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It is important to understand temporal and spatial variations in the structure and photosynthetic capacity of tropical rainforests in a world of changing climate, increased disturbances and human appropriation. The equatorial rainforests of Central Africa are the second largest and least disturbed of the biodiversly-rich and highly productive rainforests on Earth. Currently, there is a dearth of knowledge about the phenological behavior and long-term changes that these forests are experiencing. Thus, this study reports on leaf area seasonality and its time trend over the past two decades as assessed from multiple remotely sensed datasets. Seasonal variations of leaf area in Congolese forests derived from MODIS data co-vary with the bimodal precipitation pattern in this region, with higher values during the wet season. Independent observational evidence derived from MISR and EPIC sensors in the form of angular reflectance signatures further corroborate this seasonal behavior of leaf area. The bimodal patterns vary latitudinally within this large region. Two sub-seasonal cycles, each consisting of a dry and wet season, could be discerned clearly. These exhibit different sensitivities to changes in precipitation. Contrary to a previous published report, no widespread decline in leaf area was detected across the entire extent of the Congolese rainforests over the past two decades with the latest MODIS Collection 6 dataset. Long-term precipitation decline did occur in some localized areas, but these had minimal impacts on leaf area, as inferred from MODIS and MISR multi-angle observations.

SUMMARY: Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in various biological processes in plants. However, the functional mechanism of lncRNAs in fruit ripening, particularly the transition from unripe to ripe stages, remains elusive. One such lncRNA1840, reported by our group, was found to have important role in tomato fruit ripening. In the present study, we gain insight into its functional role in fruit ripening. CRISPR‐Cas9 mediated lncRNA1840 mutants caused the delayed tomato fruit ripening. Notably, loss function of lncRNA1840 did not directly impact ethylene signaling but rather delay ethylene synthesis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differences in the expression of ripening related genes in lncRNA1840 mutants, suggesting that it is involved in gene regulation of fruit ripening. We used Chromatin Isolation by RNA Purification (ChIRP)‐Seq to identify lncRNA1840 binding sites on chromatin. ChIRP‐seq suggested that lncRNA1840 had occupancy on 40 genes, but none of them is differentially expressed genes in transcriptomic analysis, which indicated lncRNA1840 might indirectly modulate the gene expression. ChIRP‐mass spectrometry analysis identified potential protein interactors of lncRNA1840, Pre‐mRNA processing splicing factor 8, highlighting its involvement in post‐transcriptional regulatory pathways. In summary, lncRNA1840 is key player in tomato plant growth and fruit ripening, with multifaceted roles in gene expression and regulatory networks. Significance Statement: Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in various biological processes in plants, but the mechanism of action of lncRNAs during fruit ripening remains unexplored. lncRNA1840 was identified in tomato, which confirmed that it affected the ripening process of tomato fruit and achieved post‐transcriptional regulation by participating in alternative splicing, which improved the regulatory network of tomato fruit ripening and filled the gap of lncRNA in the field of fruit ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tartronic acid is known for its potential to inhibit sugar-to-lipid conversion in the human body, leading to weight loss and fat reduction. This compound is predominantly found in cucumbers and other cucurbit crops. Therefore, cultivating cucumbers with high tartronic acid content holds significant health implications. In this study, we assessed the tartronic acid content in 52 cucumber germplasms with favorable overall traits and identified 8 cucumber germplasms with elevated tartronic acid levels. Our investigation into factors influencing cucumber tartronic acid revealed a decrease in content with fruit development from the day of flowering. Furthermore, tartronic acid content was higher in early-harvested fruits compared to late-harvested ones, with the rear part of the fruit exhibiting significantly higher content than other parts. Foliar spraying of microbial agents increased tartronic acid content by 84.4%. This study provides valuable resources for breeding high tartronic acid cucumbers and offers practical insights for optimizing cucumber production practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a globally prevalent and extensively cultivated vegetable whose yield is significantly influenced by various abiotic stresses, including drought, heat, and salinity. Transcription factors, such as zinc finger-homeodomain proteins (ZHDs), a plant-specific subgroup of Homeobox, play a crucial regulatory role in stress resistance. In this study, we identified 13 CsZHDs distributed across all six cucumber chromosomes except chromosome 7. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into five clades (ZHDI-IV and MIF) with different gene structures but similar conserved motifs. Collinearity analysis revealed that members of clades ZHD III, IV, and MIF experienced amplification through segmental duplication events. Additionally, a closer evolutionary relationship was observed between the ZHDs in Cucumis sativus (C. sativus) and Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana) compared to Oryza sativa (O. sativa). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis demonstrated the general expression of CsZHD genes across all tissues, with notable expression in leaf and flower buds. Moreover, most of the CsZHDs, particularly CsZHD9-11, exhibited varying responses to drought, heat, and salt stresses. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) experiments highlighted the potential functions of CsZHD9 and CsZHD10, suggesting their positive regulation of stomatal movement and responsiveness to drought stress. In summary, these findings provide a valuable resource for future analysis of potential mechanisms underlying CsZHD genes in response to stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral remote sensing technology is an advanced and powerful tool that enables fine identification of the numerous soil reflectance spectrum characteristics. Heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) are the primary pollutants affecting the soil biodiversity and ecosystem services. Estimating HMs' concentrations in soils using hyperspectral data is an effective method but is challenging due to the effects of varied soil properties and measurement-related errors inflicted by atmospheric effects. This study focused on typical mining areas in the Fenwei Plain (FWP), China. Soil-related data were collected by leveraging airborne- and ground-based integrated remote sensing observations. The concentrations of eight HMs, namely copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg), were measured by laboratory analysis from 100 in situ soil samples. Soil reflectance spectra were processed based on resampling and envelope methods. The combination datasets of the concentrations and optimal soil reflectance spectra were used to build the soil-related parameter retrieval models using three machine learning (ML) methods, and the feasibility of applying the high-performance retrieval model to estimate the HM concentrations in mining areas was evaluated and explored. Spectral analysis results show that four hundred and twenty-eight bands of five wavelength ranges are of high quality and obviously demonstrate the spectral characteristics selected to build the soil-related parameter models. The evaluation results of eight combination data subsets and three methods show that the preprocessing of spectral data (ground- and airborne-based reflectance) and soil samples with the random forest (RF) method can obtain higher accuracy than support vector machine (SVM) and partial least squares (PLS) methods, denoted as the AER-ACS-RF and GER-GCS-RF models (the average RMSE values of eight HMs were 2.61 and 2.53 mg/kg, respectively). The highest R2 values were observed in Cd and As, with an equal value of 0.98, followed by that of Pb (R2 = 0.97). The relative prediction deviation (RPD) values of Cu and AS were greater than 1.9. Moreover, the airborne-based AER-ACS-RF model presents a good mapping effect about the concentrations (mg/kg) of eight HMs in mining areas, ranging from 21.65 to 31.25 (Cu), 16.38 to 30.45 (Pb), 62.02 to 109.48 (Zn), 23.33 to 32.47 (Ni), 49.81 to 66.56 (Cr), 0.09 to 0.23 (Cd), 7.31 to 12.24 (As), and 0.03 to 0.17 (Hg), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS), the germination of seeds on the plant prior to harvest, poses significant challenges to agriculture. It not only reduces seed and grain yield, but also impairs the commodity quality of the fruit, ultimately affecting the success of the subsequent crop cycle. A deeper understanding of PHS is essential for guiding future breeding strategies, mitigating its impact on seed production rates and the commercial quality of fruits. PHS is a complex phenomenon influenced by genetic, physiological, and environmental factors. Many of these factors exert their influence on PHS through the intricate regulation of plant hormones responsible for seed germination. While numerous genes related to PHS have been identified in food crops, the study of PHS in vegetable crops is still in its early stages. This review delves into the regulatory elements, functional genes, and recent research developments related to PHS in vegetable crops. Meanwhile, this paper presents a novel understanding of PHS, aiming to serve as a reference for the study of this trait in vegetable crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) onboard the International Space Station (ISS) provides standard land surface temperature (LST) products to meet community concerns on water stress and evapotranspiration. In 2019, an anomaly on the mass storage unit (MSU) changed the data acquisition mode of ECOSTRESS to a direct streaming one, eliminating three bands centered at 1.60, 8.29, and $9.20~\mu \text{m}$. This letter analyzes the feasibility of retrieving LST from ECOSTRESS data using split-window (SW) techniques which need only two thermal infrared (TIR) bands to serve as an alternative to produce LST products. Three different spilt-window algorithms have been developed and analyzed for all possible TIR band combinations using the simulated top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance dataset. Besides, the selected SW algorithms were validated using the intercomparison method with ECOSTRESS LST product data and the temperature-based method with surface radiation budget (SURFRAD) ground-based measurements. The result showed that SW algorithms provided higher accuracies than the temperature-emissivity separation (TES) algorithm, with the main advantage that the atmospheric profile data is not demanded prior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land surface temperature (LST) of urban is a key factor in the field of urban environmental monitoring, and thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing is an efficient method to obtain it. An important assumption of the traditional thermal radiance transfer model is that the land surface is flat, which has now proven difficult to hold under the urban landscape. Most of the existing urban thermal radiance transfer models have been developed for remote sensing images with a spatial resolution of tens of meters. Currently, airborne TIR sensors have the observation capability to acquire remote sensing images with an ultrahigh spatial resolution (1 cm–1 m), and the model needs to be improved. This letter proposed a new ultrahigh spatial resolution urban thermal radiance transfer model (UHURT) after analyzing the transfer processes within the urban canopy at ultrahigh spatial resolution. Various radiance components, the emitted radiance, reflected atmospheric downward radiance, and adjacent radiance, were modeled separately. The results of the traditional model and the UHURT model were compared with those of a ray-tracing computer simulation model, which showed that the new model successfully quantifies the multiple scattering and adjacent effects and obtained images closer to the computer simulation images. Besides, the LST retrieval of the computer-simulated images was performed using the traditional model and the UHURT model, and the proposed model successfully reduced the errors of the retrieval results and weakened the spatial correlation between the residual distribution and the geometric characteristics of the urban landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Fruit size and shape are controlled by genes expressed during the early developmental stages of fruit. Although the function of ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 2 (AS2) in promoting leaf adaxial cell fates has been well characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, the molecular mechanisms conferring freshy fruit development as a spatial–temporal expression gene in tomato pericarp remain unclear. In the present study, we verified the transcription of SlAS2 and SlAS2L, two homologs of AS2, in the pericarp during early fruit development. Disruption of SlAS2 or SlAS2L caused a significant decrease in pericarp thickness as a result of a reduction in the number of pericarp cell layers and cell area, leading to smaller tomato fruit size, which revealed their critical roles in tomato fruit development. In addition, leaves and stamens exhibited severe morphological defects in slas2 and slas2l single mutants, as well as in the double mutants. These results demonstrated the redundant and pleiotropic functions of SlAS2 and SlAS2L in tomato fruit development. Yeast two‐hybrid and split‐luciferase complementation assays showed that both SlAS2 and SlAS2L physically interact with SlAS1. Molecular analyses further indicated that SlAS2 and SlAS2L regulate various downstream genes in leaf and fruit development, and that some genes participating in the regulation of cell division and cell differentiation in the tomato pericarp are affected by these genes. Our findings demonstrate that SlAS2 and SlAS2L are vital transcription factors required for tomato fruit development. Significance Statement: Understanding early fruit development in tomato is critical since the size and shape of a fruit is largely decided in the early stages. Our previous work identified hundreds of transcription factors specifically expressed in the pericarp of 0–5 days post anthesis fruits in tomato that are likely involved in this complex process. ASYMMETRIC LEAVES 2 (AS2) belongs to the LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES family, and its role in promoting leaf adaxial cell fates in Arabidopsis has been well characterized. SlAS2 and SlAS2L, two homologs of AS2 in tomato, are specifically expressed in the ovary wall/pericarp at early fruit developmental stage, but their functions in fleshy fruit development are still unclear. In the present study, we found that knockout mutations in SlAS2 or SlAS2L caused significantly reduced pericarp thickness, leading to smaller mature fruit size. Histocytological observation of the pericarp revealed that disruption of SlAS2 or SlAS2L inhibited both cell division and expansion, leading to the observed thinner pericarp. Additionally, leaf and stamen defects in single and double mutants suggested that SlAS2 and SlAS2L have redundant functions in plant development. Both SlAS2 and SlAS2L interact with SlAS1 in vitro, which is consistent with Arabidopsis AS2. Molecular analyses revealed that genes regulated by SlAS2 and SlAS2L in leaf and fruit development are different, and were related to cell division and differentiation processes during tomato pericarp development. Our results confirm the vital roles of SlAS2 and SlAS2L in regulating tomato fruit development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glandular trichomes (GTs), specialized structures formed by the differentiation of plant epidermal cells, are known to play important roles in the resistance of plants to external biotic and abiotic stresses. These structures are capable of storing and secreting secondary metabolites, which often have important agricultural and medicinal values. In order to better understand the molecular developmental mechanisms of GTs, studies have been conducted in a variety of crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), sweetworm (Artemisia annua), and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The MYC transcription factor of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family has been found to play an important role in GT development. In this study, a total of 13 cucumber MYC transcription factors were identified in the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) genome. After performing phylogenetic analyses and conserved motifs on the 13 CsMYCs in comparison to previously reported MYC transcription factors that regulate trichome development, seven candidate MYC transcription factors were selected. Through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), CsMYC2 is found to negatively regulate GT formation while CsMYC4, CsMYC5, CsMYC6, CsMYC7, and CsMYC8 are found to positively regulate GT formation. Furthermore, the two master effector genes, CsMYC2 and CsMYC7, are observed to have similar expression patterns indicating that they co-regulate the balance of GT development in an antagonistic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land surface temperature (LST) is a crucial parameter that reflects land–atmosphere interaction and has thus attracted wide interest from geoscientists. Owing to the rapid development of Earth observation technologies, remotely sensed LST is playing an increasingly essential role in various fields. This review aims to summarize the progress in LST estimation algorithms and accelerate its further applications. Thus, we briefly review the most‐used thermal infrared (TIR) LST estimation algorithms. More importantly, this review provides a comprehensive collection of the widely used TIR‐based LST products and offers important insights into the uncertainties in these products with respect to different land cover conditions via a systematic intercomparison analysis of several representative products. In addition to the discussion on product accuracy, we address problems related to the spatial discontinuity, spatiotemporal incomparability, and short time span of current LST products by introducing the most effective methods. With the aim of overcoming these challenges in available LST products, much progress has been made in developing spatiotemporal seamless LST data, which significantly promotes the successful applications of these products in the field of surface evapotranspiration and soil moisture estimation, agriculture drought monitoring, thermal environment monitoring, thermal anomaly monitoring, and climate change. Overall, this review encompasses the most recent advances in TIR‐based LST and the state‐of‐the‐art of applications of LST products at various spatial and temporal scales, identifies critical further research needs and directions to advance and optimize retrieval methods, and promotes the application of LST to improve the understanding of surface thermal dynamics and exchanges. Plain Language Summary: Land surface temperature (LST) is a crucial geophysical parameter related to surface energy and water balance of the land‐atmosphere system. Satellite remote sensing provides the best way to measure LST and generate various LST products at regional and global scales. In this review, to facilitate the application of LST products in different fields, we first present the physical meaning of satellite‐derived LST. Subsequently, we summarize recent advances in LST retrieval and validation methods, with a special focus on the state‐of‐the‐art product collections, product accuracies and intercomparisons, and main problems in current LST products as well as their possible solutions. Additionally, we also review the major applications of LST products in agricultural drought monitoring, thermal environment monitoring, thermal anomaly monitoring, and climate change. Finally, we offer recommendations or perspectives to promote LST retrieval methods and their applications. This review will aid the user in gaining a thorough comprehensive understanding of satellite‐derived LST products and promoting their appropriate applications. Key Points: State‐of‐the‐art satellite‐derived land surface temperature (LST) product levels, sources, uncertainties, and differences are providedTypical applications of LST products in various fields are summarizedFuture directions for the generation and applications of LST products are recommended [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit glossiness is an important external fruit quality trait that greatly affects the marketability of fresh cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fruits. A few reports have suggested that the extent of cuticular wax loading influences the glossiness of the fruit surface. In the present study, we tested the wax contents of two inbred cucumber lines, comparing a line with waxy fruit (3401) and a line with glossy fruit (3413). Wax content analysis and dewaxing analysis demonstrate that fruit cuticular wax loads negatively correlate with fruit glossiness in cucumber. Identifying genes that were differentially expressed in fruit pericarps between 3401 and 3413 and genes induced by abscisic acid suggested that the wax biosynthesis gene CsCER6 (Cucumis sativus ECERIFERUM 6) and the regulatory gene CsCER7 may affect wax accumulation on cucumber fruit. Expression analysis via RT-qPCR, GUS-staining, and in situ hybridization revealed that CsCER6 and CsCER7 are abundantly expressed in the epidermis cells in cucumber fruits. Furthermore, the overexpression and RNAi lines of CsCER6 and CsCER7 showed dramatic effects on fruit cuticular wax contents, fruit glossiness, and cuticle permeability. Our results suggest that CsCER6 and CsCER7 positively regulate fruit cuticular wax accumulation and negatively influence fruit glossiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (Foc), leads to widespread yield loss and quality decline in cucumber. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Foc resistance remain poorly understood.We report the mapping and functional characterisation of CsChi23, encoding a cucumber class I chitinase with antifungal properties. We assessed sequence variations at CsChi23 and the associated defence response against Foc. We functionally characterised CsChi23 using transgenic assay and expression analysis. The mechanism regulating CsChi23 expression was assessed by genetic and molecular approaches.CsChi23 was induced by Foc infection, which led to rapid upregulation in resistant cucumber lines. Overexpressing CsChi23 enhanced fusarium wilt resistance and reduced fungal biomass accumulation, whereas silencing CsChi23 causes loss of resistance. CsHB15, a homeodomain leucine zipper (HD‐Zip) III transcription factor, was found to bind to the CsChi23 promoter region and activate its expression. Furthermore, silencing of CsHB15 reduces CsChi23 expression. A single‐nucleotide polymorphism variation −400 bp upstream of CsChi23 abolished the HD‐Zip III binding site in a susceptible cucumber line.Collectively, our study indicates that CsChi23 is sufficient to enhance fusarium wilt resistance and reveals a novel function of an HD‐Zip III transcription factor in regulating chitinase expression in cucumber defence against fusarium wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizome cutting is prevalent in propagation for Hemerocallis citrina Baroni. This study aimed to reveal the influence of rhizome weight on plantlet growth, and evaluate a new cutting protocol. Three levels of rhizome weight (big (BR), medium (MR) and small (SR)) were compared by measuring plantlet growth four times during cutting propagation. Sectioning rhizomes longitudinally along shaft axis of crown into 2, 3 or 4 parts (S2, S3 and S4), was tested on rhizomes with two bud sizes (Large bud (LB), Small bud (SB)). Propagation coefficient, the number of plantlets obtained per rhizome, kept similar regardless of rhizome weight, while S3 and S4 increased propagation coefficient. Rhizome weight changed the relative growth rates on different dates. SR resulted in lower aboveground dry biomass, leaf area, total fibrous root length, relative total fibrous root length growth rate and N deficiency compared to BR. Sucrose concentration in rhizome decreased with time and fructose concentration was lowest in MR at the end of experiment. Aboveground dry biomass and total fibrous root length were lowest in S4, followed by S3 and S2. Rhizome weight and number of sectioning per rhizome influence cutting propagation, and sectioning rhizomes into three pieces has higher propagation coefficient and less retardation on growth. According to N deficiency in plantlets during the propagation, N fertiliser is probably needed during cutting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High spatial resolution remote sensing data serve as a new data source for quantitative remote sensing of vegetation, bringing in both new challenges and opportunities. The traditional leaf area index ( LAI) inversion method based on the radiative transfer theory takes Beer - Lambert Law as the primary theoretical basis. The prerequisite for its application is that the leaf distribution in pixels follows a Poisson distribution. This study explored the appropriate scale in the case that the spatial distribution of continuous vegetation leaves in pixels foUows a Poiison distribution. Focusing on the wheat canopy, this study used the LESS % LargE - Scale remote sensing data and image Simulation framework]) software to simulate the remote sensing images of continuous wheat canopy. Based on this, this study analyzed the appropriate scale on which continuous wheat canopy leaves follow a Poiison distribution through the three - dimensional simulation of leaf canopy. Moreover, this study constructed a method for calculating the appropriate scale of the LAI inversion of continuous vegetation. The results show that the appropriate scale is influenced by the LAI value and the aggregation effect. The UAV hyperspectral data and the LAI inversion results from Luohe City, Henan Province validated the feasibility of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold tolerance is improved by cold stress acclimation (CS-ACC), and the cold tolerance level is 'remembered' by plants. However, the underlying signaling mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, the CS memory mechanism was studied by bioinformation, plant physiological and photosynthetic parameters, and gene expression. We found that CS-ACC induced the acquisition of CS memory and enhanced the maintenance of acquired cold tolerance (MACT) in cucumber seedlings. The H2O2 content and NADPH oxidase activity encoded by CsRBOH was maintained at higher levels during recovery after CS-ACC and inhibition of RBOH-dependent signaling after CS-ACC resulted in a decrease in the H2O2 content, NADPH oxidase activity, and MACT. CsRBOH2, 3, 4, and 5 showed high expression during recovery after CS-ACC. Many BZR-binding sites were identified in memory-responsive CsRBOHs promoters, and CsBZR1 and 3 showed high expression during recovery after CS-ACC. Inhibition of RBOH-dependent signaling or brassinosteroids affected the maintenance of the expression of these memory-responsive CsRBOHs and CsBZRs. The photosynthetic efficiency (PE) decreased but then increased with the prolonged recovery after CS-ACC, and was higher than the control at 48 h of recovery; however, inhibition of RBOH-dependent signaling resulted in a lower PE. Further etiolated seedlings experiments showed that a photosynthetic capacity was necessary for CS memory. Therefore, photosynthesis mediated by RBOH-dependent signaling is essential for CS memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YABBY transcription factors play important roles in plant growth and development. However, little is known about YABBY genes in Cucurbitaceae. Here, we identified 59 YABBY genes from eight cucurbit species, including cucumber (C. sativus L.), melon (C. melon L.), watermelon (C. lanatus), wax gourd (B. hispida), pumpkin (C. maxima), zucchini (C. pepo L.), silver-seed gourd (C. argyrosperma), and bottle gourd (L. siceraria). The 59 YABBY genes were clustered into five subfamilies wherein the gene structures and motifs are conserved, suggesting similar functions within each subfamily. Different YABBY gene numbers in eight cucurbit species indicated that gene loss or duplication events exist in an evolutionary process across Cucurbitaceae. The cis-acting elements analysis implied that the YABBYs may be involved in plant development, and phytohormone, stress, and light responses. Importantly, YABBY genes exhibited organ-specific patterns in expression in cucumber. Furthermore, a gene CsaV3_6G038650 was constitutively expressed at higher levels at different fruit development stages and might play a crucial role in cucumber fruit development. Collectively, our work will provide a better understanding for further function identifications of YABBY genes in Cucurbitaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]