{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T11:57:51Z","timestamp":1785412671853,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":117,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785196800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008990","name":"\u201cPioneer\u201d and \u201cLeading Goose\u201d R&D Program of Zhejiang","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2024C02002"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024C02002"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008990","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004731","name":"Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["LQN26C160001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LQN26C160001"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004731","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["LQN26C160001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LQN26C160001"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04aqat463","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"National Natural Science Foundation Program","award":["31972864"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["31972864"]}]},{"name":"Wenzhou High-level Innovation Team \"Coastal Characteristic Plant Innovation and Utilization Project\"","award":["NY202401"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NY202401"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: bHLH transcription factors regulate key plant processes including development, stress adaptation, and metabolism. In Kandelia obovata, a mangrove species well known for its high tolerance to harsh environments, the bHLH gene family has not been systematically investigated. Here, this study aims to perform genome-wide identification and expression profiling of KobHLH genes under normal and saline conditions. Methods: bHLH members were identified by homology searches (HMMER and BLASTp) against the K. obovata protein dataset and verified with SMART-based domain analysis. Subsequent analyses covered physicochemical features, conserved motif composition, and phylogenetic relationships. Transcript abundance was quantified via RNA-seq in various organs (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits) as well as under saline conditions. Differentially expressed transcripts were selected for co-expression network construction. Results: Phylogenetic analysis of the 118 identified KobHLH loci assigned them into 18 distinct clades. Organ-preferential expression patterns were observed, leading to their classification into three putative functional categories. Upon salinity exposure (10\u201330\u2030), 61 of the 118 KobHLH genes exhibited differential expression, grouped into ten significant clusters. A co-expression network comprising 20 hub genes and 198 edges was constructed. Conclusions: This study provides the first genome-wide characterization of the bHLH family in K. obovata, revealing its evolutionary divergence and identifying 61 salt-responsive candidates, notably KobHLH108 and KobHLH5 associated with secondary metabolism, for further functional validation. The findings provide a foundation for future functional studies on stress adaptation mechanisms in this ecologically valuable mangrove species.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16081247","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T07:55:41Z","timestamp":1785225341000},"page":"1247","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of bHLH Family in Kandelia obovata Under Salt Stress"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Zhixia","family":"Zhao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenzhou 325005, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8853-2690","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Huizi","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenzhou 325005, China"},{"name":"Engineering Research Center for Southeast Coastal Characteristic Plants of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Wenzhou 325005, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sheng","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenzhou 325005, China"},{"name":"Engineering Research Center for Southeast Coastal Characteristic Plants of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Wenzhou 325005, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-4004-7822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xing","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenzhou 325005, China"},{"name":"Engineering Research Center for Southeast Coastal Characteristic Plants of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Wenzhou 325005, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qiuxia","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenzhou 325005, China"},{"name":"Engineering Research Center for Southeast Coastal Characteristic Plants of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Wenzhou 325005, China"},{"name":"Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Resource Plant Innovation and Utilization, Wenzhou 325005, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jinwang","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenzhou 325005, China"},{"name":"Engineering Research Center for Southeast Coastal Characteristic Plants of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Wenzhou 325005, China"},{"name":"Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Resource Plant Innovation and Utilization, Wenzhou 325005, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1186\/s12864-015-1216-y","article-title":"Genome-wide analysis of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor genes in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) reveals their stress and hormone responsive patterns","volume":"16","author":"Wang","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Genom."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4047","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05498.x","article-title":"Regulation of even-skipped stripe 2 in the Drosophila embryo","volume":"11","author":"Small","year":"1992","journal-title":"EMBO J."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1016\/S0092-8674(00)00105-7","article-title":"Ras pathway specificity is determined by the integration of multiple signal-activated and tissue-restricted transcription factors","volume":"103","author":"Halfon","year":"2000","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"663","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2006.07.024","article-title":"Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors","volume":"126","author":"Takahashi","year":"2006","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"359","DOI":"10.1016\/j.devcel.2009.12.026","article-title":"Structural rules and complex regulatory circuitry constrain expression of a Notch- and EGFR-regulated eye enhancer","volume":"18","author":"Swanson","year":"2010","journal-title":"Dev. 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