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Bolting and flowering of vegetables are induced by vernalization in their early growth stage. This phenomenon is called premature bolting, and it has caused massive losses in production of vegetables such as cabbage, celery, carrot, radish, and spinach, etc. This review aimed to summarize studies on bolting and flowering pathways, physiological and biochemical changes, and underlined molecular mechanisms of various vegetable crop bolting involving genome and transcriptome analysis, and its association with vegetable breeding. This review could provide basic knowledge to carry out research on vegetable genetics and breeding and vegetable cultivation.

The characteristics of anthocyanin and lignin are important parameters in evaluating the quality of red Toona sinensis buds. Red T. sinensis buds are prone to senescence during postharvest storage, which subsequently affects their quality and sales. However, the mechanism of senescence in red T. sinensis buds under low-temperature conditions remains unclear. In this study, red T. sinensis buds were stored at 4 °C, and their anthocyanin and lignin contents as well as the enzyme activities of PAL (phenylalanine ammonia lyase), 4CL (4-coumarate-CoA ligase), CAD (cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase) and POD (peroxidase) were determined at 0, 1, 2 and 3 d after handing. Meanwhile, the cellular structure of postharvest red T. sinensis buds was observed by microscopy. The relative expression of lignin-related and anthocyanin-related genes was analyzed using qRT-PCR. The results show that the anthocyanin content of the leaves was higher than that of the petioles. After 3 d of storage, the anthocyanin content of the leaves was 4.66 times that of the petioles. Moreover, the lignin content of the red T. sinensis buds gradually increased. Compared with 0 d, the lignin content of the leaves and petioles increased by 331.8 and 94.14 mg·g−1, respectively. The enzyme activities of PAL, 4CL, CAD and POD increased during cold storage. The intercellular space and the arrangement of the palisade tissue and sponge tissue in the mesophyll of red T. sinensis buds became smaller and closer, respectively. The secondary cell wall of xylem cells thickened, the number of xylem cells increased, and the arrangement number of the xylem cells became closed in the leaf vein and petioles during red T. sinensis bud storage. The expression levels of anthocyanin-related (Except for TsCHS and TsANS) and lignin-related genes increased during red T. sinensis bud storage and are highly consistent with the accumulation patterns of anthocyanins and lignin. This study may serve as a reference for exploring the molecular mechanisms of senescence, regulating the quality and cultivating new varieties of red T. sinensis buds that have low lignin content but high anthocyanin content after harvest.

Chayote (Sechium edule), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world and utilized in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries because it is an excellent source of minerals, dietary fibers, protein, vitamins, carotenoids, polysaccharides, phenolic and flavonoid compounds, and other nutrients. Chayote extracts process various medicinal properties, such as anti-cardiovascular, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antiulcer, and anticancer properties. With the rapid advancements of molecular biology and sequencing technology, studies on chayote have been carried out. Research advances, including molecular makers, breeding, genomic research, chemical composition, and pests and diseases, regarding chayote are reviewed in this paper. Future exploration and application trends are briefly described. This review provides a reference for basic and applied research on chayote, an important Cucurbitaceae vegetable crop.

Houttuynia cordata Thunb., called Yuxingcao in Chinese, is an important medicinal plant and vegetable consumed in the southern regions of China. This review aims to summarize studies on the phyto-physiological chemistry, cytology, molecular biology, and genomics of H. cordata. Studies on the physiology and biochemistry of H. cordata have grown over the past few decades. Phenotypic and agronomic traits, tissue culture, elemental analysis, photosynthetic studies, bioactive compound identification, and antioxidant research have been reported. Molecular biological studies, such as those of molecular markers, microRNAs, DNA variations, protein variations, and transcriptomes have also advanced. Recent studies have focused on the rDNA and chloroplast genome of this plant. This review could serve as a basis to perform the genetic breeding, genomic advance, and cultivation of this valuable diversified plant resource for medicinal applications and vegetable production.

Toona sinensis, a perennial and deciduous tree belonging to the Meliaceae family, has been cultivated for more than 2000 years in China. Storing the buds of T. sinensis is difficult, as it is easy for them to rot during storage, which seriously affects their edible and commodity value. Young leaves and buds of T. sinensis plants are excellent source of flavonoids, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and more. In addition, the bioactive components of T. sinensis possess numerous health benefits, such as antiviral, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic effects. In this review, we summarize the storage and preservation, nutritional components, specific chemical compounds, pharmacological value, function genes, and omics of T. sinensis. This review aims to provide basic knowledge for subsequent future research seeking to understand the comprehensive biology and use of T. sinensis as a favored Chinese food and pharmacological resource.

Cucurbits are an important vegetable crop of the gourd family. Unfortunately, gummy stem blight (GSB) causes a major fungal disease on Cucurbitaceous vegetable crops. It is also known as black root when affecting fruits, and it is found all over the world. GSB is caused by the fungal pathogen Didymella bryoniae. Research efforts have investigated the different developmental stages and various parts of Cucurbits affected with this disease. In the present paper, we have completed a systematic review for the disease’s symptomatic, pathogenic microbes, resistance resources, resistance inheritance regularity, molecular biology and genomic study of resistance gene and control method, etc., on Cucurbits. This review provides the background and rationale for future studies aiming to address the issues existing in gummy stem blight research and development.

Background: Although it is a crucial cellular process required for both normal development and to face stress conditions, the control of programmed cell death in plants is not fully understood. We previously reported the isolation of ATXR5 and ATXR6, two PCNA-binding proteins that could be involved in the regulation of cell cycle or cell death. A yeast two-hybrid screen using ATXR5 as bait captured AtIPS1, an enzyme which catalyses the committed step of myo-inositol (MI) biosynthesis. atips1 mutants form spontaneous lesions on leaves, raising the possibility that MI metabolism may play a role in the control of PCD in plants. In this work, we have characterised atips1 mutants to gain insight regarding the role of MI in PCD regulation. Methodology/Principal Findings: - lesion formation in atips1 mutants depends of light intensity, is due to PCD as evidenced by TUNEL labelling of nuclei, and is regulated by phytohormones such as salicylic acid - MI and galactinol are the only metabolites whose accumulation is significantly reduced in the mutant, and supplementation of the mutant with these compounds is sufficient to prevent PCD - the transcriptome profile of the mutant is extremely similar to that of lesion mimic mutants such as cpr5, or wild-type plants infected with pathogens. Conclusion/Significance: Taken together, our results provide strong evidence for the role of MI or MI derivatives in the regulation of PCD. Interestingly, there are three isoforms of IPS in Arabidopsis, but AtIPS1 is the only one harbouring a nuclear localisation sequence, suggesting that nuclear pools of MI may play a specific role in PCD regulation and opening new research prospects regarding the role of MI in the prevention of tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, the significance of the interaction between AtIPS1 and ATXR5 remains to be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light and temperature are key external factors in the control of Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination and dormancy mechanisms. Perception and response to these stimuli have to ensure that seedling emergence and growth occur at the most advantageous time for correct establishment. Analysis of over 300 Arabidopsis accessions identified 14, from 12 different geographical locations, that were able to germinate to greater than 20% at 6°C in the dark. This natural variation was exploited to identify genetic loci responsible for cold-tolerant, dark germination. A quantitative trait loci approach was used on recombinant inbred line progeny of a cross between Bay-0 and Shahdara. Six distinct quantitative trait loci were identified, three of which were major loci, each responsible for 17–25% of the phenotypic variability in this trait. Parental phenotypes indicated that the majority of the cold-tolerant, dark-germination characteristics are related to light responses. Validation of the three major loci using heterogeneous inbred families confirmed the feasibility of fine mapping and cloning the genes at the quantitative trait loci responsible for cold-tolerant, dark germination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]