em> fruits displayed thinner cuticles, resulting in increased postharvest water loss, compromised fruit integrity, and shortened shelf life. Intriguingly, the softening phenotypes of the <em>slcesa6</em> fruit were complemented in the <em>slcesa6 slcel2</em> double mutant to the levels of M82, although fruit of the <em>slcel2</em> mutant showed no difference in fruit firmness compared with wild type during ripening. Collectively, these results demonstrate that <em>SlCESA6</em> positively regulates tomato fruit firmness through promoting cellulose deposition, whereas <em>SlCEL2</em> acts antagonistically within the same pathway to influence fruit firmness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114269"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144570211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prolonged high drought stress reduces starch concentration in tomato pistils and leaves without activating degradation pathways","authors":"Mohamad al Hassan ,&nbsp;Trisha Pereira ,&nbsp;Helen Boldingh ,&nbsp;Andrew Allan ,&nbsp;Annette Richardson ,&nbsp;Simona Nardozza","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114256","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114256","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress and yield loss in crops will become more common due to climate change. Starch turnover is one mechanism plants use to mitigate drought stress and has been studied in leaves of various plant species. We compared the effect of drought treatment on starch turnover in flowers and leaves of tomato, a model plant and major crop. Applying a prolonged high drought treatment to tomato plants led to a significant reduction in plant growth and increased flower abortion, with a large reduction in starch concentrations in flower pistils (60 %) and mature leaves (75 %), but not sucrose. However, genes from the starch degradation pathway were not induced. <em>SIBAM3.2</em> and <em>SlBAM9</em> were down-regulated in pistils and young leaves. In contrast, <em>SIBAM3.1</em> was significantly down-regulated in mature leaves, suggesting a different starch degradation response between source and sink tissues. <em>SlESV1</em>, encoding for a protein involved in restricting starch degradation, was also significantly down-regulated in pistils. To explore carbon changes during flower development and put drought stress into context, we investigated metabolite and transcriptional variations in all flower tissues from control plants. In pistils, starch concentrations were lower than in other floral tissues and lower than sucrose in pistils. Transcriptional profiles showed <em>SlBAM3.2</em> and <em>SlBAM9</em> were up-regulated and <em>SlESV1</em> was down-regulated during pistil development. From this we concluded that lower starch concentrations in drought treated pistils were caused by decreased <em>SIESV1</em> transcription allowing higher starch degradation rates, and that pistil starch turnover is critical for flowering success, fruit development and yield serving as a buffer to maintain stable sucrose concentrations during drought.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114256"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144511137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogen enhances seed oil, tocopherols, seed yield, and seed quality in onion","authors":"Indrajitsingh Pravinsingh Girase ,&nbsp;Prashant Kumar Rai ,&nbsp;Vaidurya Pratap Sahi ,&nbsp;Arunachalam Thangasamy ,&nbsp;T.P. Shabeer Ahammed ,&nbsp;Vishwanath Rohidas Yalamalle","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen is an important nutrient known for enhancing biomass and grain yield. Nevertheless, the effect of varying nitrogen treatment rates on the tocopherol levels in onion seeds remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how the different rates of nitrogen fertilization affected the seed yield, seed quality, oil content, and tocopherol content in onion seed. A field experiment was carried out for two years, i.e., 2020–21 and 2021–22. The onion seeds crop was fertilized with different nitrogen levels, i.e., 0 kg/ha, 50 kg/ha, 100 kg/ha, and 150 kg/ha. Nitrogen application had a significant effect on seed oil content and quality parameters like α, β, γ, δ and total tocopherol content. Further nitrogen applied at 100 kg/ha had a favourable effect on the seed yield and seed quality parameters. These results demonstrate that nitrogen fertilization improves both the quantity and seed oil and quality of onion seeds, highlighting its significance in enhancing onion seed yield and quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114225"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144501132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Verticillium wilt resistance screening and early disease detection in eggplant using leaf injection inoculation and chlorophyll fluorescence","authors":"Fengqing Cheng ,&nbsp;Tao Zhou ,&nbsp;Wenchao Du ,&nbsp;Yumeng Xiao ,&nbsp;Yunpeng Li ,&nbsp;Shuangxia Luo ,&nbsp;Shuxing Shen ,&nbsp;Xueping Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Verticillium</em> wilt is a major threat to eggplant production, and there is an urgent need for the rapid and accurate screening of resistant varieties to enhance breeding efficiency. Owing to the long incubation period of <em>Verticillium</em> wilt before visible symptoms appear, early disease detection remains challenging. In this study, a simple and efficient leaf injection method was established and optimized by evaluating key factors, such as seedling age and inoculum concentration. The results showed that the two-leaf-one-heart stage, combined with a spore concentration of 1 × 10⁷ spores/mL, provided optimal conditions for inoculation. Chlorophyll fluorescence (Chl-F) was used to monitor the early physiological changes in plants under pathogen stress. After pathogen inoculation, changes in Chl-F parameters, such as the effective quantum yield of photosystem II (Φ_PSII) and the relative electron transport rate (rETR), were negatively correlated with the genotype’s resistance. These parameters served as early indicators for resistance screening and grading. Furthermore, our findings confirmed the high correlation (<em>R</em> = 0.92, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) between the leaf injection and root-dipping inoculation methods in a resistance-segregating population, validating the reliability of the leaf injection method for resistance screening. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of combining the leaf injection method with Chl-F analysis for precise and early disease detection and offered valuable insights into enhancing eggplant breeding strategies for <em>Verticillium</em> wilt resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114257"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing antioxidant capacity and regulating aquaporin genes expression for better water absorption by nano-silicon","authors":"Yuquan Peng ,&nbsp;Rong Yang ,&nbsp;Peihua Yang ,&nbsp;Tingqian Yang ,&nbsp;Yuan Liu ,&nbsp;Yiqing Liu ,&nbsp;Sun Chong ,&nbsp;Yongxing Zhu ,&nbsp;Huihui Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To clarify the mitigation mechanism of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) on Jerusalem artichoke (<em>Helianthus tuberosus</em> L.) under drought stress, we used the 'Qingyu' variety of Jerusalem artichoke as the research material. We conducted a greenhouse pot experiment to explore the effects of foliar spraying with a 100 mg·L⁻¹ nano-silicon (SiNP100) solution on the growth and physiological processes of Jerusalem artichoke seedlings subjected to drought stress, with the soil's relative water holding capacity controlled between 40 % and 45 %. The results indicated that, compared to drought stress alone, the application of SiNP100 (DS+SiNP100) significantly alleviated the growth inhibition of Jerusalem artichoke, while enhancing photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and chlorophyll content in the leaf. Additionally, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and superoxide radicals (O₂∙⁻) were reduced. Conversely, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), were markedly increased. Under the DS+SiNP100 treatment, the bound water content, total water content, and relative water content increased by 44.29 %, 12.09 %, and 5.42 %, respectively. In addition, the DS+SiNP100 treatment mitigated the increase of <em>TIP1–5</em> and <em>TIP2–2</em> induced by drought stress at 35 days, and improved the drought stress-induced inhibition of the expression levels of <em>PIP2–7</em> and <em>TIP2–7</em> genes. This may be attributed to the enhanced water status of the plants due to the DS+SiNP100 treatment. It is speculated that the <em>AQP</em> gene may play a role in regulating plant water status in response to SiNP100. In summary, foliar spraying of SiNPs significantly improves the drought resistance of Jerusalem artichokes. This study offers a theoretical foundation for utilizing SiNPs in the drought-resistant cultivation of Jerusalem artichokes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114234"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into water absorption pathways and structural barriers of Ormosia henryi prain revealed by multimodal imaging techniques","authors":"Nianjie Shang ,&nbsp;Yan He ,&nbsp;Li Su ,&nbsp;Xiaoli Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hard seed coat of <em>Ormosia henryi</em> Prain imposes a critical constraint on seed germination. While extensive research has been conducted on the propagation of this tree species, there exists a paucity of studies elucidating the mechanistic basis of physical dormancy in <em>O. henryi</em> seeds. Here we integrated scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dye-tracking assays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to delineate the structural impediments to water absorption and the subsequent pathways of water transport within the seed. SEM analysis revealed a complex seed coat architecture that effectively precludes water entry. Dye-tracking experiments demonstrated that the hilar region constitutes the initial site of dye penetration. MRI further demonstrated that water imbibition commences at a fissure within the hilar region, subsequently migrating towards the micropyle, where it accumulates and facilitates the internal opening of the micropyle. Two dominant water migration routes were identified: one rapid movement along vascular bundles and another traversing the interstitial space between the seed coat and cotyledon. Water mobility was continuously enhanced and transformed in the process of seed swelling absorption provide preliminary preparation for seed germination. This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of early-stage water absorption in <em>O. henryi</em>, offering critical insights for large-scale seedling cultivation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114237"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brassinolide-induced resistance enhances antioxidant defense and metabolic pathways against anthracnose in Camellia sinensis ‘Fuding Dabaicha’","authors":"Wei Liu ,&nbsp;Xiyong Guo ,&nbsp;Qiang Chen ,&nbsp;Lijuan Fu ,&nbsp;Rifeng Wei ,&nbsp;Muhammad Moaaz Ali ,&nbsp;Muhammad Suliman Shah","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114258","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114258","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the effect of exogenous brassinolide (BR) treatment on managing anthracnose in Fuding Dabaicha tea (FDT) plants following inoculation with <em>Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</em> (<em>Cg</em>). By analyzing changes in antioxidant enzyme activities, transcriptomic profiles, and metabolomic alterations, we evaluated the induced resistance of FDT to anthracnose after BR treatment and the associated physiological and biochemical responses. The results demonstrated that BR pretreatment before <em>Cg</em> inoculation effectively delayed disease progression and enhanced the activities of peroxidase (POD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the comparison between <em>Cg</em>-inoculated control and BR-treated plants (CK-Cg vs. BR-Cg) showed significant enrichment in glutathione metabolism, plant hormone signaling, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were particularly associated with phenylalanine metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis. Metabolomic analysis further indicated that BR treatment may strengthen plant defense mechanisms by promoting the synthesis of flavonoids, flavonols, and diterpenoids. KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes and metabolites highlighted significant enrichment in glutathione metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and various secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways in both CK vs BR and CK-Cg vs BR-Cg comparisons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114258"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The resistance of litchi fruit to Peronophythora litchii is associated with lignin biosynthesis and reactive oxygen species metabolism","authors":"Xiaoxu Li ,&nbsp;Fang Li ,&nbsp;Pengfei Wang ,&nbsp;Huanling Li ,&nbsp;Guo Wang ,&nbsp;Shujun Wang ,&nbsp;Xueren Cao ,&nbsp;Jinhua Sun ,&nbsp;Lulu Cao ,&nbsp;Lei Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiabao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114254","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Litchi downy blight is a destructive disease that severely reduces yield and causes postharvest losses in litchi fruit. The varieties ‘Heiye’ (HY) and ‘Guiwei’ (GW) were identified as highly resistant and susceptible to <em>Peronophythora litchii</em> infection, respectively. We further investigated the differences between resistant and susceptible varieties through transcriptomic and biochemical analyses to uncover the mechanisms underlying postharvest resistance to litchi downy blight in litchi fruit. RNA-seq analysis of postharvest litchi fruit infected with <em>P. litchii</em> revealed that differentially expressed genes between HY and GW were primarily associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related pathways. The analysis of key metabolites in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis showed a significant difference in lignin content between the two varieties. Fifteen upregulated genes (<em>C4H</em>-1, <em>COMT</em>-1, <em>CAD</em>-6, and <em>POD</em>-7) were identified by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR. These genes correspond to highly active enzymes of C4H, CAD and POD involved in lignin biosynthesis, which were detected in <em>P. litchii</em>-inoculated HY fruit compared to GW. These factors contributed to the higher lignin content in HY fruit. Additionally, the ROS scavenging ability of HY pericarp was superior to that of GW, as evidenced by reduced ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and increased expression of two <em>SOD</em> genes and two <em>CAT</em> genes following <em>P. litchii</em> infection. These findings suggest that lignin biosynthesis and ROS metabolism play crucial roles in maintaining litchi fruit resistance to <em>P. litchii</em>, providing valuable insights for breeding and developing resistant varieties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"349 ","pages":"Article 114254"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}