{"title":"Fine-tuning RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN) expression by introducing allelic mutations in its promoter using CRISPR/Cas9 multiplex editing.","authors":"Jiaqi Zhou, Chiu-Ling Yang, Diane M Beckles","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00200-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00200-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12952064/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147327212","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}
Shilin Ma, Zhihe Yang, Bingshuang Li, Liang Xu, Yan Wang, Yinbo Ma, Xiaoli Zhang, Jingxue Li, Kai Wang, Xinyu Zhang, Liwang Liu
{"title":"RsWRKY15-RsPDR12 module regulates Cd uptake and accumulation by promoting Cd efflux in radish (Raphanus sativus L.).","authors":"Shilin Ma, Zhihe Yang, Bingshuang Li, Liang Xu, Yan Wang, Yinbo Ma, Xiaoli Zhang, Jingxue Li, Kai Wang, Xinyu Zhang, Liwang Liu","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00195-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00195-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cadmium (Cd), a non-essential and toxic heavy metal, accumulates in radish taproot and adversely affects radish safety and quality. Pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) proteins play a crucial role in heavy metal uptake and accumulation in plants. However, the PDR gene-mediated regulation of Cd accumulation remains unexplored in radish. RsPDR12 gene expression significantly increased under Cd stress. RsPDR12 demonstrated Cd transport activity and decreased Cd accumulation in yeast cells, and its overexpression reduced root Cd concentration by Cd<sup>2+</sup> efflux in Arabidopsis. RsPDR12 alleviated Cd stress by enhancing membrane permeability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in radish plants. RsWRKY15 was identified as the upstream regulatory factor of RsPDR12. Dual-luciferase assay demonstrated that RsWRKY15 bound to the RsPDR12 promoter to activate its transcription. RsWRKY15 expression and promoter activity were significantly induced under Cd stress. RsWRKY15 overexpression mitigated oxidative damage and reduced root Cd concentration in radish and Nicotiana benthamiana plants, respectively. These findings advance understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the RsWRKY15-RsPDR12 mediated regulatory network of Cd accumulation and support the genetic improvement of low Cd-accumulation cultivars in radish breeding programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12896155/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146167099","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":"Genome-wide reprogramming of sRNA and lncRNA in the epigenetic regulation following interspecific hybridization in the Brassica species.","authors":"Chengtao Quan, Ling Wang, Hangpan Wei, Yilin Ma, Yunqin Wang, Guoting Cheng, Chaozhi Ma, Cheng Dai","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00194-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00194-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Interspecific hybridization has a significant impact on the inheritance of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), resulting in alterations in gene expression and phenotypic variation. However, the mechanisms behind interspecific hybridization-mediated ncRNA regulation and its interaction with epigenetic pathways are not well understood. We examined ncRNA profiles in two F<sub>1</sub> hybrids of Brassica napus and Brassica rapa (Hybrid-sh and Hybrid-yh). Regulatory differences in small RNAs (sRNAs) between hybrids were mainly driven by maternal inheritance, with Hybrid-sh exhibiting more substantial maternal influence and Hybrid-yh showing transgressive regulation, while 24-nt siRNAs were directly involved in methylation control. We identified 47,855 lncRNA transcripts exhibiting more pronounced non-additive expression patterns during interspecific hybridization than protein-coding mRNAs. Intergenic lncRNAs maintained higher methylation levels across CG/CHG/CHH contexts but had less chromatin accessibility than antisense lncRNAs. Notably, lncRNA0410, a conserved antisense transcript from CP12-1's 5'-region, contained a chromatin-accessible site in Hybrid-yh with limited conservation beyond crucifers. It enhanced flavonol biosynthesis by activating BnaA03.MYB12, improving drought tolerance. Intriguingly, dosage-sensitive lncRNAs exhibited unique epigenetic signatures, including siRNA enrichment, methylation, and chromatin accessibility features that influence transcriptional responses. This research sheds light on the roles of ncRNA in hybrid vigor and genome stability, revealing key epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in plant hybridization.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":"14"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12892563/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146158328","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":"Multi-omics analysis of somatic mutants reveals TCP7 allelically regulates multiple carotenogenic genes in citrus.","authors":"Xia Wang, Jialing Fu, Lizhi Song, Qingjiang Wu, Qiuying Fang, Yaqing Zhang, Xiuxin Deng, Qiang Xu","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00193-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00193-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Somatic mutations are widespread in all organisms and cause abundant phenotypic changes, constituting an important source of variation especially for clonally propagated plants. Somatic mutants can serve as a mutation-introducing method for exploring the regulatory mechanism of mutated trait formation in clonally propagated plants. Red-fleshed and orange-fleshed pomelo varieties derive from independent mutations of the wild-type white-fleshed Guanxi honey pomelo (Citrus grandis), offering an ideal system for dissecting core regulatory transcription factors behind the fruit color trait. Here, we performed a meta-analysis comprising genome, transcriptome, DNA methylome and chromatin accessibility assays of the two color mutants and their wild type, resulting in haplotype-scaled pan-genome. The chromatin openness analysis suggested that binding sites for TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) transcription factors are significantly enriched in the differentially open regions, with different footprint patterns in the mutants and wild type. We identified CgTCP3, CgTCP7, and CgTCP20 as regulators of key carotenogenic genes including ZDS, BCH, and NCED2. Furthermore, CgTCP7 underwent positive selection in pomelo germplasm, with various alleles differentially affecting carotenogenic gene expression and modulating carotenoid accumulation. We therefore identified the core transcription factor genes responsible for color trait formation, providing resources for breeding varieties with diversified phenotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12888363/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146150800","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}
Yi Wang, Tuo Yang, Di Wang, Rongxin Gou, Yin Jiang, Zhen Zeng, Guojun Zhang, Yuhong Zheng, Dan Gao, Liyang Chen, Xiuhai Zhang, Nan Ma, Zunzheng Wei
{"title":"Haplotype-resolved genome assembly of the colored calla lily (Zantedeschia elliottiana) provides new insights into the evolution of the family Araceae.","authors":"Yi Wang, Tuo Yang, Di Wang, Rongxin Gou, Yin Jiang, Zhen Zeng, Guojun Zhang, Yuhong Zheng, Dan Gao, Liyang Chen, Xiuhai Zhang, Nan Ma, Zunzheng Wei","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00192-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00192-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The colored calla lily, a member of the genus Zantedeschia in the Araceae family native to South Africa, is a valuable ornamental plant. However, the lack of a high-quality genome has hindered genetic analysis and the identification of key trait-related genes. We successfully assembled a haplotype-resolved genome of the colored calla lily, revealing extensive heterozygosity between homologous chromosomes. Comparative genomics analyses demonstrated that transposon insertions have led to significant differences in genome size among Araceae species. Notably, Araceae species experienced two closely-spaced whole-genome duplication (WGD) events before species divergence. Further analysis revealed that in terrestrial True Araceae species, genes associated with lignin synthase, cellulose synthase, expansin, and sugar transport proteins have undergone expansion, likely contributing to environmental adaptation and tuber starch accumulation. Additionally, we identified a key MIKC<sup>C</sup> gene that may play a crucial role in spathe development. This study not only elucidates the evolutionary history of Araceae species but also provides valuable data to support functional genomics research and breeding efforts for the colored calla lily.</p>","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12884619/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146143593","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":"Dynamic DNA methylation in tea plants and its association with changes in gene expression under salt and alkali stress.","authors":"Xiangrui Kong, Hongli Cao, Dandan Lou, Chuan Yue, Ruiyang Shan, Shiqin Zheng, Aodi Han, Xingtan Zhang, Changsong Chen, Weilong Kong","doi":"10.1186/s43897-025-00189-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43897-025-00189-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":29970,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Horticulture","volume":"6 1","pages":"10"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12874681/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146120392","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}