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Current research does not fully elucidate the key compounds and their mechanisms that define the aroma profile of fresh jujube fruits. Therefore, this study conducted a comprehensive analysis of both free and glycosidically bound aroma compounds in fresh jujube fruits of ten cultivars. Utilizing gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we identified 76 volatile free aroma compounds and 19 glycosidically bound volatile compounds, with esters, aldehydes, and ketones emerging as the predominant volatile compounds in the jujube fruits. Odor activity value (OAV) analysis revealed that the primary aroma profile of the jujubes is characterized by fruity and fatty odors, with β-damascenone being a key contributor to the fruity aroma, and (E)-2-oct-en-1-al and nonanal significantly influencing the fatty aroma. Moreover, the integration of sensory evaluation and partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis pinpointed octanal, (E)-2-oct-en-1-al, nonanal, β-damascenone, and pentanal as significant contributors to the jujube's characteristic aroma, while isoamyl acetate was identified as significantly influencing the fatty acid taste. This study not only underscores the complexity of the jujube aroma composition but also highlights the impact of environmental factors on aroma profiles, offering valuable insights into the sensory characteristics of jujube fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) exhibits a rich diversity in fruit shape, with natural occurrences of gourd-like, flattened, and other special shapes. Despite the ongoing research into fruit shape, studies integrating elliptical Fourier descriptors (EFDs) with both Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) for gene discovery remain scarce. In this study, six cultivars of jujube fruits with distinct shapes were selected, and samples were collected from the fruit set period to the white mature stage across five time points for shape analysis and transcriptome studies. By combining EFDs with WGCNA and STEM, the study aimed to identify the critical periods and key genes involved in the formation of jujube fruit shape. The findings indicated that the D25 (25 days after flowering) is crucial for the development of jujube fruit shape. Moreover, ZjAGL80, ZjABI3, and eight other genes have been implicated to regulate the shape development of jujubes at different periods of fruit development, through seed development and fruit development pathway. In this research, EFDs were employed to precisely delineate the shape of jujube fruits. This approach, in conjunction with transcriptome, enhanced the precision of gene identification, and offered an innovative methodology for fruit shape analysis. This integration facilitates the advancement of research into the morphological characteristics of plant fruits, underpinning the development of a refined framework for the genetic underpinnings of fruit shape variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drought stress severely impedes plant growth, and only a limited number of species exhibit long-term resistance to such conditions. Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, a dominant tree species in arid and semi-arid regions of China, exhibits strong drought resistance and plays a crucial role in the local ecosystem. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance remain poorly understood. Results: Here, we conducted transcriptome sequence and physiological indicators analysis of needle samples during drought treatment and rehydration stages. De-novo assembly yielded approximately 114,152 unigenes with an N50 length of 1,363 bp. We identified 6,506 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with the majority being concentrated in the heavy drought stage (4,529 DEGs). Functional annotation revealed enrichment of drought-related GO terms such as response to water (GO:0009415: enriched 108 genes) and response to water deprivation (GO:0009414: enriched 106 genes), as well as KEGG categories including MAPK signaling pathway (K04733: enriched 35 genes) and monoterpenoid biosynthesis (K21374: enriched 27 genes). Multiple transcription factor families and functional protein families were differentially expressed during drought treatment. Co-expression network analysis identified a potential drought regulatory network between cytochrome P450 genes (Unigene4122_c1_g1) and a core regulatory transcription factor Unigene9098_c3_g1 (PsNAC1) with highly significant expression differences. We validated PsNAC1 overexpression in Arabidopsis and demonstrated enhanced drought resistance. Conclusions: These findings provide insight into the molecular basis of drought resistance in P. sylvestris var. mongolica and lay the foundation for further exploration of its regulatory network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular marker-based identification of Chinese orchids among species, genera, and hybrids before flowering has important breeding and genetic research value. In this study, the Cymbidium tortisepalum germplasm 'Lianbansu' was chosen for transcriptome sequencing, yielding 9,485 putative EST-SSRs discovered from 28,235 unigenes. Then, 192 primers were randomly selected from the designed primers, and 38 pairs of high-quality primers were screened out through experiments. These high-quality markers were used to examine the genetic diversity, population structure, and evolutionary history of 51 orchid germplasms. The number of alleles ranged from 3 to 12, with an average of 6. The observed and expected heterozygosity with an average of 0.4662 and 0.5973. The first two principal coordinates detected 39.66% of the total variation. It was found that the ΔK-value had one peak (When K = 2). Several germplasms of C. tortisepalum, Cymbidium sinense, Cymbidium hybridum, and some interspecific or intergeneric hybrids and unidentified germplasms could be effectively distinguished using these markers. In conclusion, a set of EST-SSR markers with outstanding transferability was created in this study that can be utilised for hybrid parent tracing and germplasm identification of orchids before flowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Drought is one of the main environmental factors limiting tree growth and productivity of plantation forests worldwide. Populus hopeiensis Hu et Chow is one of the most important commercial plantation tree species in China. However, the genes controlling drought tolerance in this species have not been identified or characterized. Here, we conducted differential expression analyses and identified a number of genes that were up- or downregulated in P. hopeiensis during water stress. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study of differentially expressed genes in water-stressed P. hopeiensis. Results Using the cDNA-AFLP detection technique, we used 256 primer combinations to identify differentially expressed genes in P. hopeiensis during water stress. In total, 415 transcript derived-fragments (TDFs) were obtained from 10× deep sequencing of 473 selected TDFs. Of the 415 TDFs, 412 were annotated by BLAST searches against various databases. The majority of these genes encoded products involved in ion transport and compartmentalization, cell division, metabolism, and protein synthesis. The TDFs were clustered into 12 groups on the basis of their expression patterns. Of the 415 reliable TDFs, the sequences of 35 were homologous to genes that play roles in short or long-term resistance to drought stress. Some genes were further selected for validation of cDNA-AFLP expression patterns using real-time PCR analyses. The results confirmed the expression patterns that were detected using the cDNA-AFLP technique. Conclusion The cDNA-AFLP technique is an effective and powerful tool for identifying candidate genes that are differentially expressed under water stress. We demonstrated that 415 TDFs were differentially expressed in water-stressed poplar. The products of these genes are involved in various biological processes in the drought response of poplar. The results of this study will aid in the identification of candidate genes of future experiments aimed at understanding this response of poplar.

The coordination of shoots and roots is critical for plants to adapt to changing environments by fine-tuning energy production in leaves and the availability of water and nutrients from roots. To understand the genetic architecture of how these two organs covary during developmental ontogeny, we conducted a mapping experiment using Euphrates poplar ( Populus euphratica), a so-called hero tree able to grow in the desert. We geminated intraspecific F1 seeds of Euphrates Poplar individually in a tube to obtain a total of 370 seedlings, whose shoot and taproot lengths were measured repeatedly during the early stage of growth. By fitting a growth equation, we estimated asymptotic growth, relative growth rate, the timing of inflection point and duration of linear growth for both shoot and taproot growth. Treating these heterochronic parameters as phenotypes, a univariate mapping model detected 19 heterochronic quantitative trait loci ( hQTLs), of which 15 mediate the forms of shoot growth and four mediate taproot growth. A bivariate mapping model identified 11 pleiotropic hQTLs that determine the covariation of shoot and taproot growth. Most QTLs detected reside within the region of candidate genes with various functions, thus confirming their roles in the biochemical processes underlying plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenotype of an individual is controlled not only by its genes, but also by the environment in which it grows., A growing body of evidence shows that the extent to which phenotypic changes are driven by the environment, known as phenotypic plasticity, is also under genetic control, but an overall picture of genetic variation for phenotypic plasticity remains elusive., Here, we develop a model for mapping quantitative trait loci ( QTLs) that regulate environment-induced plastic response. This model enables geneticists to test whether there exist actual QTLs that determine phenotypic plasticity and, if there are, further test how plasticity QTLs control the costs of plastic response by dissecting the genetic correlation of phenotypic plasticity and trait value., The model was used to analyze real data for grain yield of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum), leading to the detection of pleiotropic QTLs and epistatic QTLs that affect phenotypic plasticity and its cost in this crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting how genes regulate biological shape has become a multidisciplinary research interest because of its wide application in many disciplines. Despite its fundamental importance, the challenges of accurately extracting information from an image, statistically modeling the high-dimensional shape and meticulously locating shape quantitative trait loci (QTL) affect the progress of this research. In this article, we propose a novel integrated framework that incorporates shape analysis, statistical curve modeling and genetic mapping to detect significant QTLs regulating variation of biological shape traits. After quantifying morphological shape via a radius centroid contour approach, each shape, as a phenotype, was characterized as a high-dimensional curve, varying as angle θ runs clockwise with the first point starting from angle zero. We then modeled the dynamic trajectories of three mean curves and variation patterns as functions of θ. Our framework led to the detection of a few significant QTLs regulating the variation of leaf shape collected from a natural population of poplar, Populus szechuanica var tibetica. This population, distributed at altitudes 2000-4500 m above sea level, is an evolutionarily important plant species. This is the first work in the quantitative genetic shape mapping area that emphasizes a sense of 'function' instead of decomposing the shape into a few discrete principal components, as the majority of shape studies do.