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PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATORs (PRRs) play key roles in the circadian rhythms and flowering in plants. Here, we identified the four members of the PRR family in Medicago truncatula, including MtPRR9a, MtPRR9b, MtPRR7 and MtPRR5, and isolated their Tnt1 retrotransposon-tagged mutants. They were expressed in different organs and were nuclear-localized. The four MtPRRs genes played important roles in normal clock rhythmicity maintenance by negatively regulating the expression of MtGI and MtLHY. Surprisingly, the four MtPRRs functioned redundantly in regulating flowering time under long-day conditions, and the quadruple mutant flowered earlier. Moreover, MtPRR can recruit the MtTPL/MtTPR corepressors and the other MtPRRs to form heterodimers to constitute the core mechanism of the circadian oscillator.

Bacterial surface motility is a complex microbial trait that contributes to host colonization. However, the knowledge about regulatory mechanisms that control surface translocation in rhizobia and their role in the establishment of symbiosis with legumes is still limited. Recently, 2-tridecanone (2-TDC) was identified as an infochemical in bacteria that hampers microbial colonization of plants. In the alfalfa symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti, 2-TDC promotes a mode of surface motility that is mostly independent of flagella. To understand the mechanism of action of 2-TDC in S. meliloti and unveil genes putatively involved in plant colonization, Tn5 transposants derived from a flagellaless strain that were impaired in 2-TDC-induced surface spreading were isolated and genetically characterized. In one of the mutants, the gene coding for the chaperone DnaJ was inactivated. Characterization of this transposant and newly obtained flagella-minus and flagella-plus dnaJ deletion mutants revealed that DnaJ is essential for surface translocation, while it plays a minor role in swimming motility. DnaJ loss-of-function reduces salt and oxidative stress tolerance in S. meliloti and hinders the establishment of efficient symbiosis by affecting nodule formation efficiency, cellular infection, and nitrogen fixation. Intriguingly, the lack of DnaJ causes more severe defects in a flagellaless background. This work highlights the role of DnaJ in the free-living and symbiotic lifestyles of S. meliloti.

Pigeonpea is the second most important legume crop grown in India after chickpea. India is the largest producer of pigeonpea in the world. However, the productivity of pigeonpea in India remains stagnant over the years. The productivity of pigeonpea can be improved through exploitation of heterosis. The cytoplasmic genetic male sterility is the predominant method employed in hybrid development in pigeonpea during the recent days owing to the advantages involved. The present study involved the identification of fertility restorers for three Cajanus scarabaeoides (A.sub.2) based short duration (120-130 days) male sterile lines, namely CORG 990047A, CORG 990052A and CORG 7A. A total of 77 inbreds were involved in the hybridization programme. The pollen fertility of the 186 hybrids ranged from 0.00 to 94.89%. The independent confirmation of fertility restoration based on pollen fertility and pod set by selfing showed that, the hybrids, namely CORG 990047A x AK 261322, CORG 990052A x AK 261322 and CORG 7A x AK 261322 were identified as fertile. The inbred AK 261322 was the potential restorer of fertility in A.sub.2 male sterile lines. The hybrids, namely CORG 990047A x AK 261322 (35.19%), CORG 990052A x AK 261322 (12.75%) and CORG 7A x AK 261322 (19.77%) showed high heterosis for single plant yield over CO(Rg)7, a commercial check variety. The hybrids identified in the present study can be exploited for commercial cultivation after evaluation under various yield trials to estimate its performance. The polymorphic SSR markers identified in the present study can be utilized in future to assess the genetic purity of the hybrids.

Phaseolus species are cultivated worldwide as a primary food source for human consumption. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) landraces are often cultivated together. The purpose was to document the traditional knowledge held by farmers regarding bean landraces, to describe the diversity through seed morphological descriptors (five quantitative and five qualitative traits), to understand the geographic distribution using Moran’s I statistic, and to analyze the diversity through the Shannon–Wiener Diversity–Equity (H′) index and the Shannon J’ homogeneity index at the community level to better understand the richness of this geographic area. A total of 361 common and runner bean accessions were collected in 10 Andean rural communities of Cotacachi, North Ecuador. We identified 47 landraces, predominantly kept by indigenous female farmers, with limited access to formal education, highlighting the role of this disadvantaged population in agrobiodiversity conservation. The cluster analysis revealed three groups (cophenetic correlation coefficient = 0.6). In the principal component (PC) analysis, 94% of the variation was explained by PC1 and PC2. A positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I: 0.24; z-score: 2.20; p-value: 0.03) was identified, confirming a spatial structure. The Morochos community showed the highest diversity (H′ = 1.55). The information of the diversity and distribution of common and runner bean variability provided in this study is a contribution to further research focused on conservation.

As part of the Fabaceae project of northeastern Mexico and based on field work, collection of botanical samples over the past 37 years, and reviewing botanical materials in national and international herbaria, the diversity of legumes of the subfamilies Caesalpinioideae (excluding tribe Mimoseae), Cercidoideae, and Detarioideae in northeastern Mexico has been recorded. New nomenclatural changes in tribes and genera of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae found in the new scientific bibliography are included. The subfamily Caesalpinioideae (excluding the tribe Mimoseae) includes five tribes: tribe Caesalpinieae, with eight genera (Caesalpinia, Coulteria, Denisophytum, Erythrostemon, Guilandina, Hoffmannseggia, Haematoxylum, and Pomaria) and 21 species; tribe Cassieae with three genera (Cassia, Chamaecrita, and Senna) and 28 species; tribe Ceratonieae with one genus (Ceratonia) and 1 species; tribe Gleditsieae with one genus (Gleditsia) and 1 species. The subfamily Cercidoideae includes two genera (Bauhinia and Cercis) and eight species, and the subfamily Detarioideae includes only one genus and one species (Tamarindus indicus). The total flora of these three subfamilies comprises 18 genera and 63 species, including 56 native species and 7 exotic ones: Bauhinia variegata, Cassia fistula, Ceratonia siliqua, Delonix regia, Erythrostemon gilliesii, Senna alata, and Tamarindus indicus. Endemism includes a total of 22 species and nine infraspecific categories.

This study aimed to investigate the metabolic differences among six mung bean (Vigna radiata) varieties cultivated in Heilongjiang Province, China, using non-targeted metabolomics based on high-resolution mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were employed to explore and distinguish the metabolomic profiles across different varieties. A total of 547 metabolites were identified, including fatty acids (9.69%), phenolic acids (7.86%), amino acids and derivatives (5.12%), among others. PCA revealed that the first two principal components (t[1] and t[2]) accounted for 20.1% and 17.0% of the total variance, respectively, indicating significant differentiation among varieties. Differential metabolite analysis demonstrated that GLD07_03 was enriched in defense-related compounds such as lignans, terpenoid lactones, and methyl salicylate, suggesting enhanced antibacterial and antioxidant capacity. BL13_1 showed higher metabolic activity in glycolysis and the mevalonate pathway, with L-lactic acid and mevalonate levels 57.2% and 33.8% higher than those in GLD07_03. NL2_1 and NL4_1 accumulated high levels of amino acids (e.g., L-aspartic acid, increased by 161%), nucleosides, and flavonoids, contributing to superior antioxidant potential. T1114111_1 exhibited higher levels of fatty acids and alkaloids (e.g., trigonelline, increased by 25.2%), associated with improved membrane stability and antibacterial activity. JL13_1 displayed elevated levels of D-proline and (7Z,10Z)-7,10-hexadecadienoic acid (increased by 26.5% and 34.8%, respectively), suggesting advantages in osmotic regulation and membrane homeostasis. These findings reveal distinct metabolite profiles and biochemical traits among mung bean varieties, providing valuable insights for varietal identification, nutritional evaluation, and breeding for enhanced stress tolerance. The study also offers a scientific basis for the development of functional mung bean products and future breeding strategies focused on metabolic traits.