From challenges to opportunities: Unveiling the secrets of pitaya through omics studies.

• An overview of the recent omics-based research progress in pitaya is presented. • Omics techniques show great potential to explore betalain biosynthesis pathway of pitaya. • Integrative database, tool and programs used for pitaya omics are summarized. • The future research direction and challenges of pitaya omics are discussed. Pitaya (pitahaya or dragon fruit) belongs to the genus Hylocereus or Selenicereus in the Cactaceae family, and is well-known all over the world, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, for its health-benefiting properties. Although the pitaya traits have been extensively studied, only few studies focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of fruit quality traits in pitaya. The breeding improvement of pitaya is a complex task due to various factors, including its generation cycle, polyploidy, high heterozygosity, and complex physiological structure. Furthermore, the absence of effective methods and resources exacerbates the challenges in enhancing the breeding of this fruit crop. In recent years, advancements in biotechnology and sequencing technologies have played a vital role in supporting and expediting conventional breeding techniques, as well as providing insights into the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary processes of pitaya. This review puts a spotlight on an overview of the latest developments in pitaya research, including genome, transcriptome, metabolome, and proteome sequencing, functional gene identification and regulatory network analysis, as well as the novel tools, platforms, and programs that have emerged in this field. It paves the way for studying the gene functions and molecular breeding with desirable fruit traits of pitaya, which will help accelerate pitaya breeding progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]