Molecular Pathways Associated with Cold Tolerance in Grafted Cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.).

ABSTRACT: Cold stress limits cucumber productivity, and grafting onto tolerant rootstocks offers a promising strategy for improving resilience. This study compared the responses of cucumber heterografts and self-grafts exposed to different cold temperatures, aiming to uncover the molecular basis of grafting-mediated tolerance. Morphological observations showed that grafting onto Cucurbita ficifolia and C. maxima X C. moschata cv. Tetsukabuto rootstocks improved plant growth under moderate cold, while extreme stress remained lethal. Transcriptome analysis revealed that heterografts displayed broader and more sustained differentially expressed genes than self-grafts. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment in heterografts indicated early activation of structural, regulatory, and metabolic p

SUBMITTER: Pandey S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12736856 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature