Naila Mir Baz, Jiahui Wang, Xulei Zhao, Asia Maqbool, Caizhen Gao, Pengfei Wang, Haijiang Chen, Hongbo Cao
{"title":"Correction: Carotenoid biosynthesis in Prunus species: from pathway and accumulation structure to diverse pigmentation.","authors":"Naila Mir Baz, Jiahui Wang, Xulei Zhao, Asia Maqbool, Caizhen Gao, Pengfei Wang, Haijiang Chen, Hongbo Cao","doi":"10.1186/s43897-026-00242-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-026-00242-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13317393/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148362680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advances in molecular breeding of medicinal plants.","authors":"Yaqi Wang, Xinlei Jia, Chao Sun, Wansheng Chen, Ying Xiao","doi":"10.1186/s43897-026-00252-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-026-00252-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Medicinal plants are rich in bioactive constituents and are extensively utilized in the healthcare sector, holding significant value for both industrial and daily applications. In the context of economic development and escalating environmental challenges, there is an increasing societal demand for medicinal plants with superior quality and enhanced environmental adaptability. Molecular breeding is emerging as a pivotal strategy for the genetic improvement of medicinal plants. Given that traditional breeding methods are often constrained by low efficiency and lengthy developmental cycles, the necessity for innovative approaches is underscored. Advancements in modern molecular breeding technologies, such as marker-assisted breeding, genetic engineering, and molecular design breeding, have revolutionized the paradigm of medicinal plant breeding. This article reviews the research progress in molecular breeding of medicinal plants, encompassing its characteristics, advantages, technical classifications and applications. Based on these advancements, we discuss the major challenges and future prospects in this field. It is evident that the rapid evolution of molecular breeding holds substantial potential for facilitating plant genetic improvement and effectively addressing the growing societal demands for high-quality medicinal plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13262476/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148228544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shu-Ning Ren, Chen-Yu Zhu, Yu-Qiong Wang, Tian Bu, Zhonghai Li, Weilun Yin, Xinli Xia, Hou-Ling Wang
{"title":"From signals to solutions: stress-induced leaf senescence and synthetic biology and AI approaches for crop resilience.","authors":"Shu-Ning Ren, Chen-Yu Zhu, Yu-Qiong Wang, Tian Bu, Zhonghai Li, Weilun Yin, Xinli Xia, Hou-Ling Wang","doi":"10.1186/s43897-026-00236-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-026-00236-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The quality and quantity of plant traits are critically linked to the coordinated onset of leaf senescence. However, both external environmental factors and internal hormones may accelerate leaf senescence process, resulting in various physiological changes, including chlorophyll degradation, anthocyanin biosynthesis, nutrient recycling, and the activation of senescence-associated genes (SAGs). A comprehensive understanding of the signaling pathways involved in stress-induced leaf senescence is essential for plant breeding aimed at enhancing resistance and productivity. This review provides an extensive overview of the signaling mechanisms associated with leaf senescence triggered by abiotic and biotic stresses, including abscisic acid (ABA), darkness, nitrogen deficiency, carbon deficiency, and pathogen attack. Additionally, we discuss strategies to improve stress tolerance, yield, and quality through innovative synthetic biology approaches. Furthermore, we explore the potential applications of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) in the context of senescence- and stress-related plant breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13255390/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148219990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kateřina Hlaváčková, Miroslav Ovečka, Olga Šamajová, Jozef Šamaj
{"title":"Stress-induced MAPK (SIMK)-dependent organization of microtubules in alfalfa.","authors":"Kateřina Hlaváčková, Miroslav Ovečka, Olga Šamajová, Jozef Šamaj","doi":"10.1186/s43897-026-00231-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-026-00231-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) modulate the organization of the plant cytoskeleton. The spatial organization of microtubules is critical for cell division, polarity, shape control, and elongation during plant growth and morphogenesis. Here, we analyzed the impact of the stress-induced MAPK (SIMK) abundance on the tubulin cytoskeleton in different plant organs and tissues of an important legume crop species, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). For this purpose, we have established unique transgenic double lines with genetically manipulated SIMK, possessing microtubular molecular fluorescent marker, the tag RED FLUORESCENT PROTEIN-TUBULIN ALPHA 6 (tagRFP-TUA6). We show that lower or higher SIMK abundance can change cell division planes (CDPs) and phragmoplast orientations in roots. In addition, the transgenic line with downregulated SIMK shows disordered and disorganized microtubules, and a reduced degree of microtubule bundling mainly in leaves and stems. This may be linked to smaller habitus, shorter stems, and smaller leaves. Obtained results indicate that the genetic manipulation of SIMK abundance has effect on microtubule organization and plant development in alfalfa. This study also paves the way for testing anti-microtubular drugs on alfalfa and for biotechnological use of the newly-developed lines.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13248438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148206435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wei Sun, Jian Wu, Xu Cai, Yue Chen, Aalt D J van Dijk, Xiaowu Wang, Guusje Bonnema
{"title":"Integrative machine learning and gene regulatory network analysis identifies novel genes for leafy head formation in Brassica rapa and B. oleracea.","authors":"Wei Sun, Jian Wu, Xu Cai, Yue Chen, Aalt D J van Dijk, Xiaowu Wang, Guusje Bonnema","doi":"10.1186/s43897-026-00230-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-026-00230-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leafy head formation is a crucial developmental process in Brassica crops. Here, an integrative approach combining machine learning and gene regulatory network analysis was employed to identify novel genes involved in leafy head formation in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea). Random Forest models, trained with 47 known leafy head-related genes, demonstrated robust performance with mean AUC values of 0.87 and 0.85 for B. rapa and B. oleracea, respectively. By filtering the model predictions, we identified 11 genes predicted with high confidence which were shared between both species. To further reveal the regulatory mechanisms, we constructed gene regulatory networks for genes in both species. By integrating ML predictions with these networks, we identified key regulatory clusters specifically related to leafy head formation. Network centrality analysis revealed many core genes in key clusters, including important transcription factors such as ANT, GRF2, GRF3, and TCX3, suggesting crucial roles in leafy head formation across the two species. The parallel detection of the same genes and similar network structures in the two species supports the validity of our findings. Our integrative approach provides novel insights into the genetic regulation of leafy head formation and sets the stage for future functional studies of Brassica species.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13244942/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148200210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Juan Jin, Aidi Zhang, Bingqi Shen, Xingnuo Li, Jacob B Landis, Chong Chen, Ye Yuan, Lili Li, Lei Yang, Siyu Qu, Yalan Li, Xiujun Zhang, Mengjun Liu, Yanxia Sun, Dingyu Fan, Qing Hao
{"title":"The T2T genome assembly of Ziziphus jujuba 'Huizao' and pan-genome analyses provide insights into fruit texture diversity in jujube.","authors":"Juan Jin, Aidi Zhang, Bingqi Shen, Xingnuo Li, Jacob B Landis, Chong Chen, Ye Yuan, Lili Li, Lei Yang, Siyu Qu, Yalan Li, Xiujun Zhang, Mengjun Liu, Yanxia Sun, Dingyu Fan, Qing Hao","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00228-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00228-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13238111/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148164831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"DIMORPH: an integrated multi-omics resource for camptothecin-producing plants.","authors":"Qian Lou, Xiangdong Pu, Wenjie Xu, Ranran Gao, Longlong Gao, Zhichao Xu, Zhe Wang, Xinyao Li, Tianyi Xin, Haitao Li, Wu Wang, Deying Tang, Anshun Xu, Guihong Qi, Yutong Gan, Jinlan Zhang, Jingyuan Song","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00225-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00225-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the past decade, extensive multi-omics data of camptothecin (CPT)-producing plants have been generated, resulting in a wealth of genomic resources. However, to date, no available database supports utilization for understanding biological mechanisms of CPT biosynthesis. In this study, we constructed DIMORPH ( https://www.dimorph.cn:9000 .), a Database Integrated Multiple Omics Resources for CPT-Producing Herbs. The database consolidated genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolic data of the three representative CPT-producing plants including Camptotheca acuminata, Ophiorrhiza pumila and Nothapodytes nimmoniana, and integrated functional annotation, synteny, and co-expression analytical results. Utilizing DIMORPH, a new CPT 10-hydroxylase (CPT10H), CYP81BQ24, was identified in C. acuminata. Structural comparison between CYP81BQ24 and CYP81BQ23 (CPT 11 hydroxylase), combined with fragment substitution mutagenesis, revealed ten key amino acid residues determined the regio-selectivity of CPT hydroxylases (CPTHs) at C-10 and C-11 position. Additionally, a high-efficiency CPT10H mutant was obtained through site-directed mutagenesis guided by sequence alignment and structural prediction of 17 CYP450 hydroxylases. Therefore, the comprehensive database focused on CPT will be helpful to the elucidation of CPT biosynthetic pathway and production of CPT-derived drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13231748/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Huishan Qiu, Yanli Liu, Tianyu Lin, Dong Cheng, Qingguo Sun, Xinya Wu, Lang Liu, Jiahui Nie, Mingshuo Fan, Jing Zhou, Ruimin Yu, Meng Xu, Qin He, Hongying Du, Zhendong Tian
{"title":"Blue light receptor phot2 collaborates with NRL-30 to negatively regulate immunity by reducing mitochondrial protein PRXIIF stability in potato.","authors":"Huishan Qiu, Yanli Liu, Tianyu Lin, Dong Cheng, Qingguo Sun, Xinya Wu, Lang Liu, Jiahui Nie, Mingshuo Fan, Jing Zhou, Ruimin Yu, Meng Xu, Qin He, Hongying Du, Zhendong Tian","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00224-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00224-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blue light (BL) receptor phototropins (phots) regulate numerous BL-induced physiological responses through NPH3/RPT2-like (NRL) family members. However, how phots and NRL proteins regulate plant immunity remain incompletely understood. This study demonstrates that Stphot2 negatively regulated resistance against Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight, in potato and Nicotiana benthamiana. Stphot2 interacts with an NRL protein, StNRL-30, which functions as a susceptibility factor. Homodimerization and C-terminal consensus sequence (RxSΦS) of StNRL-30 are essential for accelerating P. infestans infection. The study identifies StNRL-30's interaction with mitochondrial Peroxiredoxin-IIF (StPRXIIF), which positively regulates resistance against P. infestans. StPRXIIF overexpression upregulates mitochondrial alternative oxidase genes and salicylic acid pathway genes, while downregulating jasmonic acid pathway genes. StNRL-30 initiates StPRXIIF degradation, enhanced by Stphot2. In addition, BL treatment promotes StPRXIIF turnover and induces the translocation of the StNRL-30-StPRXIIF complex from the plasma membrane to the chloroplasts. These findings demonstrate how the BL receptor Stphot2, along with StNRL-30, modulates plant immunity by affecting the stability and localization of the positive immunoregulator StPRXIIF, providing insights into BL and plant immunity crosstalk.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13227800/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148144800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}