Integrated miRNA and mRNA Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Eggplant’s (Solanum melongena L.) Responses to Waterlogging Stress

Waterlogging stress poses a significant threat to eggplants (Solanum melongena L.), causing root oxygen deficiency and subsequent plant damage. This study aims explore the morphological changes chlorophyll lignin indicators of eggplant seedlings under different time points (0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 h) waterlogging stress. High-throughput sequencing was used identify differentially expressed miRNAs mRNAs in response eggplants. The results showed that content significantly decreased during early stage stress, while degradation b intensified with prolonged carotenoid remained relatively stable. Additionally, this investigated lignin, indicating its role enhancing cell wall stability tolerance cope hypoxic Using DESeq2, 246 were identified, among which observed miR156, miR166, miR167, miR399 families. These may play crucial regulatory eggplant’s adaptation environment after Gene Ontology (GO) Kyoto Encyclopedia Genes Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed genes mainly related cellular physiological processes, metabolic biosynthesis secondary metabolites, influencing seedlings’ resistance conditions. Furthermore, by constructing miRNA–target gene network pertains we have laid foundation for revealing molecular mechanisms