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Passion fruit is a valued tropical fruit crop that faces environment-related growth strains. TCP genes are important for both growth modulation and stress prevention in plants. Herein, we systematically analyzed the TCP gene family in passion fruit, recognizing 30 members. Genes exhibiting closer phylogenetic relationships exhibited similar protein and gene structures. Gene members of the TCP family showed developmental-stage- or tissue-specific expression profiles during the passion fruit life cycle. Transcriptome data also demonstrated that many PeTCPs showed induced expression in response to hormonal treatments and cold, heat, and salt stress. Based on transcriptomics data, eight candidate genes were chosen for preferential gene expression confirmation under cold stress conditions. The qRT-PCR assays suggested PeTCP15/16/17/19/23 upregulation, while PeTCP1/11/25 downregulation after cold stress. Additionally, TCP19/20/29/30 exhibited in silico binding with cold-stress-related miRNA319s. GFP subcellular localization assays exhibited PeTCP19/1 were localized at the nucleus. This study will aid in the establishment of novel germplasm, as well as the further investigation of the roles of PeTCPs and their cold stress resistance characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is nature's second most abundant vascular plant biopolymer, playing significant roles in mechanical support, water transport, and stress responses. This study identified 90 lignin biosynthesis genes in rice based on phylogeny and motif constitution, and they belong to PAL, C4H, 4CL, HCT, C3H, CCoAOMT, CCR, F5H, COMT, and CAD families. Duplication events contributed largely to the expansion of these gene families, such as PAL, CCoAOMT, CCR, and CAD families, mainly attributed to tandem and segmental duplication. Microarray data of 33 tissue samples covering the entire life cycle of rice suggested fairly high PAL, HCT, C3H, CCoAOMT, CCR, COMT, and CAD gene expressions and rather variable C4H, 4CL, and F5H expressions. Some members of lignin-related genes (OsCCRL11, OsHCT1/2/5, OsCCoAOMT1/3/5, OsCOMT, OsC3H, OsCAD2, and OsPAL1/6) were expressed in all tissues examined. The expression patterns of lignin-related genes can be divided into two major groups with eight subgroups, each showing a distinct co-expression in tissues representing typically primary and secondary cell wall constitutions. Some lignin-related genes were strongly co-expressed in tissues typical of secondary cell walls. Combined HPLC analysis showed increased lignin monomer (H, G, and S) contents from young to old growth stages in five genotypes. Based on 90 genes' microarray data, 27 genes were selected for qRT-PCR gene expression analysis. Four genes (OsPAL9, OsCAD8C, OsCCR8, and OsCOMTL4) were significantly negatively correlated with lignin monomers. Furthermore, eleven genes were co-expressed in certain genotypes during secondary growth stages. Among them, six genes (OsC3H, OsCAD2, OsCCR2, OsCOMT, OsPAL2, and OsPAL8) were overlapped with microarray gene expressions, highlighting their importance in lignin biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The auxin/indoleacetic acid (Aux/IAA) family plays a central role in regulating gene expression during auxin signal transduction. Nonetheless, there is limited knowledge regarding this gene family in sugarcane. In this study, 92 members of the IAA family were identified in Saccharum spontaneum, distributed on 32 chromosomes, and classified into three clusters based on phylogeny and motif compositions. Segmental duplication and recombination events contributed largely to the expansion of this superfamily. Additionally, cis-acting elements in the promoters of SsIAAs involved in plant hormone regulation and stress responsiveness were predicted. Transcriptomics data revealed that most SsIAA expressions were significantly higher in stems and basal parts of leaves, and at nighttime, suggesting that these genes might be involved in sugar transport. QRT-PCR assays confirmed that cold and salt stress significantly induced four and five SsIAAs, respectively. GFP-subcellular localization showed that SsIAA23 and SsIAA12a were localized in the nucleus, consistent with the results of bioinformatics analysis. In conclusion, to a certain extent, the functional redundancy of family members caused by the expansion of the sugarcane IAA gene family is related to stress resistance and regeneration of sugarcane as a perennial crop. This study reveals the gene evolution and function of the SsIAA gene family in sugarcane, laying the foundation for further research on its mode of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sugarcane provides many secondary metabolites for the pharmacological and cosmetic industries. Secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, have been studied, but few reports focus on the identification of alkaloid and non‐alkaloid phytocompounds in sugarcane. RESULTS: In this study, we identified 40 compounds in total from the rinds of cultivated sugarcane varieties (including eight alkaloids, 24 non‐alkaloids, and eight others) by using the liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) approach. Among these compounds, 31 were novel and are reported for the first time in sugarcane. Some alkaloids such as 3‐indoleacrylic acid, N,N‐dimethyl‐5‐methoxytryptamine, tryptamine, 6‐hydroxynicotinic acid, and 6‐deoxyfagomine are identified the first time in sugarcane rind. Four alkaloids such as trigonelline, piperidine, 3‐indoleacrylic acid, and 6‐deoxyfagomine are found abundantly in sugarcane rind and these compounds have promising pharmaceutical value. Some phytocompounds such as choline and acetylcholine (non‐alkaloid compounds) were most common in the rind of ROC22 and Yuetang93/159 (YT93/159). Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis revealed that the ROC22, Taitang172 (F172), and Yuetang71/210 (YT71/210) varieties were quite similar in alkaloid composition when compared with other sugarcane varieties. We have also characterized the biosynthesis pathway of sugarcane alkaloids. The rind of F172, ROC22, and YT71/210 showed the highest total alkaloid content, whereas the rind of ROC16 revealed a minimum level. Interestingly, the rind extract from YT71/210 and F172 showed maximum antioxidant activity, followed by ROC22. CONCLUSION: Our results showed the diversity of alkaloid and non‐alkaloid compounds in the rind of six cultivated sugarcanes and highlighted the promising phytocompounds that can be extracted, isolated, and utilized by the pharmacological industry. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]