Abstract:The MYB，bHLH，WD40 transcriptional factors functions as an evolutionarily conserved master regulator of diverse biological processes in higher plants， with particularly critical roles in secondary metabolite biosynthesis （including anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis）， as well as in epidermal cell morphogenesis （including petal epidermal cell differentiation and trichome formation）， along with environmental responses. Orchidaceae is renowned for its exceptional diversity in floral characteristics， which are key to attracting pollinators attraction and ensuring reproductive success. These traits underpin the significant ornamental and economic value of orchids. Consequently， elucidating the molecular networks that govern floral color and scent in orchids has emerged as a major research priority in this family. This review systematically summarizes recent advances regarding the pivotal role of the MBW complex in regulating floral pigmentation and scent production in orchids. We mainly focus on the biosynthetic pathways of major floral pigments and aromatic volatiles， together with the molecular mechanisms by which the MBW complex regulates the expression of structural and regulatory genes. By providing a theoretical framework for understanding the molecular basis of complex floral traits， this overview offers valuable perspectives into molecular breeding and genetic enhancement of ornamental orchids.

Abstract:Leaves are pivotal organs for photosynthesis， respiration， and transpiration in plants. Their morphological development is jointly influenced by genetic， environmental， and evolutionary factors， while their size significantly impacts crop growth， yield， and quality. Investigating leaf developmental mechanisms， understanding environmental influences on leaf formation， defining the optimal leaf size range， and excavating excellent materials from germplasm resources are of great importance for agricultural production. However， numerous challenges remain in plant leaf development research， including gene interaction networks， coupling effects of multiple environmental factors， optimal leaf size range delineation， and applications in breeding-all of which require further breakthroughs. Therefore， this paper reviews research advances since the 19th century on the regulatory mechanisms and influencing factors of leaf development in various plant species， including Arabidopsis thaliana L.， wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）， rice （Oryza sativa L.）， maize （Zea mays L.）， tomato （Solanum lycopersicum L.）， and radish （Raphanus sativus L.）. Additionally， it analyzes the current research status， emerging trends， key unresolved issues regarding plant leaf size regulation and provide insights to inform future studies on plant leaves. The main aspects covered include：（1） Mechanisms of leaf morphogenesis， elucidating the four stages of leaf shape formation. （2） Regulatory mechanisms of leaf development， primarily summarizing cellular and molecular-level control pathways. （3） Factors influencing leaf morphology， including genetic and environmental determinants. （4） Technologies applied in leaf research， encompassing cutting-edge techniques， traditional experimental methods， instruments， and analytical software， along with their applications in leaf development studies.

Abstract:Brassica napus L. is one of the most important oilseed crops in China and plays a vital role in securing the national supply of edible vegetable oil. Enhancing photosynthetic efficiency represents a key strategy for achieving high yield and sustainable， resource-efficient breeding in rapeseed. In this study， We used 245 Brassica napus germplasm resources as materials， measuring 19 indicators including photosynthetic parameters， photosynthetic pigment， biomass， and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters at the seedling stage. Significant variations were observed among germplasms in gas exchange， PSII （photosystem II） energy conversion， and thermal dissipation， demonstrating rich genetic diversity and substantial potential for selection. Stomatal conductance and transpiration rate showed highly significant positive correlations with fresh weight and the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Pi_Abs （performance index on an absorption basis） and Ss （complementary area above the O–J phase of the fluorescence induction curve）， but were extremely negatively correlated with ETo/RC （electron transport flux per reaction center）. These relationships suggest that coordinated regulation between photosynthetic activity and water use plays a critical role in biomass accumulation. Moreover， biomass was significantly and positively correlated with Pi_Abs and Ss， indicating that chlorophyll fluorescence parameters can serve as reliable indicators of photosynthetic system efficiency and growth potential. A comprehensive evaluation model （D-value） was developed through principal component analysis combined with membership function analysis， enabling the establishment of an integrated assessment framework for high light-use efficiency in B. napus. The 245 germplasm accessions were classified into five groups by cluster analysis 35 high-efficiency， 52 medium-high-efficiency， 49 intermediate， 88 medium-low-efficiency， and 21 low-efficiency types， and established a high-light-efficiency evaluation model. Twelve high light-efficiency germplasm accessions were ultimately identified. The evaluation system established in this study provides an effective approach for preliminary screening of high-efficiency germplasm resources and offers a theoretical foundation and data support for the discovery and breeding of rapeseed varieties with enhanced light-use efficiency.

Abstract:To evaluate the phosphorus deficiency tolerance of Brassica juncea （L.） Czern.et Coss at the seeding stage， we investigated 12 traits， such as shoot dry weight， root dry weight， shoot phosphorus concentration， root phosphorus concentration， across 234 germplasms under normal phosphorus （250 μmol/L KH₂PO₄） and low phosphorus （5 μmol/L KH₂PO₄） treatments. The phosphorus deficiency tolerance coefficient was calculated for each trait， and principal component analysis， fuzzy membership function analysis， and cluster analysis were used for a comprehensive evaluation. The results revealed substantial variations in all seedling traits under both treatments. If compared to those under normal phosphorus treatment， low phosphorus treatment led to reductions in dry weight， phosphorus concentration and phosphorus accumulation in both shoots and roots. In contrast， the root-shoot ratio and phosphorus use efficiency in shoots and roots increased. Through principal component analysis， we transformed the phosphorus deficiency coefficients of the 12 traits into four principal components， which collectively accounted for 96.511% of the total variance. Based on component weights， a comprehensive D-value was calculated. Cluster analysis classified the 234 germplasms into four groups： phosphorus-deficient tolerant （10 germplasms）， slightly phosphorus-deficient tolerant （53 germplasms）， slightly phosphorus-deficient sensitive （105 germplasms）， and phosphorus-deficient sensitive （67 germplasms）. The phosphorus-deficient tolerant accessions exhibited significantly higher tolerance coefficients for root dry weight， root-shoot ratio， shoot phosphorus accumulation， root phosphorus accumulation and plant phosphorus accumulation if compared to the other groups. This study provides a reference for evaluating phosphorus deficiency tolerance in B. juncea and identifies valuable genetic resources for uncovering related genes and developing phosphorus-deficient varieties.

Abstract:As a vital production region for early-maturing summer maize in China， the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region holds immense significance in national agriculture production security. Conducting comprehensive multi-trait evaluation and selection of early-maturing summer maize varieties within this region is crucial for advancing the scientific utilization of summer maize germplasm resources， optimizing breeding strategies， and improving agricultural productivity. Building upon the established genotype by yield×trait （GYT） biplot model， this study makes a notable innovation by expanding the connotation of 'yield' to encompass 'major target traits'， thereby proposing the novel genotype by major trait×multi-trait （GMT） biplot method to meet the demand for simultaneous evaluation of multiple traits in varieties under the background of diversified breeding major objectives. The research materials consisted of 72 early-maturing summer maize varieties that completed all trial procedures in the multi-location variety trials organized by the Jingke maize variety trial consortium in the early-maturing summer maize ecological zone of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 2017 to 2024. Based on the combined level of major traits （including yield， protein content， fat content and lysine content） and grain yield， growth period， plant height， 100-kernel weight， grain yield rate， grain moisture content， test weight， starch content， protein content， fat content， lysine content， and disease resistance index， the varieties were comprehensively evaluated and ranked using a serial of GMT biplot. The results of the study are as follows： （1） The GYT biplot， which takes yield as the major target trait， successfully identified eight varieties with excellent performance in terms of the yield superiority index （YSI）， including Jingnongke 458， Jingke 628， MC921， Xinyunong 812， Jingke 383， Jingke 938， Jingke 597， and Jingnongke 809. （2） The genotype by protein×trait （GPT） biplot， focusing on protein content as the major target trait， screened out Jingnongke 836 and MC921 as varieties with outstanding comprehensive performance across relevant traits. （3） When fat content is set as the major target trait， the genotype by fat×trait （GFT） biplot selected Jingnongke 458， Jingke 383， and MC616 as varieties with exceptional performance. （4） The genotype by lysine×trait （GLT） biplot， with lysine content as the major target trait， identified MC921， MC167， Jingnongke 836， and Jingnongke 801 as the top-performing varieties. （5） A highly significant correlation （r=0.718**） was found between the protein superiority index （PSI） and the lysine superiority index （LSI）. When both protein and lysine contents are taken as joint target traits， 'protein-lysine specialized' varieties including MC921， Jingnongke 836， and Jingnongke 458 can be filtered out. Additionally， the yield superiority index （YSI） and the fat superiority index （FSI） also showed a highly significant correlation （r=0.474**）. When yield and fat content are set as common target traits， 'yield-fat specialized' varieties including Jingnongke 458 and Jingke 383 are identified. Through simultaneous screening based on the superiority indices of the four major traits， 'all-round' core varieties including Jingnongke 458 and MC921 were selected， demonstrating balanced excellence across all evaluated traits. The proposed GMT biplot method provides a new and effective tool for the synergistic evaluation of multi-target traits， and the varieties screened in this study offer valuable references for the efficient utilization of maize varieties and high-quality breeding practices in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Abstract:Rice bean （Vigna umbellata （Thunb.） Ohwi & Ohashi） is an underutilized legume crop with considerable potential for nutritional and health-promoting applications， highlighting its promising prospects for future development. In this study， we quantified four major nutritional components—including protein content， starch content， total flavonoid content （TFC）， and total polyphenol content （TPC） —in 410 rice bean core accessions. The protein content ranged from 15.9% to 28.2% （mean： 21.0%）， and starch content varied between 40.0% and 53.7% （mean： 45.8%）. Meanwhile， TFC and TPC ranged from 1.34-7.39 mg RE/g （mean： 4.10 mg RE/g） and 0.80-2.90 mg GAE/g （mean： 2.19 mg GAE/g）， respectively. Based on these results， 34 representative accessions were selected for comprehensive untargeted metabolite profiling analysis， which identified 607 metabolites in 12 major categories. Variations in key metabolite classes—such as flavonoids， amino acids and derivatives， alkaloids， and terpenoids—were observed among accessions from different geographic origins. Specifically， accessions from China and Myanmar exhibited the higher flavonoid abundance （19.0% and 19.7%， respectively）， while those from Thailand and Laos showed higher levels of amino acids and derivatives （20.1% and 18.3%， respectively）. This study provides a valuable dataset to support the evaluation， exploration， and breeding-oriented utilization of high-quality rice bean germplasm resources.

Abstract:This study evaluated 64 Actinidia arguta germplasm and 12 related species to investigate variation and diversity in 20 fruit traits using a group of methodologies including correlation， cluster， principal component analyses， with an aim to facilitate the conservation and utilization of Actinidia arguta germplasm resources. Results showed that the diversity indices （H'） were higher from quantitative traits （ranging from 1.45 to 2.08） than for qualitative traits （ranging from 0.59 to 2.19）. Among the 76 accessions， the most frequent fruit shoulder shape was square， the fruit beak shape was minutely cuspidal bulge， and the cross section shape of fruit center was elliptical. These three qualitative traits exhibited relatively low diversity indices of 0.75， 0.67， and 0.59， respectively. Quantitative traits displayed an average coefficient of variation （CV） of 26.29%， with ascorbic acid content having the highest CV （82.74%） and dry matter content having the lowest CV （11.62%）. Cluster analysis categorized germplasms into five distinct groups with significant inter-group trait variations. Principal component analysis of 11 quantitative traits identified four components collectively accounting for 82.35% cumulative variance. Key phenotypic indicators included single fruit weight， titratable acid content， ascorbic acid content， and total soluble sugar content. Eight elite germplasms such as Ruanzao 8025， Longcheng 2， Danyang LD133， Mizao 1， 2019125317 （from The Third National Crop Germplasm Resource Survey and Collection Action）， Changjiang 1， Huanyou 1， and Fengyu 2 were selected through comprehensive evaluation. The substantial phenotypic diversity provides a foundation for the selection， breeding， and utilization of Actinidia arguta germplasm resources.

Abstract:A total of 48 apple germplasm accessions， including diploid， triploid and tetraploid， were selected as materials. Fourteen phenotypic traits of flower organs were observed and data were collected. The distribution frequency and coefficient of variation of different phenotypic traits were calculated and analyzed. The number and morphological characteristics of pollen grains were observed under an optical microscope. The purose of this study was to provide references for the evaluation， identification and utilization of apple polyploid germplasm resources. The results showed that： （1） The phenotypic diversity of flower organs of different ploidies in apple was rich. The characters of pink flower buds， yellow anthers， adjacent petals in relative positions， ovate petals， and pubescence at the base of the style were the most common， accounting for 60.4%， 100%， 54.2%， 79.2% and 97.9% of the descriptors' distribution frequency， respectively. （2） Traits such as flower number per inflorescence， stamen number， petal length and width， corolla diameter， and stigma number show relatively low variation among different varieties （lines） within the same ploidy level， with coefficients of variation below 20.0%. However， triploid and tetraploid apples exhibit significantly larger average values for corolla diameter， petal length， and petal width compared to diploid apples. Moreover， the average corolla diameter of two tetraploid varieties exceeds that of triploid apples. These findings suggest that an enlarged corolla diameter can serve as a useful auxiliary marker for identifying polyploid variations within the same apple variety （line）.（3） The proportions of different-shaped pollen grains varied among different ploidies. The proportions of larger pollen grains， round pollen grains and square pollen grains were significantly higher in polyploids than in diploids. This suggested that a higher proportion of round and square pollen grains can be used as an effective auxiliary selection trait for identifying apple polyploid variations. The ratio of the number of triangular pollen grains to the sum of the numbers of round and square pollen grains was significantly different between diploids and tetraploids and the ratio of 1.6 could be used as a critical value for identifying ploidy.

Abstract:The genetic diversity of landraces is crucial for wheat breeding. In this study， a genome-wide analysis of 292 winter wheat germplasm resources from Xizang， Hubei， Yunnan and Sichuan， China， was conducted using a 120K SNP array to analyze the evolutionary patterns and modes of their genetic diversity. Genotyping yielded 86129 high-quality SNPs， with an average of 4104 markers per chromosome. SNP distribution across subgenomes was B>A>D， and chromosome 4D contained the fewest SNPs （only 1582）. The Shannon index across all germplasm resources ranged from 0.1734 to 0.3678 （mean=0.2431）， and the polymorphism information （PI） ranged from 0.0952 to 0.5010 （mean=0.3146）， with the highest frequency observed in the range of 0.3001 to 0.4000. Furthermore， the overall mean expected heterozygosity （0.8835） was higher than the mean observed heterozygosity （0.8809）， indicating a certain degree of genetic diversity and differentiation within the population. The 292 winter wheat landraces were classified into three subgroups， with an average genetic distance of 0.31344 between populations， ranging from 0.00196 to 0.56513. In summary， this study reveals the genetic variation patterns of winter wheat landrace germplasm resources， providing valuable insights for future genetic improvement and breeding.

Abstract:Gymnadenia conopsea （L.） R.Br.， as an endangered medicinal plant in Tibetan and Mongolian traditional medicine， holds significant value for resource conservation and utilization. Investigating its genetic diversity is crucial for understanding their adaptive potential， and for formulating effective conservation and utilization strategies. This study measured and analyzed 16 phenotypic traits across six Gymnadenia conopsea populations in Inner Mongolia， China， and evaluated the genetic diversity of nine subpopulations using ISSR molecular markers. The relationships between phenotypic variation and genetic diversity were examined using generalized linear model. Results showed that the phenotypic coefficient of variation among traits ranged from 15.44% （number of leaves） to 41.56% （leaf 6 width）. The genetic diversity index varied between 1.67 （number of leaves） and 2.07 （leaf 3 length）. Principal component analysis extracted five principal components that cumulatively explained 85.564% of the phenotypic variations， with width and length of the leaves identified as the primary contributors to phenotypic differentiation. Based on the clustering results of phenotypic traits， the populations were categorized into five groups： broad-leaf group， long-leaf group， low-growing group， tall group and multi-flowered group. Using eight selected primers， ISSR analysis of 125 samples from nine G. conopsea populations revealed the following genetic diversity parameters： mean number of observed alleles=1.566， mean number of effective alleles=1.250， Nei's gene diversity index=0.156， and Shannon's information index=0.245. Among the populations， those from Ar Horqin Banner and East Ujimqin Banner exhibited relatively high genetic diversity， whereas the genetic diversity of the Wengniute Banner and Yakeshi City populations was relatively low. ANOVA analysis indicated that 35% of the total genetic variation occurred among populations， and 65% within populations. Moderate genetic differentiation （Gst=0.365） and relatively low gene flow （Nm=0.868） were observed among the populations. Structure analysis grouped the nine populations into two genetic clusters， with Ar Horqin Banner and East Ujimqin Banner populations exhibiting similar genetic compositions， possibly indicating gene flow between them. A Mantel test showed no significant correlation between genetic and geographical distances. Association analysis between phenotypic traits and ISSR markers identified 26 loci significantly associated with 15 phenotypic traits. The percentage of phenotypic variation explained by these loci ranged from 0.13% to 33.40%， with plant height and number of small flowers having the highest number of associated markers. The study elucidates the genetic diversity level of G. conopsea in Inner Mongolia at both phenotypic and molecular levels， providing a theoretical foundation for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in this endangered species.

Abstract:To enhance the conservation and utilization of Fagus longipetiolata germplasm resources in Guizhou province， China， this study developed SSR molecular markers to analyze genetic diversity and construct DNA fingerprints of 100 samples collected from six natural populations. Results showed that all 12 polymorphic SSR primer pairs were derived from the chloroplast genome （cpSSR）， collectively producing 136 alleles. The mean polymorphism information content （PIC） across the cpSSR loci was 0.767， indicating a high degree of genetic polymorphism. The average number of alleles （Na）， average number of effective alleles （Ne）， and average Shannon′s index （I） for the six populations were 5.125， 3.686， and 1.356， respectively， suggesting relatively high genetic diversity. Among the populations， the Duyun population exhibited the highest genetic diversity （I =1.589）. Analysis of molecular variance （AMOVA） indicated that genetic variation mainly occurred within populations （93%）， which was consistent with the low level of population genetic differentiation （Fst=0.091）. This pattern may be attributed to higher gene flow（Nm=2.490）， which likely constrained divergence among populations. Population structure analysis grouped the 100 samples into two genetic subgroups， with the majority exhibiting high genetic purity （≥0.6）. The probability of identity （PI） and probability of identity for siblings （Pisibs） values were 1.11×10^-9 and 3.74×10^-6， respectively， supporting strong discriminatory power of the SSR markers. DNA fingerprints for all samples were constructed using five core primer pairs. This study provides a scientific basis and technical support for the identification， preservation， breeding and parentage tracing of Fagus longipetiolata in Guizhou province， China.

Abstract:Calcium is an essential mineral for human health. As a staple food crop worldwide， the calcium content in wheat grains directly influences human nutrition. Biofortification represents a highly cost-effective strategy to enhance calcium content in wheat grains and address dietary calcium deficiency. However， the molecular mechanisms regulating calcium content in wheat grains remains poorly understood. In this study， we measured grain calcium concentration of 349 wheat varieties （lines） and conducted a genome-wide association study （GWAS） using the Wheat 660K SNP array. A total of 523 significant SNPs associated with grain calcium content were identified， with most distributed on chromosomes 4A and 6B. Among these， 76 SNPs were consistently detected in four or more replicates. Haplotype analysis showed that GCaC_Hap_4A and GCaC_Hap_6B represent potential key loci regulating grain calcium content. Further bioinformatics analysis suggested TraesCS4A03G0985800 as a promising candidate gene for the GCaC_Hap_4A locus. This findings provide valuable insights into the genetic basis of grain calcium content in wheat and offer useful references for molecular breeding.

Abstract:The growth period traits are essential for the formation of soybean yield and seed-quality， as well as for the ecological adaptability of soybean varieties. Thus， the mining of genetic loci and candidate genes for growth period traits is important to dissect its genetic basis and molecular improvement in soybean. In view of this， 300 soybean accessions were used to analyze ten growth period traits under two environments. Furthermore， the genome-wide association study （GWAS） was conducted by combining with 5.38 millions of SNPs of these accessions. The results showed that there existed abundant genetic variations of these ten growth period traits （R1 to R8， RP and R/V） in the accessions， with the coefficients of variations （CV） ranged from 7.3% to 36.0%， and the largest CV appeared in R/V. Meanwhile， the results also showed that there existed significant or extremely significant correlations among these growth period traits， which implying the existences of pleiotropic genetic loci. Moreover， a total of 2070 stable and pleiotropic associated SNPs were detected with at least two traits or under at least two environments. These SNPs located on 18 chromosomes （except chromosome 5 and chromosome 12）， with the largest number of associated SNPs （62.8%） detected on chromosome 10， followed by chromosome 6 and chromosome 9. Furthermore， the pleiotropic genetic loci for the growth period traits were discovered， including Gm16： 27911126-Gm16： 29624572 on chromosome 16 （nine traits， R1 to R8 and R/V）， Gm10： 44591107-Gm10： 46521535 on chromosome 10 （seven traits， R3 to R8 and RP）， Gm09： 40595870-Gm09： 40691399 on chromosome 9 （six traits， R1， R2 and R4 to R7）， and Gm15： 4961358-Gm15： 6102837 on chromosome 15 （six traits， R1 to R6）， etc. Additionally， the candidate genes were screened out in the associated loci， including the known functional gene E2 and the newly discovered candidate gene Glyma.10G218100. The results provide novel genetic loci and candidate gene resources for growth period traits improvements in soybean breeding.

Abstract:The weakened seed germination ability under hypoxic conditions is the main limiting factor for direct seeding application， elucidating the genetic base of hypoxic germination tolerance is therefore essential for ensuring yield stability in direct-seeded rice systems. In this study， a mapping population was constructed using the cultivars Aigela and Xudao 10. Genotyping was performed using the rice 1K mGPS SNP chip， and a high-density genetic linkage map contains 595 Bin markers was developed. Through QTL mapping analysis， a total of nine QTLs for hypoxic germination tolerance， each explaining 4.61%-11.79% of the total phenotypic variation， were detected with LOD scores ranging from 2.57 to 5.49. Among these loci， five are previously reported loci related to hypoxic germination tolerance， and four loci were newly identified. By combining gene functional annotation， Arabidopsis homologous gene comparison， gene expression analysis， sequence comparison and qRT-PCR validation within the mapping interval of qHG6-2， a candidate gene （LOC_Os06g31280） related to hypoxic germination tolerance was identified which encodes a thionin protein， OsTHION1. Taken together， our findings provide a foundation for future cloning of hypoxic germination tolerance genes and dissecting their genetic regulatory mechanisms in rice.

Abstract:S1FA proteins are a class of transcription factors that play significant roles in plant growth and development as well as in tolerance to abiotic stress. In this study， two S1FA family genes were identified in rice （Oryza sativa L.）， and their biological functions in the response to heat stress were investigated. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that OsS1FA40 （LOC_Os04g33440） and OsS1FA20 （LOC_Os04g33420） genes have simple structures and high sequence homology. Expression pattern analysis revealed that OsS1FA40 is expressed in all tissues examined， whereas OsS1FA20 is predominantly expressed in the endosperm. Double mutant material of OsS1FA40 and OsS1FA20 in japonica rice Nipponbare （NIP） were obtained by using CRISPR-Cas9. Thermotolerance of Oss1fas mutants seedlings under heat treatment （42°C， RH>90%， 48 h）， the Oss1fas mutants exhibited a more thermotolerant phenotype compared to the wild type plants， with relatively less disruption to leaf cell morphology and structure. After recovery at 28°C for one week， the mortality rate of the Oss1fas mutants was lower than that of the WT plants. The analysis of physiological and biochemical related indicators showed that after heat treatment， the contents of chlorophyll A， chlorophyll B， total chlorophyll， soluble sugar and maximum photosynthetic efficiency in the Oss1fas mutants were higher than those in the WT plants， indicating that heat stress activated the antioxidant mechanism and osmotic stress response of the Oss1fas mutants， and also affected the photosynthetic system. Furthermore， phenotypic analysis during plant development showed that the Oss1fas mutants displayed narrow and short leaves， as well as reduced root length， indicating potential involvement of these genes in leaf morphogenesis and plant growth regulation. In conclusion， OsS1FA in rice negatively regulate thermotolerance. This study provide a theoretical basis for deciphering the function of OsS1FA in regulating the response to high-temperature stress and for molecular breeding. This research holds significant implications and genetic improvement value for enhancing plant thermotolerance.

Abstract:VQ motif-containing proteins play important roles in plant responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses. In this study， VQ gene family members were identified from Medicago sativa cv. Zhongmu 1， and their characteristics and structural features were further analyzed. A phylogenetic tree of VQ protein from Medicago sativa， Oryza sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana was constructed. We further investigated the expression patterns of MsVQ genes under salt and alkali stress. A total of 24 MsVQ genes were identified in the alfalfa genome， distributed unevenly on eight chromosomes. With the exception of MsVQ8 and MsVQ17， the MsVQ genes lack introns and several MsVQ proteins were predicted to localize to the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis classified the MsVQ proteins into seven subgroups， each exhibiting relatively conserved gene structures and protein motifs. Medicago sativa genome contains six pairs of segmentally duplicated genes and one pair of tandem repeat genes. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of abiotic stress-responsive elements， hormone-responsive elements and WRKY binding sites. Transcriptome data showed that MsVQ genes respond to abiotic stresses such as drought， salt and low temperature. Quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） results showed that the MsVQ11， MsVQ12 and MsVQ18 genes were significantly up-regulated under alkaline stress treatment. In contrast， MsVQ11 and MsVQ18 were detected with down-regulation under salt stress treatment， suggesting their potential involvement in response to salt and alkaline stresses. Taken together， these findings will provide valuable clues for further functional studies of MsVQ genes and their molecular breeding in alfalfa.