Genomic constitution and relationships of Ziziphus species collected from Malakand Division, Pakistan

Lignin-based cryogels for advancing sustainable crop production via enhanced nutrient accessibility and growth efficiency

Sustainable lignin-based materials are becoming increasingly valuable in agriculture, where climate change and nutrient deficiencies threaten crop productivity. We developed lignin-derived cryogels using waste biomass to improve soil nutrients, seed germination, water retention, and photosynthetic pigment levels. These cryogels were synthesized with gum Arabic (GA), keratin (K), and N-vinylpyrrolidone at lignin concentrations of 0.02 wt% (LbC1), and 0.1 wt% (LbC2), along with a control (NLC), through low-temperature polymerization at -20 °C. The cryogels exhibited high thermal stability and water retention, exceeding 170 %, due to their network structure. Functional groups like carboxyl and hydroxyl enhanced nutrient assimilation, accelerating germination and plant growth, with keratin providing bioavailable amino acids through microbial degradation. After 5 days, the cryogel treatments significantly improved early germination rates (100 %, 100 %, and 99 % for wheat, maize, and rapeseed, respectively), while boosting chlorophyll (a, b, and total), sugar, and soluble protein levels. Treated plants showed increased leaf numbers, plant height, and root length, with a 98.4 % improvement in water uptake compared to controls, mitigating the effect of soil salinity. LbC1 and LbC2 also notably increased chlorophyll pigments, soluble sugars, and total protein across all crops compared to the NLC. Additionally, the cryogel exhibited a 33 % biodegradation rate after 130 days in soil, confirming their environmental compatibility. In conclusion, the developed lignin-based cryogels represent a sustainable, effective solution to enhance nutrient availability and resilience in agriculture, repurposing industrial lignin waste to address climate-driven challenges in crop production.

Transcriptome-wide expression analysis of MYB gene family leads to functional characterization of flavonoid biosynthesis in fruit coloration of Ziziphus Mill

The Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. and Z. jujuba Mill. are the two most economically important members of the genus Ziziphus. The fruit color of Z. mauritiana remains green throughout fruit development in the majority of commercial cultivars, whereas its close relative, Z. jujuba Mill. turns from green to red in all cultivars. However, the lack of transcriptomic and genomic information confines our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit coloration in Z. mauritiana (Ber). In the present study, we performed the transcriptome-wide analysis of MYB transcription factors (TFs) genes in Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, and identified 56 ZmMYB and 60 ZjMYB TFs in Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, respectively. Through transcriptomic expression analysis, four similar MYB genes (ZmMYB/ZjMYB13, ZmMYB/ZjMYB44, ZmMYB/ZjMYB50, and ZmMYB/ZjMYB56) from Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba were selected as candidate key genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. Among these genes, the ZjMYB44 gene was transiently highly expressed in fruit, and flavonoid content accumulation also increased, indicating that this gene can influence flavonoid content during the period of fruit coloration in Z. jujuba. The current study adds to our understanding of the classification of genes, motif structure, and predicted functions of the MYB TFs, as well as identifying MYBs that regulate flavonoid biosynthesis in Ziziphus (Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba). Based on this information, we concluded that MYB44 is involved in the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway during the fruit coloring of Ziziphus. Our research results provide an important understanding of the molecular mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis resulting in fruit coloration and laying a foundation for further genetic improvement of fruit color in Ziziphus.