BMC Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Functional transcriptomic analysis and drought-induced regulation of secondary metabolism in Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt.","authors":"José Miguel Fernández-Cortés, Dianella Iglesias, Marcos de Donato, Andrea Amy Balderas-Robles, Paola Isabel Angulo-Bejarano, Ashutosh Sharma","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08770-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08770-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. is an aromatic medicinal plant, widely used in Mexican folk medicine for the traditional treatment of different diseases, including diabetes. Numerous secondary metabolites related to its medicinal properties have been identified, of which monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenes, and flavonoids are the most significant. Despite extensive research, transcriptomic evidence supporting secondary metabolite synthesis in A. ludoviciana remains limited. Functional transcriptomics provides the molecular basis for understanding how coordinated gene expression drives metabolite synthesis in A. ludoviciana at a given time and condition.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>RNA sequencing of A. ludoviciana leaves was performed using a single pooled RNA-seq library as an exploratory functional transcriptomic approach, generating 8.4 GB of transcriptomic data. After de novo filtering and assembly of the raw data, 52,561 transcripts were generated, of which 29,854 (56.79%) were annotated against public databases using Blast2GO. Further KEGG pathway analysis identified transcripts putatively associated with major plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways. Gene expression of candidate flavonoid-related genes (CHI, F3'MO, FSI, and F3'OMT) was assessed by qRT-PCR in Artemisia ludoviciana. Samples were collected following water stress, with soil moisture content approximately 25%. Drought conditions significantly reduced relative water content (32.78%), total chlorophyll, and carotenoids. This was accompanied by an increase in hydrogen peroxide accumulation (265%), indicating oxidative stress in the plant. The total phenolic and flavonoid content also decreased under these conditions. However, gene expression analysis showed increased transcript abundance of putative flavonoid-related genes, suggesting an active response of the plant's flavonoid pathway to water stress. Such effects might reflect metabolic constraints and flavonoid turnover under drought stress.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This work provides valuable insights into the functional gene annotation, the biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites, and the molecular response of A. ludoviciana to drought stress. It serves as a basis for further research into the molecular mechanisms underlying the synthesis and accumulation of bioactive compounds in Artemisia ludoviciana. In addition, it supports the development of strategies to maintain or enhance the species' medicinal properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Zaxinone mimics boost growth and productivity of wheat under normal and low-nutrient regimes.","authors":"Arshad Jalal, Mohamed Salem, Muhammad Jamil, Lamis Berqdar, Kit Xi Liew, Yagiz Alagoz, Abdugaffor Ablazov, Pei-Yu Lin, Amer Alrudayan, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Tadao Asami, Salim Al-Babili","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08895-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08895-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The increasing demand for sustainable agriculture requires innovative strategies to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers without compromising crop growth and productivity. Plant-derived biostimulants are among the transformative strategies for enhancing nutrient use efficiency, crop resilience and productivity across diverse ecosystems. Therefore, this study investigated the potential of two novel naturally-inspired growth stimulants, MiZax3 and MiZax5, to enhance wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and yield under reduced NPK fertilizer across multiple growth systems, including hydroponic, greenhouse, and field conditions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In hydroponic systems, application of MiZax3 and MiZax5 at 5 µM with 50% NPK significantly improved root length, crown root development, and fresh and dry plant biomass, achieving performance comparable to full NPK fertilization. Greenhouse trials further revealed that MiZax3 and MiZax5 with 50% NPK remarkably increased growth and yield attributes, often surpassing 100% NPK fertilization. Notably, the number of grains spike^- 1 and grain weight were increased by 25-34% and 36-45%, respectively, compared with full fertilization. Field experiments validated these findings, MiZax3 and MiZax5 with 50% NPK treatments promoting vegetative growth, enhancing photosynthetic performance, and increasing grain yield by 8-11% over full-strength NPK alone. Moreover, metabolite profiling revealed that MiZax application boosts carbon and nitrogen assimilation associated with increasing free sugars and growth-related amino acids. When applied with 50% NPK, MiZax further amplified sugar availability and amino acid accumulation while modulating central carbon metabolism, demonstrating synergistic enhancement of metabolic efficiency.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Collectively, these findings demonstrate that MiZax functions both independently and integrated with reduced fertilization to optimize metabolic allocation toward growth-supporting pathways and nutrient-use efficiency, highlighting their potential as sustainable biostimulants.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide identification of the PIF gene family in broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) highlights PmPIF5 as a candidate regulator of photoperiod responses.","authors":"Junjie Wang, Xiuyan Cui, Yiting Zhang, Chunyang Dai, Wei Zhou, Xiang Tian, Ling Chen, Zhijun Qiao, Haigang Wang","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08902-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08902-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) are central bHLH transcription factors that link light perception to developmental programs and stress response. Although PIFs have been characterized in several model and crop species, their family composition and potential roles in broomcorn millet remain unknown.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on the AJ08 reference genome, publicly available transcriptome datasets, and resequencing variants from 516 accessions, we conducted an integrated analysis combining genome-wide identification, comparative genomics, expression profiling, RT-qPCR validation, and haplotype analysis. We identified 15 PmPIF genes that were unevenly distributed across 11 chromosomes and could be classified into four phylogenetic groups (Groups 1-4). All PmPIF proteins harbored a conserved bHLH domain and were predicted to localize in the nucleus; secondary structure prediction indicated that α-helices and random coils were predominant. Promoter analyses revealed abundant cis-acting elements related to light responsiveness, phytohormone signaling, and stress responses. Expression analyses under contrasting photoperiod treatments showed pronounced divergence among PmPIF members, with PmPIF5 consistently showing differential expression across multiple comparisons. KEGG enrichment implicated PmPIF5 in the circadian rhythm-plant pathway, and correlation analyses revealed significant associations between PmPIF5 and several light signaling-related genes, including PRR73, UVR8, GHD7, and COL13. Population-level haplotype analysis of PmPIF5 detected five haplotypes among the 516 accessions, with Hap1 being the predominant haplotype (74.42%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides a comprehensive resource for the PmPIF gene family in broomcorn millet and suggests that PmPIF5 is a promising candidate gene involved in photoperiod-related regulation. These findings lay the foundation for functional validation and support molecular breeding for photoperiod adaptation in broomcorn millet.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of heat shock factors in Plantago fengdouensis under abiotic stresses.","authors":"Linbao Li, Yang Su, Limengjie Wang, Jinhua Wu, Guangxin Zhang, Junchen Wang, Meixiang Hu, Weibo Xiang, Qianyan Liang, Ganju Xiang, Zhiqiang Xiao, Guiyun Huang, Di Wu","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08793-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08793-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plantago fengdouensis is a rare plant with extremely limited distribution, it once thrived on the central islands of the Yangtze River, where it was alternately exposed to flooding and high temperatures annually. Researches on various plants have confirmed that heat shock factors (HSFs) are the important regulatory factors mediating plants' responses to abiotic stresses and also participating in regulating plant growth and development. However, there is a research gap regarding the HSF family in P. fengdouensis. Therefore, a total of 30 PfHSFs were identified in the genome of P. fengdouensis and classified into three groups (i.e., A, B and C). The DNA binding domain (DBD) in PfHSFs was an N-terminal domain composed of Motif 1, Motif 2 and Motif 3, and was a highly conserved structure that existed in all PfHSFs. There were 14 segmental duplications found in PfHSFs, and the PfHSFs had undergone strong purifying selection during evolution. There were four gene pairs, PfHSFA8a/PfHSFA8b, PfHSFA1c/PfHSFA1d, PfHSFB2b/PfHSFB2c and PfHSFA4c/PfHSFA4d, that consistently exhibited identical expression patterns across different tissues, waterlogging treatment and heat treatment. Many cis-elements related to light response and phytohormone response were detected upstream of the PfHSFs promoters. The accumulation of most PfHSF transcripts did not show significant tissue specificity, whereas PfHSFB3a was particularly abundant in stems and flowers. PfHSFA6e and PfHSFA6f were upregulated under waterlogging; whereas PfHSFA6a-PfHSFA6f were suppressed under heat stress. Moreover, PfHSFA3, PfHSF8a and PfHSF8b were significantly induced in the early stage of heat stress. The co-expression analysis revealed correlations among PfHSFs and suggested that PfHSFs might be involved in circadian rhythm regulation, growth stage transition and flowering. The obtained results indicated that PfHSFs played an indispensable role in the adaptation to the alternating conditions of waterlogging and high temperature in the amphibious lifestyle of P. fengdouensis.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide association study and evolutionary analysis of the CrRLK1L family reveal BnCrRLK1L1_5 as a positive regulator of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resistance in Brassica napus.","authors":"Tongyu Fu, Rong Zuo, Jie Liu, Zetao Bai, Cong Zhou, Junyan Huang, Li Ren, Yueying Liu, Fan Liu, Chaobo Tong, Li Xu, Lijiang Liu, Shengyi Liu","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08872-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08872-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by the necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum), poses a significant threat to rapeseed (Brassica napus), resulting in substantial yield losses and economic damage worldwide. While receptor-like kinases, particularly the Catharanthus roseus RLK1-like (CrRLK1L) family, are known to play vital roles in plant immunity and development, their specific functions in B. napus defense against S. sclerotiorum and their evolutionary dynamics remain largely unexplored.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Through a GWAS, we identified BnCrRLK1L1_5, a CrRLK1L family member, as a candidate gene conferring resistance to S. sclerotiorum. To understand its evolutionary context, genome-wide and phylogenetic analyses of the CrRLK1L family across three Brassica species were performed, revealing significant diversification driven by whole-genome duplications and gene loss. Nevertheless, key functional domains, such as the malectin-like and kinase domains, remained highly conserved. Further analysis of cis-elements and the identification of six BnCrRLK1L1 paralogs in B. napus suggested potential functional redundancy and broad roles in mediating stress responses. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the expression of BnCrRLK1L1_5 was strongly induced in resistant genotypes upon inoculation. Functional characterization using fer-4, a mutant of the Arabidopsis ortholog FERONIA (FER), showed enhanced susceptibility to S. sclerotiorum. Furthermore, complementation with BnCrRLK1L1_5 in the fer-4 background restored resistance to levels exceeding the wild-type, indicating functional conservation between BnCrRLK1L1_5 and FER. Co-expression of BnCrRLK1L1_5 with BAX in N. benthamiana leaves significantly reduced necrosis and ion leakage, suggesting that BnCrRLK1L1_5 functions as a suppressor of cell death. Moreover, protein-protein interaction network analysis predicted interactions between BnCrRLK1L1_5 and key partners, including BnCrRLK1L1_4, PTM9, RALF23, and Ferritin 4. These findings suggest that BnCrRLK1L1_5 modulates resistance through regulating cell wall integrity, oxidative stress, and immune signaling.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Together, this study elucidates the dynamic evolution of the CrRLK1L family and establishes BnCrRLK1L1_5 as a key regulator of resistance against S. sclerotiorum. The potential mechanisms involving immune signaling and cell death regulation provide valuable insights for improving disease resistance in rapeseed and other crops.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long non-coding RNA RsLNC2361 positively regulate anthocyanin accumulation in radish.","authors":"Haiyi Liu, Xiaobo Luo, Linjun Wu, Guangqian Yang, Xianping Jiang, Dan Li, Maojun Mao, Yun Pei, Xiuhong Xu, Wanping Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08909-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08909-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is a crucial vegetable crop in the Brassicaceae family, which has a high nutritional, medicinal, and dietary therapeutic values. Radish varieties rich in anthocyanins are favored by consumers because of their bright color and high nutritional value. However, the reports on the role of lncRNA in regulating anthocyanin accumulation in radishes are relatively rare.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on our previous LncRNA sequencing findings, the RsLNC2361 was differentially expressed in red and white skin radish. The results revealed that overexpression of RsLNC2361 can promote anthocyanin accumulation in radish leaves, whereas silencing of RsLNC2361 can decrease the anthocyanin content in radish flesh root using VIGS technology, indicating that RsLNC2361 has a positive regulatory effect on anthocyanin accumulation in radish. Overexpression of RsLNC2361 increased the expresssion anthocyanin structural genes, whereas silencing of RsLNC2361 had opposite effect. A total of 5,032 DEGs and 273 differental metabolites were identified in RsLNC2361-pTY and pTY (control) by transcriptome and metabolome sequencing, respectively. Combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses showed KEGG pathway associated with flavonoid biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis was commonly enriched. The results found that the miRNA858 was predicted to target RsLNC2361, with expectation values of 4.0. Therefore, we speculate that lncRNA participates in the accumulation of anthocyanins in radishes through the regulatory mechanism of the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) module.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides a new perspective on the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis by non-coding RNA and offers a theoretical basis for the breeding of high-anthocyanin radish.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of rootstock-scion combinations on morpho-physiological responses, yield, and fruit quality of tomato under hydroponic salinity stress.","authors":"Yunus Emre Cakır, Firdes Ulas","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08882-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08882-3","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;A hydroponic study was conducted to evaluate whether grafting with some hybrid tomato rootstock could enhance tolerance to salinity of some local tomato scion genotypes and verify morpho-physiological, and biochemical reactions stimulated by rootstocks under salinity. Plants were tested at control (1.5 dS m&lt;sup&gt;- 1&lt;/sup&gt;), medium (4 dS m&lt;sup&gt;- 1&lt;/sup&gt;) and high (8 dS m&lt;sup&gt;- 1&lt;/sup&gt;) salt stress levels by implementing an aerated Deep-Water Culture technique in a fully automated climate chamber. Three scion genotypes (Iraq 1, Iraq 2, and Karahidir) were grafted onto two rootstock genotypes (Ege 50 and ATS06) to evaluate salt tolerance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Salinity led to significant decline in plant growth and biomass accumulation as compared to control conditions, confirming the detrimental influences of stress on crop development. Conversely, salt-tolerant rootstocks enhanced biomass production under salinity, indicating a substantial contribution of rootstock genotype to growth performance and yield formation. Grafting noticeably alleviated salt stress, with ATS06 enhancing leaf number by up to 51.5%, shoot and root dry biomasses by 56.8% and 73.5%, SPAD by ~ 40%, total leaf area by 74.8%, and fruit fresh weight by up to 261.9%, while improving P&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt; and K&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; uptake (~ 60%) and declining Na&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt; (-7.5%) and Cl&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt; (-16.5%) accumulation. Conversely, Ege 50 utilized stronger influences on root architecture and micronutrient status, improving total root length and volume by up to 288.7% and 353.3%, root diameter by up to 699.6%, and Zn&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; concentration by 55% under salt stress conditions. Iraq 1 grafted onto ATS06 exhibited greater salinity tolerance than when grafted onto Ege 50, as evidenced by superior shoot and root biomass, stem length, leaf number, leaf area, nutrient status (P&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;, Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;, Cu&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;, and Mn&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;), rooting depth, and total root length. On the contrary, Karahidir grafted onto ATS06 achieved higher yield, total soluble solids content and fruit dimensions. Under both salt stress levels (4.0 and 8.0, dS m&lt;sup&gt;- 1&lt;/sup&gt;) fruit yield was strongly positive correlated with photosynthetic rate (r = 0.70 to 0.84), leaf physiological traits (r = 0.49 to 0.62) and root morphological traits (r = 0.51 to 0.49), respectively. Moreover, the leaf Ca²⁺ (r = 0.70 to 0.53) and leaf Zn&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt; (r = 0.59 to 0.64) contents showed strong positive relationships with fruit yield, respectively under moderate (4.0 dS m&lt;sup&gt;- 1&lt;/sup&gt;) and high (8.0, dS m&lt;sup&gt;- 1&lt;/sup&gt;) salt stress levels. Highly significant positive correlation existed between shoot dry biomass production and leaf area (r = 0.40 to 0.93) under both salt stress levels (4.0 and 8.0, dS m&lt;sup&gt;- 1&lt;/sup&gt;), respectively. On the other hand, the membrane damage (r= -0.52 to -0.55) and electrolyte leakage of leaf (r= -0.40 to -0.70) and root (r= -0.57 to -0.80) parameters str","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147833880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Meloidogyne vitis infecting mulberry (Morus alba L.) in Yunnan, China: morphology, molecular identification, and pathogenicity.","authors":"Yanmei Yang, Xinghua Yu, Dehong Tang, Wendong Xu, Zhengyu Zhang, Pengjun Wang, Shaojie Yuan","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08819-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08819-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mulberry is an economically important sericulture crop; however, infection by root-knot nematodes (RKNs) poses a serious threat to its production. We observed a high density of RKNs parasitizing mulberry in Yunnan, China. To identify the pathogenic species, we characterized the nematode using morphometric analysis, rDNA/mtDNA-based phylogenetics, and SCAR-PCR. Subsequently, we artificially inoculated healthy mulberry seedlings with second-stage juveniles (J2s) to assess their pathogenicity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The perineal pattern of females is round to ovoid, featuring a moderately high dorsal arch and two large, prominent phasmids, similar to that of Meloidogyne vitis. The morphological and morphometric traits of females, J2s, and males were consistent with those of M. vitis. Genetic analyses further confirmed this, as the rDNA (ITS1-5.8 S-ITS2) and mtDNA (coxI and coxII) sequences showed > 99% similarity to M. vitis and clustered within the same clade with high support (99%-100%). Moreover, species identity was further confirmed using M. vitis-specific primers Mv-F/R, and a single specific fragment of 174 bp was obtained. Artificial inoculation demonstrated that the RKN isolated from mulberry could complete its life cycle in the roots of healthy seedlings of mulberry, producing typical root-knots and egg masses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The RKN parasitizing in mulberry was confirmed as M. vitis based on the morphological features and molecular results. This is the first report of M. vitis attacking mulberry. M. vitis is capable of infecting and damaging mulberry, posing a potential threat to mulberry production. The results of this study providing a theoretical basis for accurately identifying and implementing future effective and integrated nematodes management strategy to safeguard mulberry cultivation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Abiotic stress-responsive transcription factor derived-SSR markers reveal conserved regulatory genes and genetic structure in two cultivated jute species.","authors":"Rakesh Bhowmick, Kanti Meena, Thribhuvan R, Kumar Nishant Chourasia, Jitendra Kumar Meena, Jiban Mitra, Gouranga Kar","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08843-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08843-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Jute (Corchorus spp.) is an important natural bast-fibre crop, but its productivity is severely affected by abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and waterlogging. Improvement of stress resilience in jute requires functional molecular markers directly linked to regulatory genes governing stress responses. The present study aimed to develop such resources through an integrated transcriptome-driven approach in the two cultivated species, Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis of publicly available RNA sequencing datasets identified 1889-6376 and 808-6259 stress-responsive differentially expressed genes under various abiotic stress conditions in C. capsularis and C. olitorius, respectively. From these datasets, 370 differentially expressed transcription factor genes harboring microsatellite motifs were identified in C. capsularis, while 348 such genes were identified in C. olitorius. A total of 728 and 702 simple sequence repeat markers were developed from these transcription factor genes in C. capsularis and C. olitorius, respectively. The majority of markers (77% in C. capsularis and 74% in C. olitorius) were located in regulatory untranslated regions, predominantly enriched with A/T-rich di- and tri-nucleotide motifs. Major stress-responsive transcription factor families, including MYB, basic helix-loop-helix, NAC, WRKY, AP2/ethylene-responsive factor, and homeobox, were highly represented. Synteny analysis revealed 173 conserved syntenic transcription factor-simple sequence repeats gene pairs within collinear chromosomal regions, indicating strong evolutionary conservation of regulatory frameworks between the two species. Population structure analysis revealed three genetic clusters (K = 3) broadly corresponding to species identity, with some admixture in C. olitorius, which may reflect shared ancestry or limited marker resolution rather than definitive gene flow. Pairwise genetic distance values ranged from 0.091(CIN-540 and CEX-39) to 0.773 (CIN-534 and OIN-578), reflecting substantial intraspecific diversity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides a comprehensive set of transcription factor-derived simple sequence repeat markers tightly associated with stress-responsive regulatory genes in jute. They offer potential advantages over anonymous genomic markers and represent valuable genomic resources for marker-assisted breeding, genomic selection, and the development of climate-resilient jute cultivars.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of mango (Mangifera indica L.) germplasm using microsatellite markers.","authors":"Madiha Tahir, Shazia Iram, Daniel Potter, Rashid Mehmood Rana, András Székács","doi":"10.1186/s12870-026-08892-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08892-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mango (Mangifera indica L.), known as the \"king of fruits,\" is a major tropical fruit belonging to the Anacardiaceae family. Cultivated for over 4,000 years, it is native to southern Asia, eastern India, and Burma. The mango family includes 73 genera and 850 species, mostly found in tropical regions. In Pakistan, mango is the second most cultivated fruit after citrus, primarily grown in Punjab and Sindh. Key varieties include Sindhri and Chaunsa, with 7-10% of the crop exported annually, generating about $20 million.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study aims to assess the genetic diversity of Pakistan's mango germplasm using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for effective crop breeding. Mango germplasm samples were collected from Multan Mango Research Institute. Both local and exotic varieties were included. Genomic DNA was extracted from mango leaves using a Plant Genomic DNA Kit, and its quality was assessed via spectrophotometry. The study aimed to evaluate genetic relatedness among 38 mango cultivars of Pakistan and other countries using SSR primers. Twelve labeled primers were tested for their amplification efficiency through PCR, using labeled forward and unlabeled reverse primers. This study on mango germplasm from Pakistan, using SSR markers, revealed significant genetic diversity among 38 native and exotic cultivars. All primer sets produced clear bands, confirming well-optimized PCR conditions. SSR analysis showed high allelic variation, useful for improving traits like disease resistance, fruit quality, and yield. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and cluster analysis indicated both separation and overlap between local and exotic varieties, with some clustering based on geographic origin. Most genetic variation was found within cultivars, highlighting a strong genetic base in Pakistani mango germplasm.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study confirmed close genetic links between Pakistani mangoes and those from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand, offering valuable insight for future breeding programs. This study demonstrated the potential of molecular marker techniques to enhance mango breeding by selecting high-yield, disease-resistant, and climate-tolerant varieties. Emphasizing the importance of genetic diversity, it addressed future challenges like climate change and disease outbreaks. Based on the findings, a strategic plan was proposed to strengthen germplasm collection and develop climate-smart mango varieties suited for modern production systems. Overall, the research offers valuable insights into mango genetics and presents an effective approach to boost mango production in Pakistan and globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":9198,"journal":{"name":"BMC Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}