Abstract:

Grafting technology is one of the most cost-effective means to increase yield, improve quality and enhance stress tolerance in horticultural crops, and its application is still expanding. In addition to the requirement of continuous improvement of grafting technology, the mechanisms of graft affinity and scion-rootstock interactions need to be further explored. Graft survival includes a series of physiological and biochemical processes, and graft activation, hormonal pathways, or genes involved in vascular bundle formation may be involved in the regeneration and reconstruction of grafted tissues, and it is important to clarify their regulatory mechanisms. Grafting is a process of scion-rootstock mutual recognition and interaction, and long-distance signaling between rootstocks and scions is the basis for understanding the physiology of grafting. Grafted plants with scion-rootstock grafting combinations of different genotypes behave differently in terms of growth and development, phenotype, yield and stress resistance. In this paper, we review the research progress on the molecular mechanisms of scion-rootstock interactions in vegetable grafting, such as grafting survival, genetic signaling between rootstocks, grafting and epigenetic changes, and grafting and gene expression, with a view to providing theoretical references for in-depth studies on the molecular mechanisms of vegetable grafting, and providing guidance for rootstock selection and innovation of vegetable germplasm materials.

Key words: vegetable grafting, graft healing, genetic material exchange, epigenetic modification, gene expression regulation