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Introduction: Chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How) is a wax gourd variety that is generally susceptible to infection and damage by Fusarium oxysporum during its cultivation. Therefore, analyzing the adaption mechanism of chieh-qua to F. Oxysporum infection is of great significance for cultivating resistant varieties. Methods: Through comparative transcriptome analysis, comparative metabolome analysis, integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome and between F. Oxysporum infected samples and control samples of susceptible lines Results: This study found that proteins such as NPR1, TGA and PR1 in plant hormone signal transduction pathway were up-regulated after infection, which may activate a series of plant secondary metabolic synthesis pathways. In addition, the expression of 27 genes in the flavonoid biosynthetic process in resistant lines after infection was significantly higher than that in susceptible lines, indicating that these genes may be involved in fungal resistance. This study also found that alternative splicing of genes may play an important role in responding to F. Oxysporum infection. For example, plant protein kinase genes such as EDR1, SRK2E and KIPK1 were not differentially expressed after F. Oxysporum infection, but the transcripts they produced differ at the transcription level. Finally, through comparative metabolome analysis, this study identified potentially functional substances such as oxalic acid that increased in content after F. Oxysporum infection. Through integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome, some differential expressed genes significantly related to differential metabolites were also identified. Discussion: This study provides a basis for understanding and utilizing chieh-qua's infection mechanism of F. Oxysporum through analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Flesh color is an essential trait in chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How); however, the inheritance and molecular basis of green flesh trait remain unclear. Methods: In the present study, two F2 populations, derived from 1742 (white flesh) × FJ3211 (green flesh) and J16 (white flesh) × FJ5 (green flesh), were used to identify the green flesh (Cqgf) locus. Results: Genetic analysis revealed that the presence of green flesh was a quantitative trait that closely followed a normal distribution. Combining the results from QTL mapping and BSA-seq analysis, the Cqgf locus was preliminarily determined to be located on chromosome 05 and was narrowed down to a 2.55-Mb interval by linkage analysis. A large J16 × FJ5 F2 population comprising 3,180 individuals was subsequently used to screen the recombinants, and the Cqgf locus was fine-mapped to a region of 329.70 kb that harbors six genes. One of the candidate genes, Bch05G003700 , the zinc-finger transcription factor LOL1 (lsd one like 1 protein; CqLOL1), was the strongest candidate gene for the Cqgf locus according to sequence variation and expression analysis. Additionally, a point mutation (A > C) in CqLOL1 resulted in the substitution of threonine (T) with proline (P) in the amino acid sequence, showing a complete relationship linked with flesh color in a panel of 45 germplasms. Discussion: The study suggests that CqLOL1 promotes the accumulation of chlorophyll content in chieh-qua and lead to green flesh. Our findings establish a theoretical and technical foundation for breeding different flesh color lines and elucidating the underlying mechanisms of flesh color in chieh-qua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】A major gene and polygenes genetic analysis on the chlorophyll content in the pulp of cheih-qua was conducted to study the relationship and genetic mechanism between pulp color and chlorophyll content, with an aim to lay a foundation for the breeding of high-quality cheih-qua varieties.【Method】In the study, cheih-qua inbred lines J16 (white pulp) and FJ5 (green pulp) were used to form four generation populations, P1, P2, F1 and F2. The pulp color of the chieh-qua was observed by naked eye and the chlorophyll content was measured. The genetic model analysis software package was used to analyze the chlorophyll content of the pulp, and the maximum likelihood function value and AIC value were obtained. Then, the three models with the smallest AIC values were selected as alternate models and the suitability test was carried out. Finally, the first- and second-order genetic parameters of the optimal genetic model were calculated, and the genetic effect values of major genes and polygenes were analyzed.【Result】The results showed that chlorophyll content was the key factor in the formation of green pulp of the chieh-qua. The color and chlorophyll content of the F1 generation were between the parents and slightly inclined to the white pulp parents (P1), and the color and chlorophyll content of the F2 generation showed quantitative characteristics. The optimal genetic model for chlorophyll content in the pulp was MX2-ADI-ADI, that is, 2 pairs of additive - dominant - epistatic major gene + additive - dominant - epistatic polygene models. In the first-order genetic parameters, the sum of absolute additive effects (da+db) of the two major genes was greater than the sum of absolute dominant effects (ha+hb), and da > db, indicated that the negative additive effect of the first major gene was dominant. In epistatic genetic effects, gene additive-additive interactions were the main positive effects. The second-order genetic parameters indicated that the genetic variance of the major gene was 32.1590, the genetic variance of the polygenes was 1.1540, and the heritability rates of the major gene and the polygenes were 93.69% and 3.36%, respectively.【Conclusion】The heritability of major genes for the pulp color of chieh-qua is much higher than that of polygenes, and the major genes are dominant. Therefore, we should pay attention to the use of major genes in the process of high-quality breeding of chieh-qua, and we can select in early generations and improve chieh-qua by combined breeding.

【Objective】A major gene and polygenes genetic analysis on the chlorophyll content in the pulp of cheih-qua was conducted to study the relationship and genetic mechanism between pulp color and chlorophyll content, with an aim to lay a foundation for the breeding of high-quality cheih-qua varieties.【Method】In the study, cheih-qua inbred lines J16 (white pulp) and FJ5 (green pulp) were used to form four generation populations, P1, P2, F1 and F2. The pulp color of the chieh-qua was observed by naked eye and the chlorophyll content was measured. The genetic model analysis software package was used to analyze the chlorophyll content of the pulp, and the maximum likelihood function value and AIC value were obtained. Then, the three models with the smallest AIC values were selected as alternate models and the suitability test was carried out. Finally, the first- and second-order genetic parameters of the optimal genetic model were calculated, and the genetic effect values of major genes and polygenes were analyzed.【Result】The results showed that chlorophyll content was the key factor in the formation of green pulp of the chieh-qua. The color and chlorophyll content of the F1 generation were between the parents and slightly inclined to the white pulp parents (P1), and the color and chlorophyll content of the F2 generation showed quantitative characteristics. The optimal genetic model for chlorophyll content in the pulp was MX2-ADI-ADI, that is, 2 pairs of additive - dominant - epistatic major gene + additive - dominant - epistatic polygene models. In the first-order genetic parameters, the sum of absolute additive effects (da +db) of the two major genes was greater than the sum of absolute dominant effects (ha +hb), and da > db, indicated that the negative additive effect of the first major gene was dominant. In epistatic genetic effects, gene additive-additive interactions were the main positive effects. The second-order genetic parameters indicated that the genetic variance of the major gene was 32.1590, the genetic variance of the polygenes was 1.1540, and the heritability rates of the major gene and the polygenes were 93.69% and 3.36%, respectively. 【Conclusion】The heritability of major genes for the pulp color of chieh-qua is much higher than that of polygenes, and the major genes are dominant. Therefore, we should pay attention to the use of major genes in the process of high-quality breeding of chieh-qua, and we can select in early generations and improve chieh-qua by combined breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionChieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How) is a wax gourd variety that is generally susceptible to infection and damage by Fusarium oxysporum during its cultivation. Therefore, analyzing the adaption mechanism of chieh-qua to F. Oxysporum infection is of great significance for cultivating resistant varieties.MethodsThrough comparative transcriptome analysis, comparative metabolome analysis, integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome and between F. Oxysporum infected samples and control samples of susceptible linesResultsThis study found that proteins such as NPR1, TGA and PR1 in plant hormone signal transduction pathway were up-regulated after infection, which may activate a series of plant secondary metabolic synthesis pathways. In addition, the expression of 27 genes in the flavonoid biosynthetic process in resistant lines after infection was significantly higher than that in susceptible lines, indicating that these genes may be involved in fungal resistance. This study also found that alternative splicing of genes may play an important role in responding to F. Oxysporum infection. For example, plant protein kinase genes such as EDR1, SRK2E and KIPK1 were not differentially expressed after F. Oxysporum infection, but the transcripts they produced differ at the transcription level. Finally, through comparative metabolome analysis, this study identified potentially functional substances such as oxalic acid that increased in content after F. Oxysporum infection. Through integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome, some differential expressed genes significantly related to differential metabolites were also identified.DiscussionThis study provides a basis for understanding and utilizing chieh-qua’s infection mechanism of F. Oxysporum through analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome.

IntroductionFlesh color is an essential trait in chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How); however, the inheritance and molecular basis of green flesh trait remain unclear.MethodsIn the present study, two F2 populations, derived from 1742 (white flesh) × FJ3211 (green flesh) and J16 (white flesh) × FJ5 (green flesh), were used to identify the green flesh (Cqgf) locus.ResultsGenetic analysis revealed that the presence of green flesh was a quantitative trait that closely followed a normal distribution. Combining the results from QTL mapping and BSA-seq analysis, the Cqgf locus was preliminarily determined to be located on chromosome 05 and was narrowed down to a 2.55-Mb interval by linkage analysis. A large J16 × FJ5 F2 population comprising 3,180 individuals was subsequently used to screen the recombinants, and the Cqgf locus was fine-mapped to a region of 329.70 kb that harbors six genes. One of the candidate genes, Bch05G003700, the zinc-finger transcription factor LOL1 (lsd one like 1 protein; CqLOL1), was the strongest candidate gene for the Cqgf locus according to sequence variation and expression analysis. Additionally, a point mutation (A > C) in CqLOL1 resulted in the substitution of threonine (T) with proline (P) in the amino acid sequence, showing a complete relationship linked with flesh color in a panel of 45 germplasms.DiscussionThe study suggests that CqLOL1 promotes the accumulation of chlorophyll content in chieh-qua and lead to green flesh. Our findings establish a theoretical and technical foundation for breeding different flesh color lines and elucidating the underlying mechanisms of flesh color in chieh-qua.

Abstract Chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How.) fruit development starts post pollination. With the continuous expansion of the fruit, the soluble solid content of the fruit decreases. Because there are no reports on the early development of Chieh-qua fruit, this study compared fruit transcriptomes at 0-, 3-, and 7 day post pollination (dpp). 104,747 unigenes were assembled from clean reads and compared using six public databases for similarity searching. Compared with those of 0 dpp (C), there were differences in the expression of 12,982 and 6541 genes in the fruit tissue at 3 dpp and 7 dpp, respectively. Compared with 3 dpp (B), there were 14,314 differentially expressed genes in the fruit at 7 dpp (A). Based on the analysis of transcription factors, 213 nucleotides in the MYB superfamily were identified; among them, 94 unigenes of the MYB superfamily were differentially expressed at the three stages. In the pairwise comparison of differential expression, eight unigenes (Gene_id: TRINITY_DN32880_c1_g2, TRINITY_DN35142_c2_g2, TRINITY_DN32454_c11_g6, TRINITY_DN34105_c2_g7, TRINITY_DN32758_c3_g3, TRINITY_DN33604_c4_g10, TRINITY_DN34466_c3_g1, TRINITY_DN35924_c3_g2) were homologous to those of MYB59, MYB-GT3b, MYB18, MYB4, MYB108, MYB306, MYB340, and MYB-bHLH13. These unigenes differed significantly among the three stages. Furthermore, MYB59 and MYB18 exhibited higher expression at 7 dpp. MYB4, MYB-GT3b, MYB108, and MYB306 showed the highest expression levels in fruits at 3 dpp. In addition, MYB340 and MYB-bHLH13 showed higher expression levels during the unpollinated stage. MYB59, MYB-GT3b, MYB18, MYB4, MYB108, MYB306, MYB340, and MYB-bHLH13 may play crucial roles in Chieh-qua fruit development, defense, and blossoming. This study provides a basis for further investigation of MYB superfamily genes involved in early fruit expansion in chieh-qua.

Seeds are the most important reproductive organs of higher plants, the beginning and end of a plant's lifecycle. They are very important to plant growth and development, and also an important factor affecting yield. In this study, genetic analysis and BSA-seq of the F2 population crossed with the large-seeded material 'J16' and small-seeded material 'FJ5' were carried out, and the seed size locus was initially located within the 1.31 Mb region on chr10. In addition, 2281 F2 plants were used to further reduce the candidate interval to 48.8 Kb. This region contains only one gene encoding the N-acetyltransferase (NAT) protein (Bch10G006400). Transcriptome and expression analysis revealed that the gene was significantly more highly expressed in 'J16' than in 'FJ5'. Variation analysis of Bch10G006400 among parents and 50 chieh-qua germplasms revealed that as well as a nonsynonymous mutation (SNP_314) between parents, two mutations (SNP_400 and InDel_551) were detected in other materials. Combining these three mutations completely distinguished the seed size of the chieh-qua. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that DGEs played the most important roles in carbohydrate metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction, respectively. The results of this study provide important information for molecular marker-assisted breeding and help to reveal the molecular mechanism of seed size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】Genetic analysis of major gene and polygenes was conducted on the length, width, and quality of Chieh-qua seeds to study the genetic rules of seed size and select high-quality Chieh-qua varieties.【Method】Chieh-qua inbred line J16 (big seed) was used as female parent and 18FJ5 (small seed) as male parent to hybridize, and the length, width and seed quality of F2 generation seeds were determined. What's more, the optimal genetic model and genetic law of each trait were obtained by using the mixed model of main gene+polygene.【Result】The most suitable genetic model for Chieh-qua seed length and width was MX2-ADI-AD, that is, two pairs of additive-dominant-epistatic main genes+additive-dominant polygenes genetic model, with the main gene heritability of 87.07% and 90.79%, respectively, and the polygene heritability of both was 0. The most suitable genetic model for the quality of 30 seeds was MX1-AD-ADI, that is, a pair of additive-dominant major genes+additive-dominant-epistatic polygenes genetic model, with the heritability of major genes and polygenes being 79.96% and 8.73%, respectively.【Conclusion】The major gene heritability of the above traits is far greater than the polygene heritability, and the main gene inheritance is dominant. Therefore, in the process of high-quality breeding of Chieh-qua, we should pay attention to the use of major genes, which can be selected in the early generation.

The cucurbit vegetable chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua How) is an important crop in South China and southeast Asian countries. Viral diseases cause substantial loss of chieh-qua yield. To identify the viruses that affect chieh-qua in China, ribosomal RNA-depleted total RNA sequencing was performed using chieh-qua leaf samples with typical viral symptoms. The virome of chieh-qua comprises four known viruses (melon yellow spot virus (MYSV), cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) and watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) and two novel viruses: cucurbit chlorotic virus (CuCV) in the genus Crinivirus and chieh-qua endornavirus (CqEV) in the genus Alphaendornavirus. The complete genomes of the two novel viruses in chieh-qua and three other isolates of CuCV in pumpkin, watermelon and cucumber were determined and the recombination signals of pumpkin and watermelon isolates of CuCV were detected. A reverse transcriptase PCR indicated that the dominant viruses of chieh-qua in Hainan are MYSV (66.67%) and CCYV (55.56%), followed by CuCV (27.41%), WSMoV (7.41%), cucumber mosaic virus (8.15%), zucchini yellow mosaic virus (6.67%), PRSV (6.67%) and CqEV (35.56%). Our findings support diagnostic and prevalence studies of viruses infecting chieh-qua in China, enabling sustainable control strategies for cucurbit viruses worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gynoecy demonstrates an earlier production of hybrids and a higher yield and improves the efficiency of hybrid seed production. Therefore, the utilization of gynoecy is beneficial for the genetic breeding of chieh-qua. However, little knowledge of gynoecious-related genes in chieh-qua has been reported until now. Here, we used an F2 population from the cross between the gynoecious line 'A36' and the monoecious line 'SX' for genetic mapping and revealed that chieh-qua gynoecy was regulated by a single recessive gene. We fine-mapped it into a 530-kb region flanked by the markers Indel-3 and KASP145 on Chr.8, which harbors eight candidate genes. One of the candidate genes, Bhi08G000345, encoding networked protein 4 (CqNET4), contained a nonsynonymous SNP resulting in the amino acid substitution of isoleucine (ATA; I) to methionine (ATG; M). CqNET4 was prominently expressed in the female flower, and only three genes related to ethylene synthesis were significantly expressed between 'A36' and 'SX.' The results presented here provide support for the CqNET4 as the most likely candidate gene for chieh-qua gynoecy, which differed from the reported gynoecious genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】 Genetic analysis of major gene and polygenes was conducted on the length, width, and quality of Chieh-qua seeds to study the genetic rules of seed size and select high-quality Chieh-qua varieties. 【Method】 Chieh-qua inbred line J16 (big seed) was used as female parent and 18FJ5 (small seed) as male parent to hybridize, and the length, width and seed quality of F2 generation seeds were determined. What’s more, the optimal genetic model and genetic law of each trait were obtained by using the mixed model of main gene + polygene. 【Result】 The most suitable genetic model for Chieh-qua seed length and width was MX2-ADI-AD, that is, two pairs of additive-dominant-epistatic main genes + additive-dominant polygenes genetic model, with the main gene heritability of 87.07% and 90.79%, respectively, and the polygene heritability of both was 0. The most suitable genetic model for the quality of 30 seeds was MX1-AD-ADI, that is, a pair of additive-dominant major genes + additive-dominant-epistatic polygenes genetic model, with the heritability of major genes and polygenes being 79.96% and 8.73%, respectively.【Conclusion】 The major gene heritability of the above traits is far greater than the polygene heritability, and the main gene inheritance is dominant. Therefore, in the process of high-quality breeding of Chieh-qua, we should pay attention to the use of major genes, which can be selected in the early generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cucurbit vegetable chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida var. chieh-qua How) is an important crop in South China and southeast Asian countries. Viral diseases cause substantial loss of chieh-qua yield. To identify the viruses that affect chieh-qua in China, ribosomal RNA-depleted total RNA sequencing was performed using chieh-qua leaf samples with typical viral symptoms. The virome of chieh-qua comprises four known viruses (melon yellow spot virus (MYSV), cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) and watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) and two novel viruses: cucurbit chlorotic virus (CuCV) in the genus Crinivirus and chieh-qua endornavirus (CqEV) in the genus Alphaendornavirus. The complete genomes of the two novel viruses in chieh-qua and three other isolates of CuCV in pumpkin, watermelon and cucumber were determined and the recombination signals of pumpkin and watermelon isolates of CuCV were detected. A reverse transcriptase PCR indicated that the dominant viruses of chieh-qua in Hainan are MYSV (66.67%) and CCYV (55.56%), followed by CuCV (27.41%), WSMoV (7.41%), cucumber mosaic virus (8.15%), zucchini yellow mosaic virus (6.67%), PRSV (6.67%) and CqEV (35.56%). Our findings support diagnostic and prevalence studies of viruses infecting chieh-qua in China, enabling sustainable control strategies for cucurbit viruses worldwide.

Fusarium wilt results in undesirable effects on the quality and production of chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How). Fusaric acid (FA), a secondary metabolite of biotin produced by pathogens of genus Fusarium, induced resistant responses in chieh-qua; however, the physiological and molecular mechanism(s) of FA resistance remains largely unknown. In our study, ‘A39’ (FA-resistant cultivar) exhibited decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity when exposed to FA compared with ‘H5’ (FA-susceptible cultivar). More apoptosis cells existed in ‘H5’ than ‘A39’ after 2 days of FA treatment. RNA-seq results revealed that a total of 2968 and 3931 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected under normal conditions (1562 up-regulated and 1406 down-regulated) and FA treatment (2243 up-regulated and 1688 down-regulated), respectively. Interestingly, DEGs associated with pathogen-related protein and ethylene (ET) biosynthesis and signal pathways were most significantly changed during FA stress. Notably, several crucial genes encoding pathogenesis-related protein (CL4451.Contig2, CL2175.Contig4), peroxidase (Unigene49615 and CL11695.Contig2), and ET-responsive transcription factors (TFs) (CL9320.Contig1, CL9849.Contig3, CL6826.Contig2, CL919. Contig6, and CL518.Contig7) were specifically induced after FA treatment. Collectively, the study provides molecular data for isolating candidate genes involved in FA resistance, especially ET related genes in chieh-qua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought, one of the crucial environmental constraints, seriously threats the quality and yield in chieh-qua. Therefore, cultivating drought-tolerant variety is greatly necessary for its normal growth under water deficiency. However, at present, molecular knowledge on drought resistance is mostly unclear in chieh-qua. In the study, characteristics of two diverse genetic chieh-qua variety, A39 (drought-resistance) and H5 (drought-sensitivity), were analyzed. Under drought stress, H5 exerted high water loss rate, increased malonaldehyde (MDA) content, and decreased enzyme activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) compared with A39. In addition, based on the transcriptome results, we obtained a total of 1821 (511 up-regulated and 1310 down-regulated) and 2114 (1282 up-regulated and 832 down- regulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the A39 versus H5 under normal and water-deficiency stress, respectively. Several DEGs involved in the cuticle synthesis (cytochrome P450 genes: CYP94A2, CYP86B1, CYP86A7), carbohydrate metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction (small auxin-up RNA genes: SAUR32, SAUR72; JA-induced genes: TIFY 10A, TIFY 10C; ABA related genes: PYL2, PYL4) were explored and related to drought resistance. These expression patterns observed in the RNA-seq data were further confirmed with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In all, these results not only provided a new insight into analyzing genes of drought response, but also laid a foundation for isolating crucial genes involved in drought stress in chieh-qua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WRKY transcription factors play an important role in plant resistance for biotic and abiotic stresses. In the present study, we cloned 10 WRKY gene homologs ( CqWRKY) in Chieh-qua ( Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh- qua) using the rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) or homology-based cloning methods. We characterized the structure of these CqWRKY genes. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences with cucumber homologs suggested possible structural conservation of these genes among cucurbit crops. We examined the expression levels of these genes in response to fusaric acid (FA) treatment between resistant and susceptible Chieh-qua lines with quantitative real-time PCR. All genes could be upregulated upon FA treatment, but four CqWRKY genes exhibited differential expression between resistant and susceptible lines before and after FA application. CqWRKY31 seemed to be a positive regulator while CqWRKY1, CqWRKY23 and CqWRKY53 were negative regulators of fusaric resistance. This is the first report of characterization of WRKY family genes in Chieh-qua. The results may also be useful in breeding Chieh-qua for Fusarium wilt resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gynoecy demonstrates an earlier production of hybrids and a higher yield and improves the efficiency of hybrid seed production. Therefore, the utilization of gynoecy is beneficial for the genetic breeding of chieh-qua. However, little knowledge of gynoecious-related genes in chieh-qua has been reported until now. Here, we used an F 2 population from the cross between the gynoecious line 'A36' and the monoecious line 'SX' for genetic mapping and revealed that chieh-qua gynoecy was regulated by a single recessive gene. We fine-mapped it into a 530-kb region flanked by the markers Indel-3 and KASP145 on Chr.8, which harbors eight candidate genes. One of the candidate genes, Bhi08G000345 , encoding networked protein 4 ( CqNET4 ), contained a non-synonymous SNP resulting in the amino acid substitution of isoleucine (ATA; I) to methionine (ATG; M). CqNET4 was prominently expressed in the female flower, and only three genes related to ethylene synthesis were significantly expressed between 'A36' and 'SX.' The results presented here provide support for the CqNET4 as the most likely candidate gene for chieh-qua gynoecy, which differed from the reported gynoecious genes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang, Yang, Liu, Cao, Chen, Liu, Xie, Yan, Jiang and Peng.)

Temperature rising caused by global warming has imposed significant negative effects on crop qualities and yields. To get the well-known molecular mechanism upon the higher temperature, we carefully analyzed the RNA sequencing-based transcriptomic responses of two contrasting chieh-qua genotypes: A39 (heat-tolerant) and H5 (heat-sensitive). In this study, twelve cDNA libraries generated from A39 and H5 were performed with a transcriptome assay under normal and heat stress conditions, respectively. A total of 8705 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected under normal conditions (3676 up-regulated and 5029 down-regulated) and 1505 genes under heat stress (914 up-regulated and 591 down-regulated), respectively. A significant positive correlation between RNA-Seq data and qRT-PCR results was identified. DEGs related to heat shock proteins (HSPs), ubiquitin-protein ligase, transcriptional factors, and pentatricopeptide repeat-containing proteins were significantly changed after heat stress. Several genes, which encoded HSPs (CL2311.Contig3 and CL6612.Contig2), cytochrome P450 (CL4517.Contig4 and CL683.Contig7), and bHLH TFs (CL914.Contig2 and CL8321.Contig1) were specifically induced after four days of heat stress. DEGs detected in our study between these two contrasting cultivars would provide a novel basis for isolating useful candidate genes of heat stress responses in chieh-qua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]