Scientia Horticulturae最新文献

{"title":"Genotype-specific grafting of tomato under saline water irrigation: conferring physiological adaptation, ion homeostasis, antioxidant activity and yield","authors":"Md. Dulal Sarkar ,&nbsp;Magdi A.A. Mousa ,&nbsp;Omer H. Ibrahim ,&nbsp;Most Tahera Naznin","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Continuous irrigation with saline water causes osmotic stress and ion toxicity, thereby extremely hindering tomato cultivation in dry areas where fresh water resources are scarce for regular irrigation. The experiment includes three tomato rootstock genotypes namely Areenez (G_A), Maxifort (G_M) and Pimp (G_P). Areenez is a commercial variety, which also used as scion for self-grafting and control (non-grafted plants, G_N), thus to compare with interspecific grafting to confer salt tolerance. The tomato plants were irrigated with- tap water (control, SI₀), 5 dSm^-1 (SI₅) and 10 dSm^-1 (SI₁₀) concentrations of saline water in a net house on the roof. The main block was the saline water treatments, and grafting rootstocks were allocated in the sub block based on the split plot design. Maxifort rootstock substantially improved pigments on leaves (Chl a 1.08 mg g^-1 FW, Chl b 0.77 mg g^-1 FW), antioxidant activity (SOD 31.70 %, APX 35.42 %, POD 51.02 %, CAT 16.03 %) and fruit yield where the increase was 27.96 % under SI₁₀ levels of saline water as compared to non-grafted plants. It also demonstrated a consistently 23.90 % lower Na⁺ uptake, 39.50 % higher K⁺/Na⁺, 21 % lower lipid peroxidation, and 67.38 % membrane stability. Grafting onto Maxifort was superior to the other grafting combinations on flowering (55.06 plant^-1) and fruiting (15.62 plant^-1) with saline water irrigation, but the self-grafted plants were moderately resilient in a variety of characteristics. So, this research findings justify Maxifort as a promising rootstock in production of tomatoes in arid areas with limited availability of fresh water. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism behind the superior root functions of the graft combination, and the long-term agronomic and economic feasibility under varying climatic conditions should be studied in future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114569"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fruit ripening, cell wall composition, and calcium associations in cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) cultivars with contrasting firmness","authors":"Pedro Rojas-Barros ,&nbsp;Hector Lopez-Moreno ,&nbsp;Beth Ann Workmaster ,&nbsp;Juan Zalapa ,&nbsp;Amaya Atucha","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In cranberry (<em>Vaccinium macrocarpon</em> Ait.), fruit firmness is a critical quality trait for postharvest life and the production of high-value products such as sweetened dried cranberries (SDC), yet the physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying this characteristic remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine changes in cell wall composition and calcium (Ca) concentration throughout fruit development in two cranberry cultivars with contrasting fruit firmness (‘Stevens’ and ‘BG’). Fruit samples were collected from 14 to 91 days after full bloom (DAFB) and assessed for firmness, elasticity, size, fresh weight, anthocyanin concentration, and internal structure. Cell wall composition was analyzed for water-soluble pectin (WSP), CDTA (trans-1,2-cyclohexanediamine tetraacetic acid)-soluble pectin (CPS), Na₂CO₃-soluble pectin (SSP), and 1 M and 4 M KOH hemicellulose fractions alongside Ca concentrations in both total fruit and in the cell wall. At 91 DAFB, ‘Stevens’ had a higher firmness than ‘BG’, which was correlated with greater CSP concentration and higher levels of cell wall-bound Ca. In contrast, ‘BG’ exhibited a sharper firmness decline during ripening, associated with increased solubilization of tightly bound hemicellulose (4KOH fraction) and lower cell wall-bound Ca concentration. Our findings highlight the role of Ca in the solubilization of pectin and hemicellulose during fruit development, maintaining fruit firmness and elasticity offering new insights for improving cranberry quality and fruit processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114568"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elevated CO2 and fertilization enhance nutrient use efficiency and carbon allocation in mulberry: A pathway for sustainable horticulture","authors":"Songmei Shi ,&nbsp;Huakang Li ,&nbsp;Xinju Wang ,&nbsp;Liu Huang ,&nbsp;Panpan Yu ,&nbsp;Junqiang Xu ,&nbsp;Zhengan Yang ,&nbsp;Xinhua He","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114554","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114554","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elevated atmospheric CO₂ (ECO₂) and fertilization are critical drivers of plant growth and nutrient dynamics, yet their combined effects on nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and carbon allocation in horticultural crops like mulberry (<em>Morus alba</em> L.) remain underexplored. This study examined how ECO₂ (720/770 ppm vs. ambient 420/470 ppm, daytime/nighttime) and four fertilization levels (0 %, 75 %, 100 %, and 125 % of conventional dose) influence NUE and carbon partitioning in mulberry seedlings, with a focus on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) dynamics. ECO₂ significantly increased total biomass (17–71 %) and net photosynthetic rate (8–30 %), with optimal growth observed at 100 % fertilization (F2). While ECO₂ enhanced root non-structural carbohydrates by 30 %, it reduced leaf N (-15 %), P (-10 %), and K (-12 %) concentrations due to biomass dilution and reduced transpiration. Notably, ECO₂ significantly improved N, P, and K use efficiency, particularly under reduced fertilization (F1), achieving comparable biomass production with 25 % less fertilizer input. Soil analysis revealed that ECO₂ decreased soil nitrate (-24 %), available P (-22 %), and K (-16 %), but these effects were mitigated by fertilization. Crucially, a 25 % reduction in fertilization under ECO₂ maintained mulberry biomass and N, P, and K accumulation, whereas a 25 % increase provided no additional benefits. These findings demonstrate that mulberry adapts to ECO₂ through optimized nutrient allocation and enhanced NUE, enabling sustainable cultivation with reduced fertilizer inputs. This study provides a practical framework for mulberry production in future high-CO₂ climates, supporting resource-efficient and climate-resilient horticultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114554"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High daily light integral at end of production improves lettuce nutritional quality","authors":"Qianxixi. Min ,&nbsp;Leo F.M. Marcelis ,&nbsp;Céline C.S. Nicole ,&nbsp;Ernst J. Woltering","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>End-of-Production (EoP) lighting, which involves adjusting light intensity or spectrum a few days before harvest, is particularly effective in vertical farms and greenhouses using artificial lighting. Increased EoP light intensity has been found to improve lettuce nutritional quality and to extend the shelf life, but the simultaneous changes in daily light integral (DLI) and cumulative light sum (CLS, cumulative light sum received during the EoP phase) complicate the understanding of these effects. This study aims to investigate the effects of different EoP light factors, including light intensity, photoperiod, DLI and CLS on the nutritional quality of lettuce (<em>Lactuca sativa</em> L.), focusing on carbohydrates and total ascorbic acid (Vitamin C, TAsA) levels. We applied six EoP light treatments with varying light intensities (200, 240, 300, 360 and 450 μmol m^-2 s^-1) and photoperiods (16, 20 and 24 h <span>d</span>^-1) over six days. DLI was either 17 or 26 mol m^-2 <span>d</span>^-1. High DLI in EoP lighting increased carbohydrates and TAsA levels in lettuce, regardless of whether the high DLI was achieved through longer photoperiod or higher light intensity. At a given DLI, longer photoperiod with lower light intensity resulted in higher carbohydrates and TAsA levels compared to shorter photoperiod with higher light intensity. Prolonging EoP lighting period (e.g. from 2 to 6 days) with low DLI did not affect nutritional quality despite higher CLS. Our findings show that the most effective way to enhance lettuce nutritional quality is through EoP lighting with higher DLI created by a longer photoperiod.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114566"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acetic acid treatment delays the quality deterioration of hawthorn fruit via regulation of ascorbate biosynthesis and regeneration","authors":"Jian Wang,&nbsp;Nufei Li,&nbsp;Kui Jin,&nbsp;Shuming Liu,&nbsp;Yali Hou,&nbsp;Yuexue Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hawthorn fruits are both medicinal and edible, with high nutritional and health-care value. However, harvested hawthorn fruits are prone to loss water and decay, which significantly shortens their fresh-keeping period. Treatments with different acetic acid (AAC) concentrations on the quality of ‘Qiujinxing’ hawthorn fruits was investigated. The findings revealed that compared with the untreated fruit, AAC treatment (especially at a concentration of 0.1 %) significantly delayed fruit senescence and maintained quality by inhibiting the ethylene release rate, weight loss rate and fruit decay. Moreover, compared to the control, hawthorn fruits treated with 0.1 % AAC exhibited significantly higher levels of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and total phenols, accompanied with elevated key antioxidant enzymes activities during the late storage phase. This enhanced antioxidant capacity was concomitant with a marked reduction of reactive oxygen species and MDA accumulation. Furthermore, AAC treatment significantly activated the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle related enzymes, including ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase and dehydroascorbate reductase, which resulted in elevated production of both AsA and GSH. Overall, AAC treatment might delay postharvest quality deterioration in hawthorn fruit through the modulation of AsA biosynthesis and regeneration, which holds promise as an environmentally friendly and effective storage strategy for guaranteeing the postharvest quality of hawthorn fruit.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114561"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elevated [CO2] combined with an optimal nitrate-to-ammonium ratio enhances cucumber yield and nitrogen use efficiency by improving photosynthesis and root morphology","authors":"Di Li ,&nbsp;Lili Guo ,&nbsp;Meng Tian ,&nbsp;Chao Gao ,&nbsp;Guobing Wang ,&nbsp;Shike Zhang ,&nbsp;Jianbo Yang ,&nbsp;Zengqiang Duan ,&nbsp;Xun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentration (e[CO₂]) and nitrogen (N) supply can regulate plant growth, and optimizing the nitrate-to-ammonium ratio (NAR) under e[CO₂] is critical for promoting yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in sustainable greenhouse production. However, the optimal NAR for improving cucumber (<em>Cucumis sativus</em> L.) growth under e[CO₂] remains unclear. A soil-cultured experiment with cucumber plants was conducted with two [CO₂] levels (ambient [CO₂]: 422 μmol mol⁻¹; e[CO₂]: 1202 μmol mol⁻¹) and three NAR levels (NO₃⁻: NH₄⁺ = 13:1 [NA1], 9:5 [NA2], 5:9 [NA3]). Results showed that e[CO₂] combined with NA1 treatment resulted in the highest yield and total dry weight (TDW) during the fruiting stage. The NA1 treatment significantly increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate by 50.6–110 %, and promoted root length, root surface area, root volume, and root tip number by 20.7–42.0 % compared to NA3 treatment under e[CO₂] conditions during the fruiting stage. Although e[CO₂] decreased leaf and root N concentrations, it enhanced N uptake, with NUE reaching 47.0 % at an NAR of 13:1. Correlation analysis revealed strong associations between NUE and TDW, Pn, root morphology, and N uptake. Therefore, we propose that e[CO₂] combined with an NAR of 13:1 can optimize carbon-nitrogen metabolism, increase yield and NUE of vegetables, providing a theoretical basis for N management in greenhouse production under climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114565"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Glutathione metabolism is a central pathway in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) roots responding to salt, alkali, and combined saline-alkaline stresses","authors":"Huifang Liu (刘会芳) ,&nbsp;Yanan Chang (常亚南) ,&nbsp;Jiayi Xing (邢嘉怡) ,&nbsp;Qiang Wang (王强) ,&nbsp;Hongmei Zhuang (庄红梅) ,&nbsp;Hongwei Han (韩宏伟) ,&nbsp;Hao Wang (王浩) ,&nbsp;Huiying Liu (刘慧英)","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To explore the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying tomato root responses to salt stress, alkali stress, and combined saline-alkaline stress. Here, the tomato cultivar ‘M82’ was cultivated with the following four treatments: (1) 1x Hoagland nutrient solution (control; CK); (2) 1x Hoagland nutrient solution + 100 mmol/L NaCl (NC); (3) 1x Hoagland nutrient solution + 100 mmol/L NaHCO₃ (NH); and (4) 1x Hoagland nutrient solution + 50 mmol/LNaCl+50 mmol/L NaHCO₃ (NB). The root morphological traits, physiological parameters, transcriptomic profiles, and metabolomic signatures of the plants under these treatments were analyzed. In this experiment, the three stresses significantly inhibited root growth through distinct mechanisms: NC reduced branch number and total length, NH diminished surface area and diameter, while NB synergistically suppressed root volume. In addition, these stresses activated antioxidant enzymes and elevated oxidative markers, indicating stress-specific defense strategies. Furthermore, a combined analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome of roots revealed that 39 metabolic pathways were enriched which included biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and plant hormone signal transduction were enriched under salt stress. Notably, alkali stress resulted in extensive pathway enrichment [7527 differentially expressed genes (DEGs)], sharing the three most significantly enriched pathways with salt stress treatment. The combination of saline and alkali stress specifically activated the glutathione metabolic pathway, with 56.6 % of DEGs encoding glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), pivotal for detoxification and redox homeostasis. Besides, the study found that a coordinated network involving the upregulation of <em>SlGRAS1/2/4</em> transcription factors (161.97 % induction under NH) and GSH biosynthetic genes (GSH1, GR) underpinned pH adaptation. Meanwhile, non-additive effects were observed in NB, with a lower suppression of <em>SlGRAS10</em> (−25.12 %) than under NH (−66.25 %), suggesting a cross-talk that buffers oxidative damage. These findings provide novel insights for breeding saline-alkaline-resilient crops and designing stress management strategies targeting glutathione metabolism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114542"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptome-wide identification and integrated analysis of age-related characteristic genes associated with age determination in forest-grown ginseng","authors":"Jinghui Yu ,&nbsp;Yanfang Wang ,&nbsp;Xiao Li ,&nbsp;Dinghui Wang ,&nbsp;Jialing Xu ,&nbsp;Xiaochen Yu ,&nbsp;Sizhang Liu ,&nbsp;Mingming Liu ,&nbsp;Kangyu Wang ,&nbsp;Mingzhu Zhao ,&nbsp;Yi Wang ,&nbsp;Meiping Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Panax ginseng</em> C.A. Meyer has long been used as a valuable medicinal herb with a wide range of pharmacological effects. Due to the scarcity of wild ginseng resources, cultivated ginseng, (including field-grown ginseng and forest-grown ginseng) gradually becomes the primary source for market supply. Ginseng age is considered an important indicator, as it directly affects the medicinal, nutritional, and economic value of ginseng, leading to considerable price fluctuations among ginseng of different ages. In this study, we obtained a total of 5986 differentially expressed genes based on the transcriptome data from forest-grown ginseng samples of different ages. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these differentially expressed genes were involved in various biological processes and pathways, particularly those related to plant growth and development, photosynthesis, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Expression trend analysis was used to classify the differentially expressed genes into nine clusters with distinct expression patterns. Twelve candidate genes were identified by constructing interaction networks of genes within two clusters that exhibited linear expression trends with age. Further correlation analysis and tissue-specific expression profiling led to the identification of four age-related characteristic genes. A linear equation for predicting the age of forest-grown ginseng was established based on the expression levels of four age-related characteristic genes in samples of different ages, and it was found that the equation could estimate forest-grown ginseng age within a certain error range. These age-related characteristic genes are shown to possess potential and applicability as molecular markers. A preliminary method for age determination at the molecular level is proposed, which provides theoretical and data support for the production and quality control of forest-grown ginseng.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114567"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide identification mulberry WRKY family and functional elucidation of MaWRKY48 in drought resistance","authors":"Renwei Huang ,&nbsp;Cairong Yang ,&nbsp;Jinglei Xu ,&nbsp;Ping Li ,&nbsp;Maohang Bai ,&nbsp;Meijin Ye ,&nbsp;Rui Zeng ,&nbsp;Songqing Liu ,&nbsp;Songyue Chai","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114563","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114563","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The WRKY transcription factor family is crucial for plant development and stress adaptation, yet the roles of <em>WRKY</em> genes in mulberry (<em>Morus alba</em>) drought resistance remain unclear. In this study, we conducted genome-wide characterization of the <em>WRKY</em> gene family in mulberry, identifying 55 <em>MaWRKY</em> genes that were phylogenetically categorized into three major groups with distinct structural and motif characteristics. Genomic distribution analysis revealed that 18 segmentally duplicated gene pairs contributed significantly to the expansion of the <em>WRKY</em> gene family in mulberry. Additionally, <em>cis</em>-regulatory element analysis uncovered numerous hormone- and stress-responsive regulatory sequences. Expression profiling under drought stress identified <em>MaWRKY48</em> as a crucial candidate gene with pronounced induction during early drought stages. Subcellular localization experiments confirmed that MaWRKY48 localizes to both the nucleus and membrane, and yeast assays demonstrated its capability to activate transcription. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing <em>MaWRKY48</em> exhibited significantly improved drought resistance, characterized by improved germination and root growth, reduced electrolyte leakage, slowed water loss, and enhanced antioxidant capacity compared with wild-type plants. These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms by which <em>MaWRKY48</em> contributes to drought resistance, and highlight its potential application in mulberry breeding for improved stress tolerance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114563"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145753430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of peel yellowing in cucumber cultivars during postharvest storage","authors":"Siva Kumar Malka ,&nbsp;Jinsu Lee ,&nbsp;Dong-Shin Kim ,&nbsp;Me-Hea Park","doi":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Peel yellowing during storage at 20 °C reduces cucumber shelf life and marketability, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the molecular basis of peel yellowing using two contrasting cucumber cultivars—<em>Baekdadagi</em> (yellowing-sensitive) and <em>Mini</em> (yellowing-resistant)—through integrated transcriptomic, metabolomic, and physiological analyses during storage at 20 °C. <em>Baekdadagi</em> exhibited rapid yellowing, with increased Hunter b* values and hue angle, accompanied by a sharp decline in chlorophyll content. This was associated with upregulation of degradation genes (<em>STAY-GREEN, PHEOPHYTINASE, Pheophorbide a oxygenase</em>), and downregulation of chlorophyll biosynthetic genes, chlorophyll-binding proteins, and peel color regulators. In contrast, <em>Mini</em> retained higher chlorophyll levels, showed delayed or minimal expression changes in chlorophyll metabolism genes, and maintained stable peel color throughout storage. Ethylene biosynthetic genes (<em>1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO) 1 and 3</em>) and senescence-associated transcription factors (<em>ORESARA1, NAC1, ERF106</em>) were strongly induced in <em>Baekdadagi</em>, indicating early activation of ethylene-mediated senescence pathways. Metabolomic profiling revealed the accumulation of lysophospholipids and methyl pheophorbide a in <em>Baekdadagi</em>, whereas <em>Mini</em> showed increased levels of xanthophylls, abscisic acid, and antioxidant phenolics, consistent with delayed senescence and enhanced stress tolerance. These results suggest that <em>Baekdadagi</em> undergoes early ethylene-driven senescence and pigment loss, whereas <em>Mini</em> maintains peel color through transcriptional repression of senescence pathways and favorable metabolic shifts. This study provides new insights into the molecular regulation of peel yellowing and identifies potential targets for improving postharvest quality in cucumbers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21679,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Horticulturae","volume":"355 ","pages":"Article 114559"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145731102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}