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[Display omitted] • Taste and nutrition level are linked and affected by key pathways in Chinese cabbage. • Several metabolites are fine-tuned at transcriptional level leading to quality differences. • A total of five organic acids, six vitamins, twelve amino acids and seven ascorbates were identified as key components in flavor and nutrition formation process. • Argininosuccinic acid and oxalacetic organic acid were significant contributors to taste difference in Caixin genotypes. • Enhanced saccharic acid and Uridine 5′-diphospho-D-glucose were identified as critical for the metabolic regulation of taste and nutrition. Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) is a widely consumed leafy vegetable known for its various health-beneficial nutrients. Caixin (ET and JY) represent distinct cultivars of Chinese cabbage that exhibit differential consumer preference attributed to variations in taste and nutritional content, with ET being characterized as sweeter and more nutritionally superior compared to JY. However, limited research has been conducted to explore regulation of flavor and nutrition-related quality traits in Chinese cabbage. In this pioneer study, comprehensive trans -meta-analysis was used to compare the metabolic and molecular underpinnings behind unique taste and nutritional profiles of ET and JY. 8-Methylsulfonyloctyl glucosinolates and Uridine 5′-diphospho-D-glucose exhibited the highest correlation coefficient in Pearson meta– meta -association, which modulate flavor and nutrition processes. While DAMs primarily featured L-Homomethionine, saccharic acid, 1,6-Di-O-caffeoyl-β-D-glucose, and Rutin, with notable variations in expression between ET and JY. Conspicuously, DEGs encoding structural enzymes i.e. Glucosinolates (MAM, CYP, UGT), flavonoids (CHS, CHI, F3H) and sucrose (SPS, SPP, SUS) synthases were identified as key players in nutrient and flavor production. Multi-omics conjoint analysis revealed that saccharides, amino acids, ascorbates, flavonoids, organic acids and vitamins were positively correlated with taste and nutrition, and were found to be overexpressed in ET. While aliphatic glucosinolates were abundant in JY compared to ET, they might play a critical role in regulating quality traits. Besides, HPLC and RT-qPCR corroborated multi-omics data reliability. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms governing the regulation of taste and nutritional levels in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study aims to investigate key genes involved in molecular regulatory networks of cucumber sex determination. Genome-wide high-throughput RNA sequencing was performed for young apical buds of gynoecious and weak female cucumber at three growth stages (one-leaf one-bud, three-leaf one-bud, and five-leaf one-bud). Seven comparisons from the same cultivar at three different stages and at the same stage between the two cultivars were analyzed, and the results revealed that compared with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in weak female cucumber, more genes were upregulated at the one-leaf one-bud stage and downregulated at the three-leaf one-bud stage in gynoecious cucumber. In addition, there were four kinds of gene expression trends (0, 1, 6, and 7), which were significantly enriched in gynoecious cucumber, while only two kinds of gene expression trends (5 and 6) were significantly enriched in weak female cucumber. Together with the data of the Gene Ontology (GO), pathway, gene expression trends and qRT-PCR, nine genes were identified and considered as candidate genes that may be involved in sex differentiation regulation in cucumber. These genes included Cs-MCM6 , Cs-ACT3 , Cs-XRCC4 , Cs-MCM2 , Cs-CDC45 , Cs-Dpri , Cs-H2B , Cs-CDC20 and Cs-CNGC1. Among these genes, five genes (Cs-MCM6 , Cs-MCM2 , Cs-CDC45 , Cs-Dpri , and Cs-CDC20) were involved in the cell cycle pathway, suggesting that the cell cycle pathway may play an important role in sex determination in cucumber. Highlights • RNA-Seq of gynoecious and weak female cucumber at three different growth stages. • The comprehensive analysis of GO, KEGG gene expression trends and qRT-PCR. • Among Nine genes identified as candidates, five involved in the cell cycle pathway. • The analysis of probable connections between the cell cycle genes and ET related genes. • A probable model of sex differentiation regulation network was built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 15 McMLOs were globally identified in Momordica charantia with informative evidence. • Dissected 4 candidate powdery mildew susceptibility factors in M. charantia (McPMS). • The evidence suggests McMLO11 is a major McPMS functionally redundant with McMLO6. • The exciting evidence suggests McMLO4 is a minor McPMS. • McMLO3 seems to be a unique McPMS with a different functional mechanism. Powdery mildew (PM) disease is one of the most serious threats to Momordica charantia. Specific mildew resistance locus O (MLO) genes associated with PM susceptibility have been explored in some plant species for mlo- based PM resistance. However, MLO has not been surveyed globally for candidate susceptibility factors in M. charantia. In this study, 15 MLO genes, designated McMLO1∼15 , were identified in the recently reported M. charantia genome. Phylogenetic analysis clustered McMLOs into five clades. In clade V, McMLO3, McMLO4, McMLO6, and McMLO11 co-clustered with the known PM susceptibility (PMS) factors of dicotyledonous plants, making them putative PMS factors in M. charantia (McPMS). Three of the four McPMS candidates, McMLO4 , McMLO6 , and McMLO11 , showed much higher sequence identity with PMS- related orthologues than with paralogues. Structure modelling and alignment revealed significant structural similarity between McMLO11 and McMLO4 and the functionally characterized PMS CsMLO8, CmMLO2, and CsMLO11. High structural similarity was also found between McMLO11 and McMLO6 but not between McMLO3 and any other MLO homologs. RNA-seq indicated that the four McPMS candidates were all specifically expressed at the highest level in leaves compared with other tissues. Furthermore, among the expressed McMLOs in leaves, McMLO6 was expressed at the lowest level, McMLO11, McMLO 3 and McMLO4 were expressed at the first, second and fourth highest levels, respectively. During PM infection, McMLO11 was moderately induced but highly expressed at the highest level. McMLO 4 and McMLO6 were significantly upregulated, but there was no significant differential expression of McMLO3. Consistent with the different expression profiles of the four McPMSs , different types and amounts of cis-acting regulatory elements were found in their promoters. Taken together, we speculate that in M. charantia McMLO4 is a minor PMS factor, and that McMLO11 is the major PMS factor and is functionally redundant with McMLO6. McMLO3 seems to be a unique PMS factor with a different functional mechanism. The results of the study provide valuable information for further study of mlo -based PM resistance improvement in M. charantia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]