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This study evaluated the salt tolerance in 40 celery germplasm resources to clarify the different salt tolerances of celery germplasm. A gradient treatment with different concentrations of NaCl solutions (100, 200, and 300 mmol·L−1) was used to simulate salt stress. After 15 days of salt treatment, 14 indicators related to plant growth, physiology, and biochemistry were determined. The results showed that different celery varieties responded differently to salt stress. Notably, there were significant variations in below-ground dry weight, root–crown ratio, antioxidant enzyme activity, and soluble protein content among the accessions under salt stress. Principal component analysis was used to identify important indices for evaluating salt tolerance, including plant height, spread, content of soluble protein, and so on. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted utilizing the salt damage index, principal component analysis, affiliation function analysis, and cluster analysis. The 40 celery germplasms were classified into five highly salt-tolerant, seven salt-tolerant, fifteen moderately salt-tolerant, nine salt-sensitive, and four highly salt-sensitive germplasms. SHHXQ, MXKQ, XBQC, XQ, and TGCXBQ were highly salt-tolerant germplasms, and BFMSGQ, HNXQ, ZQ, and MGXQW were highly salt-sensitive germplasms. The results of this study provide a reference for the variety of celery cultivation in saline areas and lay a foundation for the selection and breeding of salt-tolerant varieties of celery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Apium, belonging to the family Apiaceae, comprises roughly 20 species. Only two species, Apium graveolens and Apium leptophyllum, are available in China and are both rich in nutrients and have favorable medicinal properties. However, the lack of genomic data has severely constrained the study of genetics and evolution in Apium plants. In this study, Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and Nanopore sequencing platforms were employed to identify the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum. The complete lengths of the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum were 263,017 bp and 260,164 bp, respectively, and contained 39 and 36 protein-coding genes, five and six rRNA genes, and 19 and 20 tRNA genes. Consistent with most angiosperms, both A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum showed a preference for codons encoding leucine (Leu). In the mitochondrial genome of A. graveolens, 335 SSRs were detected, which is higher than the 196 SSRs found in the mitochondrial genome of A. leptophyllum. Studies have shown that the most common RNA editing type is C-to-U, but, in our study, both A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum exhibited the U-C editing type. Furthermore, the transfer of the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum into the chloroplast genomes revealed homologous sequences, accounting for 8.14% and 4.89% of the mitochondrial genome, respectively. Lastly, in comparing the mitochondrial genomes of 29 species, it was found that A. graveolens, A. leptophyllum, and Daucus carota form a sister group with a support rate of 100%. Overall, this investigation furnishes extensive insights into the mitochondrial genomes of A. graveolens and A. leptophyllum, thereby enhancing comprehension of the traits and evolutionary patterns within the Apium genus. Additionally, it offers supplementary data for evolutionary and comparative genomic analyses of other species within the Apiaceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant mitochondria play a crucial role in various cellular energy synthesis and conversion processes and are essential for plant growth. Watercress (Oenanthe javanica) is a fast-growing vegetable with strong adaptability and wide cultivation range, and it possesses high nutritional value. In our study, we assembled the O. javanica mitochondrial genome using the Illumina and Nanopore sequencing platforms. The results revealed that the mitochondrial genome map of watercress has a circular structure of 384,074 bp, containing 28 tRNA genes, 3 rRNA genes, and 34 protein-coding genes. A total of 87 SSR (simple sequence repeat) loci were detected, with 99% composed of palindrome repeats and forward repeats, while no complementary repeats were identified. Codon preference analysis indicated that watercress prefers to use codons encoding leucine, isoleucine, and serine with a preference for A/U-ending codons. Phylogenetic analysis showed that watercress is closely related to species of Bupleurum, Apium, Angelica, and Daucus, with the closest evolutionary relationship observed with Saposhnikovia divaricata and Apium graveolens. This study provides a valuable resource for the study of the evolution and molecular breeding of watercress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for the closed plant factory under artificial lighting has been developed in this study, the experimental verification of CFD model with the air velocity value was compared with the measured air temperature value. The results showed that the mean relative error of validation with the air velocity was 15%, and comparable with experimentally observed air temperature profile inside the plant factory with RMSE of 3% which show the utility of CFD to study plant factory microclimatic parameters.

Asparagus belongs to the Liliaceae family and has important economic and pharmacological value. Lignin plays a crucial role in cell wall structural integrity, stem strength, water transport, mechanical support and plant resistance to pathogens. In this study, various biological methods were used to study the mechanism of shading on the asparagus lignin accumulation pathway. The physiological results showed that shading significantly reduced stem diameter and cell wall lignin content. Microstructure observation showed that shading reduced the number of vascular bundles and xylem area, resulting in decreased lignin content, and thus reducing the lignification of asparagus. Cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and sinapyl alcohol are crucial intermediate metabolites in the process of lignin synthesis. Metabolomic profiling showed that shading significantly reduced the contents of cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and sinapyl alcohol. Transcriptome profiling identified 37 differentially expressed genes related to lignin, including PAL, C4H, 4CL, CAD, CCR, POD, CCoAOMT, and F5H related enzyme activity regulation genes. The expression levels of POD, CCoAOMT, and CCR genes were significantly decreased under shading treatment, while the expression levels of CAD and F5H genes exhibited no significant difference with increased shading. The downregulation of POD, CCoAOMT genes and the decrease in CCR gene expression levels inhibited the activities of the corresponding enzymes under shading treatment, resulting in decreased downstream content of caffeic acid, ferulic acid, sinaperol, chlorogenic acid and coniferin. A significant decrease in upstream cinnamic acid content was observed with shading, which also led to decreased downstream metabolites and reduced asparagus lignin content. In this study, transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed the key regulatory genes and metabolites of asparagus lignin under shading treatment. This study provides a reference for further understanding the mechanism of lignin biosynthesis and the interaction of related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sequenced and assembled the chloroplast (cp) genome of Brasenia schreberi cv. 'Mahu Chuncai', a novel variety of B. schreberi rich in nutrients with distinctive characteristics, unlike other varieties in China. The cpDNA genome of 'Mahu Chuncai' has a typical quadripartite structure, with a full length of 158,973 bp, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that all species can be divided into three main clades. Results from inverted repeats (IR) boundary analysis revealed substantial differences between Brasenia and Cabomba species. The cpDNA genome of B. schreberi identified was strongly related to Brasenia species but appeared to be a distant relative of Cabomba aquatica more than other species in Cabombaceae. In contrast with the species from Cabombaceae, 'Mahu Chuncai' was a close relative of B. schreberi MN315507.1, which was a distant relative of C. aquatica MG720559.1. Furthermore, we found four potential molecular markers, i.e., ycf1 in the IR region, psbT in the LSC region, and ndhF and rps15 in the SSC region. Collectively, our findings confirm the phylogenetic evolution and cultivation origin of B. schreberi. We identified genetic characteristics and nucleotide diversity hotspots, which provides a theoretical basis for additional research on variety identification, germplasm resources, and molecular breeding of the precious vegetable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mustard is an edible vegetable in the genus Brassica with tender and clean sprouts and short growth cycles that has become a rich source of nutrients required by humans. Here, the effects of dark exposure duration and planting density on the health-promoting phytochemicals and the antioxidant capacity of mustard sprouts were evaluated. The content of soluble sugar, soluble protein, chlorophyll, and carotenoids and the antioxidant capacity of mustard were higher in the two-day dark treatment; the content of indolic glucosinolates was also more affected in the dark day experiment than in the planting density experiment. The soluble sugar, soluble protein, and aliphatic and total glucosinolate levels were higher when sprouts were grown at high densities (6–7 g per tray); however, no significant variation was observed in the content of chlorophyll and carotenoids and the antioxidant capacity. The results of this study show that the optimum cultivation regime for maximizing the concentrations of nutrients of mustard plants is a planting density of 6 g of seeds per tray and a two-day dark treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress is a key factor limiting the growth and tuber yield of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). Brassinosteroids (BRs) have been shown to alleviate drought stress in several plant species; however, little is known about the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which BRs enhance drought resistance in potatoes. Here, we characterized changes in the physiology and transcriptome of the tetraploid potato variety 'Xuanshu-2′ in response to drought stress after 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) pretreatment. The abscisic acid (ABA) content, photosynthetic capacity, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes were increased; the intercellular CO2 concentration, relative conductivity, reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, proline, and soluble sugar content were decreased after EBR pretreatment compared with plants under drought stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed 1330 differently expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the response to drought stress after EBR pretreatment. DEGs were enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, circadian rhythm, flavonoid biosynthesis, and carotenoid biosynthesis. DEGs associated with the BR signaling and biosynthesis pathways, as well as ABA metabolic pathways were identified. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms by which BRs enhance the drought resistance of potatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purple flowering stalks and green flowering stalks of Brassica campestris are widely cultivated in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Here, concentrations of the main health-promoting compounds and antioxidant capacity levels were characterized in different parts (leaves, peel, flesh, and inflorescences) of purple and green flowering stalks. There were significant differences in the concentrations of health-promoting compounds between the two variants; the concentrations of pigments, especially anthocyanidins, and gluconapin, were significantly higher in purple flowering stalks than in green flowering stalks, and the progoitrin content was significantly higher in green flowering stalks than in purple flowering stalks. The leaves were judged to be the most nutritional edible part because they had the highest concentrations of pigments, ascorbic acid, proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, and total phenolics. Antioxidant capacity was also highest in the leaves, and it was positively correlated with the concentration of health-promoting compounds. Purple flowering stalks and green flowering stalks were found to be rich in health-promoting compounds, especially glucosinolates. Overall, our findings indicate that consumption of the leaves and peel would provide the most health benefits. Some suggestions are provided regarding the processing and utilization of these edible components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasturtium officinale is a cadmium (Cd) accumulator plant, but its phytoremediation capacity is low compared to other hyperaccumulators. To improve the phytoremediation capacity, the seedlings of N. officinale was grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soils, and the effects of diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) on N. officinale growth and Cd accumulation were studied. DA-6 increased the shoot biomass of N. officinale, and had a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with root and shoot biomass. DA-6 had no significant effects on chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid contents, increased peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities, and decreased the soluble protein content. DA-6 also increased the Cd content and Cd extraction of N. officinale to some extent, and had a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the root Cd content, shoot Cd content, root Cd extraction, and shoot Cd extraction. Significant correlations were found among plant biomass, chlorophyll content, Cd content, Cd extraction, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, soluble protein content and soil exchangeable Cd was significantly correlated with plant Cd content and Cd extraction. Therefore, DA-6 can promote N. officinale growth and improve its phytoremediation capacity for Cd-contaminated paddy soils, with a recommend optimum dose of 20 mg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of packaging baby mustard into bags of different color under light exposure on its visual quality and the content of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and glucosinolates at 20°C was investigated. Packaging with seven color bags under light exposure prolonged the shelf life, especially green (GB), blue (BB), and transparent (TB) bags with holes, and their shelf life was 1.7, 1.6, and 1.6 times that of the control, respectively. The GB and BB treatments delayed the deterioration of the sensory quality in baby mustard during storage. The BB and TB treatments not only increased chlorophyll and carotenoids content in baby mustard during storage but also enhanced the accumulation of glucosinolates by inhibiting their degradation, especially the BB treatment. Overall, the results demonstrate that the BB treatment is a promising technique for maintaining the postharvest quality of baby mustard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the effects of brassinolide (BR) on the growth and phytoremediation ability of cadmium (Cd) accumulator plants, different BR concentrations were applied to emerged accumulator plant Nasturtium officinale growing in Cd-contaminated soil. Brassinolide application increased the biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, and antioxidant enzyme activity of N. officinale. When N. officinale was treated with 1.5 mg L−1 of BR, the highest shoot biomass was obtained, recording an increase of 26.06%, compared to the control. In addition, BR treatment decreased the Cd contents in the shoots of N. officinale, and the BR concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg L−1 decreased the Cd content in shoots by 10.49%, 12.11%, 20.13%, and 17.23%, respectively, compared to the control. Brassinolide treatment also slightly inhibited the transportation of Cd from the roots to shoots. The findings revealed that BR had no significant effects on the Cd extraction amounts by stems, leaves, and shoots of N. officinale. However, BR promoted the growth of N. officinale and inhibited the Cd uptakes in the above-ground part of N. officinale. Thus, N. officinale could be used as a wild vegetable in the Cd-contaminated soil, although not suitable for phytoextraction as an accumulator plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the effect of exogenous PA on the watermelon root system, the watermelon variety 'Zaojia 84–24' was used as experimental material. This study investigated the effects of allelochemicals DIBP and DOP at varying different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 4 mmol·L−1) on the physiological characteristics and mineral content of watermelon roots. The results revealed that proper PA treatment concentrations (0.05~0.1 mmol·L−1) promoted seed germination, increased the number of RBCs and the survival rate of RBCs, and enhanced the activities of PME and dehydrogenase in watermelon roots. In addition, proper PA treatment concentrations (0.05~0.1 mmol·L−1) promoted the activities of SOD, POD, CAT, and NR in watermelon roots. The contents of MDA and soluble protein were increased at 0.05~4 mmol·L−1 PA. In addition, proper PA treatment concentrations promoted the absorption and accumulation of P, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn elements in watermelon roots. These results indicate that PA at a concentration of 0.05~0.5 mmol·L−1 can promote watermelon seed germination, improve antioxidant enzyme activity of watermelon roots, and maintain normal physiological activities of watermelon by affecting absorption and accumulation of mineral elements in the root system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of melatonin treatment on the visual quality and content of health-promoting compounds in baby mustard (Brassica juncea var. gemmifera) at 20°C was investigated in this study. Application of 100 μmol L–1 melatonin was the most effective in prolonging the shelf life of baby mustard among all of the concentrations tested (1, 50, 100, and 200 μmol L–1). The 100 μmol L–1 melatonin treatment also delayed the increase in weight loss and the decrease in sensory parameter scores; retarded the decline of chlorophyll content; slowed the decline in antioxidant capacity by maintaining the content of carotenoids and ascorbic acid, as well as increasing the levels of total phenolics; and increased the content of individual and total glucosinolates in the lateral buds of baby mustard. These findings indicate that melatonin treatment is effective for maintaining the sensory and nutritional qualities of postharvest baby mustard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wasabi (Eutrema japonicum) is a vegetable of Brassicaceae family, currently cultivated in East Asia. It is rich in nutritional and has a spicy flavour. It is regarded as a rare condiment worldwide. Its genetic profile for yield improvement and the development of E. japonicum germplasm resources remains unknown. Cognizant of this, this study sequenced and assembled the chloroplast (cp) genome of E. japonicum to enrich our genomic information of wasabi and further understand genetic relationships within the Eutrema species. The structural characteristics, phylogeny, and evolutionary relationship of cp genomes among other Brassicaceae plants were analyzed and compared to those of Eutrema species. The cp genome of E. japonicum has 153,851 bp with a typical quadripartite structure, including 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 87 protein-coding genes. It contains 290 simple sequence repeats and prefers to end their codons with an A or T, which is the same as other Brassicaceae species. Moreover, the cp genomes of the Eutrema species had a high degree of collinearity and conservation during the evolution process. Nucleotide diversity analysis revealed that genes in the IR regions had higher Pi values than those in LSC (Large single copy) and SSC (Small single copy) regions, making them potential molecular markers for wasabi diversity studies. The analysis of genetic distance between Eutrema plants and other Brassicacea plants showed that intraspecies variation was found to be low, while large differences were found between genera and species. Phylogenetic analysis based on 29 cp genomes revealed the existence of a close relationship amongst the Eutrema species. Overall, this study provides baseline information for cp genome-based molecular breeding and genetic transformation studies of Eutrema plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive aluminum ions (Al3+) in acidic soil can have a toxic effect on watermelons, restricting plant growth and reducing yield and quality. In this study, we found that exogenous application of nitric oxide (NO) could increase the photochemical efficiency of watermelon leaves under aluminum stress by promoting closure of leaf stomata, reducing malondialdehyde and superoxide anion in leaves, and increasing POD and CAT activity. These findings showed that the exogenous application of NO improved the ability of watermelon to withstand aluminum stress. To further reveal the mitigation mechanism of NO on watermelons under aluminum stress, the differences following different types of treatments—normal growth, Al, and Al + NO—were shown using de novo sequencing of transcriptomes. In total, 511 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the Al + NO and Al treatment groups. Significantly enriched biological processes included nitrogen metabolism, phenylpropane metabolism, and photosynthesis. We selected 23 genes related to antioxidant enzymes and phenylpropane metabolism for qRT-PCR validation. The results showed that after exogenous application of NO, the expression of genes encoding POD and CAT increased, consistent with the results of the physiological indicators. The expression patterns of genes involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism were consistent with the transcriptome expression abundance. These results indicate that aluminum stress was involved in the inhibition of the photosynthetic pathway, and NO could activate the antioxidant enzyme defense system and phenylpropane metabolism to protect cells and scavenge reactive oxygen species. This study improves our current understanding by comprehensively analyzing the molecular mechanisms underlying NO-induced aluminum stress alleviation in watermelons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mustard sprouts are rich in health-promoting compounds and antioxidant activities. • Root mustard contained optimum levels of antioxidants and antioxidant activities. • Stem mustard and half of root mustard have higher glucosinolates content. • The level of glucosinolates determine different flavors and application of mustard. • S1, L4, and R11 can be used as functional cultivars or future hybrid breeding. Mustard has nutritional benefits to human health and come in diverse flavors, while the edible sprouts have a short cycle, high nutrition, and hygienic characteristics. This study was designed to investigate the differences in chlorophyll, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities, and glucosinolates in the sprouts of three mustard types (root, stem, and leaf mustards) from a core collection of 41 cultivars. The content of chlorophyll and carotenoids was only slightly different among the three types. Root mustard cultivars had considerable phenolic compound content (17.31 mg g −1) and antioxidant activities. In addition, twelve glucosinolates were identified in the mustard sprout cultivars, and the stem mustard and nearly half of the root mustard had the highest averages (140.38 μmol g −1 and 159.98 μmol g −1, respectively), while the lowest average was detected in leaf mustard (78.00 μmol g −1). Root mustard sprouts are suitable for pickling and processing, stem mustard sprouts contribute to mustard-flavored condiments, and leaf mustard sprouts are widely used for fresh eating or making mild mustard condiments based on the glucosinolates content. S1, L4, and R11 would be useful as functional cultivars or elite crossbreeding germplasms due to their excellent carotenoids, antioxidant activity, and glucosinolates traits, respectively. In conclusion, mustard sprouts were assigned nutritional characteristics and can be diversely popularized and utilized for their edible value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asparagus is a nutritionally dense stem vegetable whose growth and development are correlated with its quality and yield. To investigate the dynamic changes and underlying mechanisms during the elongation and growth process of asparagus stems, we documented the growth pattern of asparagus and selected stem segments from four consecutive elongation stages using physiological and transcriptome analyses. Notably, the growth rate of asparagus accelerated at a length of 25 cm. A significant decrease in the concentration of sucrose, fructose, glucose, and additional sugars was observed in the elongation region of tender stems. Conversely, the levels of auxin and gibberellins(GAs) were elevated along with increased activity of enzymes involved in sucrose degradation. A significant positive correlation existed between auxin, GAs, and enzymes involved in sucrose degradation. The ABA content gradually increased with stem elongation. The tissue section showed that cell elongation is an inherent manifestation of stem elongation. The differential genes screened by transcriptome analysis were enriched in pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism, phytohormone synthesis metabolism, and signal transduction. The expression levels of genes such as ARF, GA20ox, NCED, PIF4, and otherswere upregulated during stem elongation, while DAO, GA2ox, and other genes were downregulated. The gene expression level was consistent with changes in hormone content and influenced the cell length elongation. Additionally, the expression results of RT-qPCR were consistent with RNA-seq. The observed variations in gene expression levels, endogenous hormones and sugar changes during the elongation and growth of asparagus tender stems offer valuable insights for future investigations into the molecular mechanisms of asparagus stem growth and development and provide a theoretical foundation for cultivation and production practices., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Research revealed that the abaxial leafy supplemental lighting (AB) can significantly improve the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in the leaves of tomato plants compare to the adaxial leafy supplemental lighting (AD) method. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we conducted AB and AD on tomato and assessed transcriptomic, and proteomic changes in leaves. The result showed that under the two supplemental lighting methods, a total of 7352 genes and 152 proteins were differentially expressed. Significant differences were observed in genes expression levels and proteins abundances across multiple pathways, mainly including cell process, metabolism process, biological regulation, environment information processing, genetic information processing, metabolism, and organismal systems. Additionally, we also found that some key genes that plant hormone signaling, light perception, photosynthesis, plant fitness, and promoting fruit ripening, have increased significantly, which can explain the effect of AB on plant growth and development. Finally, through the qPCR, we determined that AB mainly up-regulate a series of auxin-responsive genes or factors, auxin polarity transport genes, gibberellin synthesis genes, cell cycle regulator genes, sugar transporters, and fleshy fruit ripening genes. These results help us to understand plant light response mechanism and discover genes which contribute to efficient light energy utilization., Competing Interests: Authors XZ and JL were employed by Chengdu NewSun Crop Science Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jiang, Wu, Zhang, Liu, Li, Song, Wang and Zheng.)

As a stem variety of lettuce, the fleshy stem is the main product organ of stem lettuce. The molecular mechanism of fleshy stem expansion in stem lettuce is a complex biological process. In the study, the material accumulation, gene expression, and morphogenesis during fleshy stem expansion process were analyzed by the comparative analysis of metabolome, transcriptome and the anatomical studies. The anatomical studies showed that the occurrence and activity of vascular cambium mainly led to the development of fleshy stems; and the volume of pith cells gradually increased and arranged tightly during the expansion process. A total of 822 differential metabolites and 9,383 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by the metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses, respectively. These changes significantly enriched in sugar synthesis, glycolysis, and plant hormone anabolism. The expression profiles of genes in the sugar metabolic pathway gradually increased in fleshy stem expansion process. But the sucrose content was the highest in the early stage of fleshy stem expansion, other sugars such as fructose and glucose content increased during fleshy stem expansion process. Plant hormones, including IAA, GA, CTK, and JA, depicted important roles at different stem expansion stages. A total of 1,805 DEGs were identified as transcription factors, such as MYB, bHLH, and bZIP, indicating that these transcription factor families might regulate the fleshy stems expansion in lettuce. In addition, the expression patterns identified by qRT-PCR were consistent with the expression abundance identified by the transcriptome data. The important genes and metabolites identified in the lettuce fleshy stem expansion process will provide important information for the further molecular mechanism study of lettuce fleshy stem growth and development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Huang, Li, Liu, Chen, Wang, Wang, Liu and Zheng.)

Introduction: Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a severe problem in paddy soils that has affected crops' safety. The present study aimed at remediating Cd-contaminated paddy soil by improving the phytoremediation capability of aquatic accumulator plants., Methods: We conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on the growth and Cd phytoremediation capability of the aquatic accumulator plant Nasturtium officinale ., Results: SA with the concentrations of 100, 150, and 200 mg/L increased the root and shoot biomass of N. officinale , while only 150 mg/L increased the chlorophyll a and b contents. SA increased the activities of peroxidase and catalase of N. officinale to a great extent, but decreased the superoxide dismutase activity and soluble protein content. SA also increased the root Cd content, shoot Cd content, root Cd extraction, and shoot Cd extraction to a large extent. At concentrations of 100, 150, and 200 mg/L, SA increased the shoot Cd extraction by 17.59%, 47.16%, and 43.27%, respectively, compared with the control. Moreover, SA concentration had a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the root Cd extraction and shoot Cd extraction. The correlation and grey relational analyses revealed that root Cd extraction, shoot biomass, and root biomass were closely associated with shoot Cd extraction of N. officinale ., Conclusion: Thus, our results suggest that SA promoted the growth and improved the phytoremediation (extraction) capability of N. officinale , and 150 mg/L SA was the most suitable concentration., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zheng, Zhang, Zhu, Ao, Liu, Li, Lin and Wang.)

Wasabi (Eutrema japonicum ), also known as Japanese horseradish, is a perennial herb widely used in Japanese cuisine for its special flavour. The health-promoting phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of four organs (leaf, petiole, rhizome, and root) of two cultivars (Chuankui-1 and Chuankui-2) of wasabi from two producing areas, Leibo and Guangyuan in Sichuan Province, China, were investigated in this study. The results showed that leaves were rich in pigments, soluble protein, ascorbic acid, and total phenolics and had the highest antioxidant capacity. Soluble sugars were highest in the petioles and were 1.1- to 5-fold higher than those in the other three organs. Glucosinolates and glucosinolate breakdown products (GBPs) were the most abundant in rhizomes, and their maximum values were 271.61 mmol kg -1 DW and 249.78 mmol kg -1 DW, respectively. The rhizomes of Chuankui-1 in Leibo and the leaves of Chuankui-1 in Guangyuan were superior in terms of glucosinolates and GBPs. These findings provide new insights that will aid the use of wasabi cultivars; they also have implications for the environmental characteristics needed to obtain better quality wasabi products. In the future, metabolome and transcriptome can be used to analyze the potential mechanism of differences among typical varieties, origins and parts., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Di, Cui, Fang, Ma, He, Li, Lu, Zhang and Zheng.)