Current Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Heritable variation in root emergence during post-drought recovery reveals potential links to seedling drought recovery in rice","authors":"Lukas Krusenbaum ,&nbsp;Matthias Wissuwa ,&nbsp;Lam Thi Dinh","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress is a significant factor limiting rice yields worldwide. Effective drought tolerance involves both the ability of a plant to withstand water-limited conditions and the capacity to recover after rehydration. As rainfall patterns shift due to climate change, adaptation to variations in water availability during the growth period becomes increasingly important. Given the critical role of crown root number and length in drought response, understanding these traits is crucial. In this study, we evaluated the ability of rice genotypes to produce new crown roots following drought stress, using both a QTL mapping population and a diverse set of 3K-Rice Genomes Project accessions. Our results revealed high heritability (H² = 0.65) for new root number (NRN), as well as significant genotypic variation in NRN and new root length (NRL) during recovery. They are independent of general root vigor or drought tolerance under stress. A newly developed, simple screening method was validated in greenhouse and field trials, showing consistent genotype-specific responses, with a significant correlation (R = 0.73, p = 0.007). Varieties such as DJ123 and CHILE BORO maintained high NRN values under both water bath and soil-based recovery conditions, whereas IR64, despite producing many roots, showed limited recovery potential. Candidate loci associated with recovery-related root traits partially overlapped with known QTL for rooting ability and drought response, indicating both novel and previously characterized genomic regions. Our findings demonstrate that new root development during recovery is a distinct and heritable trait with potential for use in breeding programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100509"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sodium nitroprusside as a priming agent induces drought stress tolerance in Citrus","authors":"Emanuele Scialò ,&nbsp;Angelo Sicilia ,&nbsp;Angela Roberta Lo Piero","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Priming is a process whereby exposure to a mild stress or specific chemical stimulus enhances plants' resilience to future biotic and abiotic stresses. Signalling molecules such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and nitric oxide (NO) function as priming agents. In this study, Bitters (C22) citrus rootstock was treated with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and subjected to drought stress. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and H₂O₂ levels were measured to assess oxidative stress. Primed plants showed significantly higher tolerance to water scarcity than non-primed ones. RNA-seq analysis revealed that priming, followed by drought stress, regulated a broad spectrum of stress responses, enhancing the expression of genes involved in photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant activity, reallocating energy, and reinforcing external barriers and xylem vessels. As concerns phytohormones, analysis of gene expression clearly indicated that auxin biosynthesis and signalling were activated, whereas those involving ethylene were repressed. Moreover, the application of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) enabled the identification of genes whose expression showed positive or negative correlations with the levels of MDA and/or H₂O₂. This study provides insights into the role of priming in improving <em>Citrus</em> adaptability to water scarcity and identifying molecular strategies and candidate genes to enhance drought tolerance. To our knowledge, this is the first study correlating transcriptomic data with priming-induced drought tolerance in <em>Citrus</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100508"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144272489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endophytic microbes enhance sugarcane defense against Sporisorium scitamineum by activating calcium signaling and stress-responsive traits","authors":"Faisal Mehdi ,&nbsp;Yuanli Wu ,&nbsp;Yimei Gan ,&nbsp;Zhengying Cao ,&nbsp;Shuting Jiang ,&nbsp;Limei Zan ,&nbsp;Shuzhen Zhang ,&nbsp;Benpeng Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sugarcane, a widely grown crop, faces many challenges from pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. One of the most serious threats is smut disease, caused by the fungus <em>Sporisorium scitamineum</em> (SS). Although there are methods to control it, managing this disease effectively is still a big challenge. This study evaluates the synergistic application of endophytic bacteria <em>Bacillus sp. QN2MO-1</em> (BS) and <em>Pseudomonas chlororaphis</em> (PS) as a biocontrol approach to combat smut disease. Two sugarcane cultivars, ROC22 and Zhongtang 3, were initially grown in pots and later relocated to field conditions. Endophyte applications and SS infection were validated using qRT-PCR. A detailed assessment was conducted on physiological and morphological parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, stress indicators, and the expression of stress-responsive genes. Results demonstrated that BS and PS, either individually or combined, effectively suppressed smut disease. Enhanced expression of defense-related genes (<em>ScCAT1, SOD1</em> and <em>PR1.04)</em>. Increased antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, POD) were observed, particularly in the resistant cultivar Zhongtang 3. Elevated levels of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) indicated the activation of stress-related pathways, enhancing defense mechanisms. Endophyte-treated plants exhibited maximum growth and photosynthetic rates. Conversely, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels suggested mitigation of oxidative stress. In the case of CAMTAs genes expression profiling, <em>SsnpCAMTA5</em> upregulated in both cultivars, <em>SsnpCAMTA7, SsnpCAMTA8 upregulated in</em> Zhongtang 3. <em>SsnpCAMTA12</em> downregulated in only Zhongtang 3 both time points (30 and 60 dpi). This result suggest that the bacterial endophytes triggered the pathogens related genes. These findings emphasize the potential of BS and PS as a sustainable, innovative biocontrol strategy, offering a promising solution to enhance sugarcane resilience and mitigate smut disease through integrated biological approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100506"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144261521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intra- and inter-population variation in Spinacia turkestanica: Implications for spinach genetic resources sampling","authors":"Rob van Treuren ,&nbsp;Magdalena Krysiak ,&nbsp;Jan-Kees Goud ,&nbsp;Ryo Kimura ,&nbsp;Chris Kik","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Spinacia turkestanica</em> Iljin is closely related to cultivated spinach (<em>S. oleracea</em> L.) and therefore of interest to genebank curators and plant breeders. In 2008 an expedition was carried out in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to collect seed samples of <em>S. turkestanica</em>. Eighteen of these accessions and two additional accessions from Turkmenistan were characterized for 21 phenotypic traits and 50 SNP markers to study the distribution of variation within and between populations. Six varieties of cultivated spinach were included in the study as references. In general, <em>S. turkestanica</em> was clearly distinct from the reference varieties for phenotypic and molecular diversity. The main part of the observed diversity in <em>S. turkestanica</em> was distributed within rather than between populations. The populations from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan showed a positive correlation between phenotypic and genotypic distance (r = 0.458, p &lt; 0.001) and between geographic distance and genotypic distance (r = 0.515, p &lt; 0.001). Genetic differentiation was largest between populations from Tajikistan and populations from Uzbekistan, which are separated by the Zarafshan mountains. A resampling study showed that sampling 30–50 plants from each of 5–6 geographically widespread populations is sufficient to capture more than 98 % of the observed SNP alleles and more than 99 % of the observed phenotypic variation within the targeted area in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Whether this recommendation also holds for adaptive variation, such as resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, is subject of further study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100507"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144280375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drought mitigation in plants through root exudate-mediated rhizosphere interactions: Opportunities for future research","authors":"Salam Suresh Singh,&nbsp;Ngangbam Somen Singh,&nbsp;Emilynruwaka Lamare,&nbsp;Ningthoujam Ranjana Devi,&nbsp;Shadokpam Anjali Devi,&nbsp;Remei Kaguijenliu,&nbsp;Biki Takum,&nbsp;Keshav Kumar Upadhyay,&nbsp;Shri Kant Tripathi","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100504","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100504","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought is among the most significant environmental factors that frequently limits the growth and productivity of terrestrial plants, making them susceptible to various diseases and resulting in the death of many species each year. Because the plants could not relocate to avoid environmental stresses (i.e., drought, cold temperatures, and high salinity), they developed specific adaptive mechanisms at the root-soil interface to cope with these stresses, especially drought. For instance, under drought conditions, plants change the composition of root exudates by increasing the concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA). This hormone is transported through the xylem transport system to plant leaves, signalling the leaf stomata to regulate stomatal activity. It reduces water loss in plants and enhances their resistance to drought conditions. This review examines the role of soil-root-microbe interactions under drought stress and highlights how this interaction influences nutrient cycling, osmotic pressure adjustment, signalling pathways, and microbial recruitment to enhance plant resilience under drought stress. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which root exudates enhance plant resilience through nitrogen and phosphorus cycling, detoxification of aluminium toxicity, and regulation of stomatal activity are discussed. Understanding these processes and mechanisms provides new insights into developing sustainable forest and agricultural management practices that enhance plant productivity under drought conditions by increasing their resilience in a changing environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100504"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144229910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative multi-omics analysis of rice grown continuously under P-starvation stress unravels Pup1-mediated regulatory complex for resilience to phosphorus deficiency","authors":"S. Tamil Selvan ,&nbsp;Pallavi ,&nbsp;Karishma Seem ,&nbsp;Venkata Y. Amara ,&nbsp;V. Prathap ,&nbsp;K.K. Vinod ,&nbsp;Archana Singh ,&nbsp;Trilochan Mohapatra ,&nbsp;Suresh Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phosphorus (P) is a vital macronutrient for various physiological/biochemical activities like ATP production through respiration/photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleic acid/membrane synthesis, intracellular signalling, and functioning of enzymes. To deal with P-starvation/deficiency, plant modulates gene expression for adjusting metabolic/signaling pathways. For P homeostasis, metabolic activities are reoriented by transcriptional as well as post-transcriptional/post-translational modulations to integrate physio-biochemical, (epi)genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic processes. Despite the advances in understanding P-starvation/deficiency responses of plants, the genes/regulatory processes for resilience to low-P stress in plants remain enigmatic. To unravel the genes/pathways and regulatory actions of <em>Pup1</em> QTL on P-starvation in rice, integrative multi-omics analysis of a near-isogenic line-23 (NIL-23, harboring <em>Pup1</em>) and its parental high-yielding rice variety was performed. The multi-omics analysis indicated adoption of multifaceted tolerance mechanisms, integrated nutrient acquisition/transport, hormone signaling, cell wall modification, metabolic modulations, and epigenetic modifications, controlled by <em>Pup1</em> in NIL-23. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses highlighted up-regulation of genes/proteins involved in starch/sucrose/nucleotide-sugars metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, energy metabolism, and phytohormone signaling in NIL-23. As <em>Pup1</em> does not carry many protein-coding genes, regulatory functions of the QTL through transcriptomic/epigenetic cascades (via key regulators like transcription factors, chromatin remodelers, and epigenetic factors) modulate gene expression on P-starvation. These affect crucial processes like adaptive changes in plant’s morphology, nutrient acquisition, and metabolic reprogramming in NIL-23. The present study provides a better understanding on <em>Pup1</em>-mediated regulatory complex for resilience to nutrient/phosphorus deficiency, which might help improving P utilization efficiency of crop plants for enhanced productivity in P-scarce soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100505"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144261520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoding core molecular mechanisms related to multiple abiotic stress adaptation in cotton: Insights from RNA-seq data meta-analysis in combination with machine learning approach","authors":"Bahman Panahi ,&nbsp;Rasmieh Hamid","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought, salinity and alkaline conditions are the major constraints to cotton (Gossypium spp.) productivity and require the development of genotypes with increased resilience for sustainable cultivation. Abiotic stress tolerance in cotton involves complex gene networks and regulatory pathways. Transcriptome meta-analysis provides a robust approach to elucidate these mechanisms by integrating diverse data sets and identifying consistently responding genes. In this study, RNA-seq meta-analysis using p-value combination approach was harnessed to elucidate the core molecular mechanisms involved in adaptation to drought, salinity and alkaline stress in root and leaf tissues. Moreover, functional analysis of identified core genes were performed using GO and KEGG enrichment and protein-protein interaction network analysis. Prioritization of core genes was further performed using topological analysis of core gene networks and machine learning approach. Key genes identified as central regulatory hubs, such as <em>Gh_A01G1844.1</em> (aquaporin PIP2–2), <em>Gh_D03G1591.1</em> (ethylene-responsive transcription factor 5) and <em>Gh_A05G1554.1</em> (dehydrin COR47), play a central role in adaptive responses, including osmotic adjustment, oxidative stress management and tissue-specific functionality. Enrichment analysis revealed that critical processes such as transcriptional regulation, macromolecular metabolism and cellular signaling pathways are crucial for stress resilience. In addition, the prediction of transcription factor (TF) networks identified the major TF families bHLH, WRKY, NAC, ERF and MYB, which integrate different regulatory mechanisms. In addition, the network analysis revealed important signaling pathways such as ethylene and nodulation, with genes such as Dehydration-Responsive Element 1 D (DRE1D) and Cycling DOF Factor 1 (CDF1) contributing to adaptive responses. This study provides a valuable resource for breeding programs aimed at improving abiotic stress tolerance in cotton and offers insights into the genetic and functional basis of adaptation in different environmental contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100503"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144205752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The “Ataulfo” mango (Mangifera indica L.) maintains its L- ascorbic acid content during fruit ripening: Insights into synthesis and recycling pathways","authors":"Armida A. Gil-Salido ,&nbsp;Carmen A. Contreras-Vergara ,&nbsp;Ana Paulina Sortillón-Sortillón ,&nbsp;Mitzuko Dautt-Castro ,&nbsp;Agustín Rascón-Chu ,&nbsp;Miguel A. Martínez-Téllez ,&nbsp;Adriana Sañudo-Barajas ,&nbsp;Sergio Casas-Flores ,&nbsp;Rosalba Contreras-Martínez ,&nbsp;Rosabel Velez-de la Rocha ,&nbsp;Manuel A. Báez-Sañudo ,&nbsp;Jugpreet Singh ,&nbsp;María A. Islas-Osuna","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mango is consumed worldwide for its sweet flavor, pleasant aroma, high commercial value, and rich source of L-ascorbic acid (AA), an essential human micronutrient. AA is primarily synthesized in plants via the Smirnoff-Wheeler (SW) pathway. Alternative routes for AA synthesis, such as gulose, myo-inositol, and galacturonic acid, are proposed in some species alongside a recycling pathway that helps maintain AA homeostasis in plant cells. However, a formal genetic demonstration of the alternative routes for AA synthesis and recycling in mangoes remains. In this study, 165 genes associated with AA metabolism were identified in the “Tommy Atkins” mango genome; some of them were previously identified in mango “Ataulfo” and “Kent” transcriptomes. Physical-chemical parameters, AA content, and carbohydrate levels were measured in collected “Ataulfo” mangoes. The expression of SW key genes involved in AA synthesis from alternative and recycling pathways, was evaluated during postharvest ripening, and promoter regions of these genes were analyzed <em>in silico</em> for the presence of regulatory <em>cis</em>-elements. During ripening, transcript accumulation of <em>MiGME-3, MiGGP-1, MiGalLDH, MiGALUR-1, MiPME-1, MIMDHAR-4,</em> and <em>MiAPX-4</em> from the SW, alternative and recycling pathways showed a significant increase of 3- to 10-fold. However, AA content remained relatively stable throughout ripening, averaging 124 mg/100 g fresh weight, suggesting additional regulatory factors that may counterbalance the increased synthesis. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of seven <em>cis</em>-elements associated with stress and ripening regulation, indicating potential regulatory mechanisms for the identified genes. More than one route could be active in mango fruits, contributing to AA biosynthesis and maintenance during ripening.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100502"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144196045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving EfficientNet_b0 for distinguishing rice from different origins: A deep learning method for geographical traceability in precision agriculture","authors":"Helong Yu ,&nbsp;Zhenyang Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Liu ,&nbsp;Shaozhong Song ,&nbsp;Mojun Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100501","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100501","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rice is one of the important crops for food supply, and there are multiple differences in the quality of rice grown in different geographic environments, which have an important impact on subsequent yield, economic efficiency, and food processing. Most of the current computer vision-based rice kernel classification focuses only on different varieties. In this study, we propose a method based on deep learning and image processing to recognize rice from different origins. First, Ji-Japonica 830 rice was collected from ten different regions, and a total of 30,000 images were obtained through image segmentation and data enhancement to participate in the training and testing of the model. Four lightweight networks and four classical networks were compared and tested in the pre-training phase, where EfficientNet_b0 obtained the highest accuracy of 93.38 %, and then EfficientNet_b0 was improved by introducing a dynamic adjustment strategy for the learning rate, removing the Dropout layer, and introducing a grouped convolution, which resulted in 96.80 % accuracy. The experimental results show that the method performs well in terms of classification accuracy, parameters, time, and robustness, and can effectively distinguish rice kernels from different geographic environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100501"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144196046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated QTL mapping and transcriptomic profiling elucidate molecular determinants of sucrose accumulation in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L)","authors":"Fengchao Jiang ,&nbsp;Li Yang ,&nbsp;Junhuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Meiling Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenjian Yu ,&nbsp;Haoyuan Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100500","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100500","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Apricot is a commercially vital stone fruit prized for its distinctive organoleptic characteristics and nutritional value. We developed an F1 population from ‘Chuanzhihong’ × ‘Luotuohuang’ to investigate the genetic basis of sugar metabolism. Whole-genome resequencing identified 63,162 high-quality InDel markers, while metabolomic profiling quantified soluble sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose) across fruit developmental stages. Continuous variation in sugar accumulation patterns indicated polygenic inheritance. A high-density genetic map (601.5 cM, 0.44 cM average interval) revealed 20 stable QTLs across 8 linkage groups, explaining 8.0–16.2 % phenotypic variance for individual and total sugars. WGCNA identified sugar component-specific modules showing strong correlations (r = 0.57–0.95). Integrative analysis prioritized <em>PA08G27233</em> as a hub gene within QTL intervals, encoding a SWEET transporter (designated <em>PaSWEET1</em>) with evolutionary conservation to AtSWEET1. This study elucidates molecular mechanisms of photoassimilate partitioning in apricot and provides genomic resources (high-resolution map, candidate genes) for marker-assisted breeding. The findings advance functional characterization of sugar metabolism pathways in <em>Prunus</em> species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100500"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}