Bolting height is a key genetic trait that affects the stress tolerance, environmental adaptation, and winter survival of Brassica napus winter rapeseed. It is particularly important for enhancing winter survival in the arid-frigid regions. This study aimed to elucidate the genetic relationship between bolting height and cold stress tolerance, thereby supporting breeding for enhanced cold tolerance. Ninety-five winter rapeseed accessions were used in this study. Through both spring and autumn sowing trials, the dynamic changes in bolting height under different environments were systematically analyzed, and the genetic stability of bolting height as well as its correlation with cold tolerance were clarified. Bolting height showed consistent variation trends between spring and autumn sowing trials, exhibiting high genetic stability. It displayed an extremely significant negative correlation with cold tolerance: genotypes with lower bolting height possessed stronger cold tolerance. The regulatory mechanism underlying low bolting and cold tolerance was revealed at cellular and molecular levels. Low bolting accessions exhibited flat and broad shoot apical meristems, with small and compact cells, a high nucleoplasmic ratio, and indistinct vacuoles. The gibberellin synthesis gene BnaA06g24070D was downregulated, while the key cold-tolerant gene BnCBF5 was upregulated. Exogenous hormone treatment preliminarily verified the causal regulatory effect of bolting height on cold tolerance. In both spring and autumn sowing trials, bolting height at the initial flowering stage showed an extremely significant positive correlation with vernalization index, with correlation coefficients of 0.80 and 0.78, respectively. Lower bolting height corresponded to a smaller vernalization index and stronger temperature sensitivity. Moreover, bolting height at the initial flowering stage showed an extremely significant negative correlation with comprehensive cold tolerance scores, with correlation coefficients of -0.77 and -0.80, respectively. Low-bolt materials had significantly higher overwintering rates and comprehensive cold tolerance scores, as well as a markedly lower semi-lethal temperature (LT50), compared with high-bolt accessions. Low-bolt accessions presented significantly prolonged bolting stage, bud stage, initial flowering stage, and whole growth durations, and their agronomic trait stability across years was significantly superior to that of high-bolt accessions. This study confirmed that low bolting height is a crucial breeding trait for the cold tolerance of winter rapeseed, and thus an important selection indicator for the cold tolerance improvement of winter rapeseed in arid-frigid regions in northern China.

Plant programmed cell death (PCD) shares striking similarities with animal apoptosis in both morphological and biochemical characteristics, yet plant genomes lack genuine orthologs of animal caspases. Instead, plants have evolved a category of caspase-like proteins that are functionally analogous but lack sequence homology with animal caspases. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the research of major plant caspase-like proteins, including metacaspases, vacuolar processing enzymes (VPEs), saspases, phytaspases, the proteasomal β subunit PBA1, and cathepsin B. These proteins play pivotal regulatory roles in PCD triggered during plant development, senescence, biotic and abiotic stresses, and exhibit distinctive substrate specificities, activation mechanisms, and regulatory networks. Furthermore, focusing on winter rapeseed, this review discusses the application potential of caspase-like proteins in genetic breeding, such as enhancing stress resistance by modulating their activities, optimizing yield-related traits, and improving biotechnological breeding platforms including microspore embryogenesis. Despite challenges including functional redundancy, spatiotemporal regulation, and species-specific divergence, caspase-like proteins serve as core nodes in the PCD regulatory network and provide valuable targets for crop improvement. This review offers a systematic reference for further understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant PCD and its application in crop breeding.

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is the most abundant leaf protein and a central enzyme in photosynthesis, playing a critical role in carbon fixation, nitrogen allocation, and stress responses. This review comprehensively examines the structural characteristics and physiological functions of Rubisco, with a primary focus on the diverse mechanisms governing its degradation. We detail the proteolytic pathways operating within the chloroplast and the vacuole-dependent routes, including autophagy, the SAV (stress-associated vacuole) pathway, the CV (Rubisco-containing vesicle) pathway, and degradation via vacuolar membrane rupture. The key proteases involved in these processes and their specific functions are also elucidated. Building on this mechanistic foundation, we explore the potential applications of manipulating Rubisco degradation for crop improvement, such as enhancing stress resilience, optimizing yield, and improving nutrient use efficiency. Ultimately, this review provides a theoretical framework and practical strategies for developing high-efficiency, high-quality crop varieties through the targeted regulation of Rubisco protein turnover.

Winter rapeseed (Brassica rapa L. subsp.oleifera) is an important oilseed crop in northern China, where freezing stress imposes severe constraints on its yield. Its leaves dry up and wither during the overwintering period, but its roots stay deeply embedded in the soil. Following March of the next year, new leaves grow from the growing point and it enters reproductive growth. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the cold tolerance regulatory mechanisms and physiological-biochemical responses of field-grown roots in rapeseed cultivars with significant differences in cold tolerance during cold stress.This study used a strong cold-tolerant variety “Longyou 7 (L7)” and a moderate cold-tolerant variety “Longyou 99 (L99)” as experimental materials. The materials were planted in field to analyze the effects of natural freezing stress on rapeseed growth, physiological characteristics, hormone levels, and transcriptional levels before wintering. Additionally, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was combined to decipher the molecular regulatory mechanisms. Results showed that as temperature decrease, contents of proline (Pro), soluble sugar (SS), soluble protein (SP), and salicylic acid (SA) in roots of the strong cold-tolerant variety L7 were all significantly higher than those in L99, while contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and gibberellin (GA₃) in L7 were significantly lower than those in L99. RNA-seq results revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly involved in phenylpropane biosynthesis, carbon metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, MAPK signaling pathway, ribosome, proteasome, and protein processing. Among these, the differences in the expression of genes related to cell signal transduction (MAPK signaling pathway) and metabolism were particularly prominent. Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), 9 candidate genes related to protein kinases, plant hormones, transcription factors, and signal transduction were identified in the MAPK and 2 other modules.

Winter rapeseed is an important oilseed crop in northern China which needs to experience low temperature for a long time during the overwintering period. Come March of the next year, new leaves grow from the growing point and it enters reproductive growth. For this reason, strong winter rapeseed can only be planted once a year and it is difficult for generation acceleration breeding in field. Therefore, exploring the vernalization conditions of strong winter rapeseed in the laboratory is very helpful for shortening the growth period and improving the breeding quality. Results showed that despite 45 days of vernalization under different light treatments, strong winter Brassica napus varieties were unable to complete the vernalization process, while other varieties achieved the optimal vernalization effect under the 16 h light/8 h dark, while strong winter Brassica rapa varieties exhibits a 75

Winter rapeseed suffers severe damage under cold stress, which seriously restricts its growth and yield. However, differences among cultivars in leaf starch and soluble sugar, as well as their underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms under low-temperature stress, remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that winter rapeseed cultivars with differences in cold tolerance would vary in starch accumulation, soluble sugar contents, and expression of the starch and sugar metabolism-related genes under cold stress. This study aimed to investigate differences in starch accumulation, soluble sugar content, and the gene expression patterns involved in the starch and sugar metabolism pathway in the leaves of winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) cultivars with contrasting cold tolerance under cold stress. In this study, two winter rapeseed cultivars, cold-tolerant L88 and cold-sensitive T2288, received 24 h cold treatments at 22 °C (control), 4 °C, 0 °C, and −4 °C. Plant morphology and leaf ultrastructure were observed, iodine–potassium iodide (I2-KI) staining was performed, and the starch, soluble sugar contents (sucrose, fructose, glucose, and maltose) were analyzed for each temperature regime. Transcriptome sequencing was performed exclusively at −4 °C (0 h versus 24 h). Under −4 °C stress, the two cultivars showed the greatest differences in plant phenotype and leaf ultrastructure, with the cold-sensitive cultivar Tianyou 2288 suffering more severe freezing injury. In Longyou 88, chloroplasts in mesophyll cells were swollen and contained fewer starch granules, whereas in Tianyou 2288 some chloroplasts disintegrated and large numbers of starch granules remained undegraded. As the treatment temperature decreased, leaf starch content declined in both cultivars. At −4 °C, starch content in Longyou 88 was 3.84 mg/g lower than in Tianyou 2288. The contents of soluble sugars, sucrose, glucose, and maltose in leaves increased continuously in both cultivars as stress temperature decreased and reached their maximum values at −4 °C. However, fructose content showed cultivar-specific changes. In Longyou 88, fructose content reached its maximum value of 12.59 mg/g at −4 °C, whereas in Tianyou 2288 it peaked at 7.54 mg/g at 4 °C. At −4 °C, fructose content was 6.69 mg/g higher in Longyou 88 than in Tianyou 2288. Transcriptome analysis revealed that after 24 h of −4 °C stress, Longyou 88 had more upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) than Tianyou 2288, whereas the number of downregulated DEGs in Tianyou 2288 was approximately twice that in Longyou 88. The genes BAM1, BAM3, SUS1, SCRK1, TPS9, and E1314, which were involved in the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, were upregulated in both cultivars, whereas BGL44 was downregulated. These findings indicate that cold-tolerance winter rapeseed is associated with enhanced starch degradation, maintenance of chloroplast structural integrity in mesophyll cells, and increased soluble sugar accumulation, providing potential physiological indicators for cold-tolerance evaluation.

Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular degradation pathway in eukaryotes, is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis, mediating stress responses, and regulating programmed cell death (PCD). Recent research has revealed its dual role in plant biology, where it can promote cell survival or execute cell death during development and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. We systematically review the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy in plant PCD, emphasizing its functional diversity and molecular underpinnings in developmental processes, pathogen infections, and environmental stress responses. By synthesizing these mechanistic insights, we propose a conceptual framework of “context-dependent molecular switches” that govern autophagy’s life-or-death decisions in plants. Furthermore, we explore the potential applications of modulating autophagy pathways for crop improvement, providing a theoretical foundation for breeding stress resistant and high yield varieties.

A field experiment was conducted in three ecological zones to evaluate the effects of broadcast sowing (BS), drill sowing (DS), and ridge-furrow precision sowing (RFS) on winter rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) grown in lightly saline-alkaline soils, using two cultivars (L6 and L7). RFS improved soil temperature and soil moisture conditions across the zones. Its warming effect was most pronounced in the JT zone, where soil temperatures at seedling and flowering stages were 9.7% and 10.3% higher than under BS, respectively. RFS also showed a moisture-conservation advantage at regreening, with soil moisture 13.8% and 6.6% higher than under BS and DS, respectively. In addition, RFS reduced soil salinity and increased soil total carbon, available potassium, and ammonium nitrogen contents. Plants under RFS showed higher SPAD values, net photosynthetic rates, and transpiration rates at seedling and regreening stages, along with higher antioxidant enzyme activities and lower MDA accumulation. RFS advanced key phenological stages, improved overwintering survival, and produced the highest yield. Compared with BS and DS, respectively, RFS increased the mean yield of L6 by 11.46% and 6.97%, and that of L7 by 16.02% and 10.52%. Overall, RFS promoted yield formation by improving soil conditions, photosynthetic activity, and stress resistance.

Leaf color is a key trait influencing photosynthetic efficiency in plants. This study investigates the photosynthetic characteristics of differently colored leaves in Brassica juncea L. using green-leaved (SWJ) and purple-red-leaved (RLJ) varieties, their reciprocal F1 hybrids, and F2 populations. The results show that the net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of SWJ were significantly higher than those of RLJ, while F1 hybrids exhibited intermediate photosynthetic performance. All five measured photosynthetic traits—net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, transpiration rate, and chlorophyll content—segregated significantly in the F2 generation and were identified as quantitative traits. Notably, transpiration rate was positively correlated with leaf color, whereas no correlation was found with net photosynthetic rate or intercellular CO2 concentration. A key finding is the occurrence of purple-leaved plants with high photosynthetic rates and green-leaved plants with low photosynthetic rates in the F2 generation, indicating the potential to combine high photosynthesis with anthocyanin-rich purple leaves. This study provides new genetic insights and a theoretical basis for breeding high-yield, stress-tolerant Brassica juncea varieties.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an mRNA modification considered essential in plants, and is a key player in gene regulation at the transcriptional and translational levels. In present study, we mapped Brassica rapa's whole transcriptome m6A profile under low-temperature stress in different cold tolerant varieties to elucidate the m6A methylation pattern. The distribution of m6A modifications changed significantly under low temperature stress. More 5’UTR m6A was deposited in strong cold-resistant varieties and responded positively to cold resistance by regulating mRNA expression abundance. The increase in m6A abundance was correlated with the increase in mRNA abundance after low temperature stress. ZAT12 might positively regulate its mRNA expression through m6A methylation. MYBC1 might be a negative regulator to cope with low-temperature stress. The hypothetical protein was involved in starch and sucrose metabolic pathways, and that the Low-quality protein was involved in the regulation of DNA binding, DNA-binding, transcription factor activity, and proline biosynthetic processes and leaf senescence pathways. In addition, a number of m6A methyltransferases and m6A demethylases play crucial roles in response to cold stress. These results revealed the critical role of m6A -modified genes under cold stress and provide new insights into the study of cold resistance in winter Brassica rapa.

During a prolonged domestication and environmental selection, Brassica rapa has formed diverse morphological types during a cultivation process of up to 8000 years, such as root-type turnips (Brassica rapa var. rapa), leaf-type Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis), oil-type rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.), and other rich types. China is one of the origins of Brassica rapa L., which is spread all over the east, west, south, and north of China. Studying its origin and evolution holds significant importance for unraveling the cultivation history of Chinese oilseed crops, intraspecific evolutionary relationships, and the utilization value of genetic resources. This article summarizes the cultivation history, evolution, classification research progress, and germplasm resource diversity of Brassica rapa var. oleifera in China. Combining karyotype analysis, genomic information, and wild relatives of Brassica rapa var. oleifera discovered on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, it is proposed that Brassica rapa var. oleifera has the characteristic of polycentric origin, and Gansu Province in China is one of the earliest regions for its cultivation. Brassica rapa var. oleifera, originating from the Mediterranean region, was diffused to the East Asian continent through two independent transmission paths (one via the Turkish Plateau and the other via Central Asia and Siberia). Analyzing the genetic diversity characteristics and evolutionary trajectories of these two transmission paths lays a foundation for clarifying the origin and evolutionary process of Brassica rapa var. oleifera and accelerating the breeding of Brassica rapa var. oleifera in China. Despite existing research on the origin of Brassica rapa L., the domestication process of this species remains unresolved. Future studies will employ whole-genome resequencing to address this fundamental question.

The MYB transcription factor family is one of the biggest transcription factors in plants, playing key roles in regulating many biological processes, including growth and development, responses to biotic and abiotic stresses and hormone signaling. In this study, we identified and characterized an 1R-MYB transcription factor, SlMYB1L, which is involved in regulating drought tolerance in tomato. SlMYB1L-RNAi transgenic plants displayed more severe dehydration phenotype with elevated malondiadehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as well as reduced proline content and antioxidant enzyme activities compared to wild-type under drought stress. Additionally, SlMYB1L influenced drought-induced stomatal closure and modulated endogenous ABA levels, leading to a decrease in the expression of ABA-related genes in SlMYB1L-RNAi transgenic plants. A dual-luciferase reporter assay further confirmed that SlMYB1L represses the expression of ABA catabolism gene SlCYP707A3. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SlMYB1L is a stress-responsive transcription factor that positively regulates drought tolerance and may serve as a candidate gene for developing drought-resistant crops.

In this study, the LBD (Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain) gene family, a group of plant-specific transcription factors critical for plant growth and development as well as metabolic regulation, was comprehensively characterized in rice. We identified 36 LBD genes using multi-source genomic data and systematically classified them into Class I (31 genes) and Class II (5 genes). Analysis of their physicochemical properties revealed significant variations in amino acid length, molecular weight, isoelectric points, and hydropathicity. Motif analysis identified conserved LOB domains and other motifs potentially linked to functional diversity. Cis-acting element analysis indicated the involvement of these genes in various biological processes, including light response, hormone signaling, and stress response. Expression profiling demonstrated tissue-specific expression patterns, with several genes, such as XM_015770711.2, XM_015776632.2, and XM_015792766.2, showing relatively high expression in rice roots, implying their important role in root development. Transcriptome data further supported the involvement of specific genes in responses to phytohormones such as jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA), as well as environmental stresses like cold and drought. Notably, XM_015770711.2, XM_015776632.2, and XM_015772758.2 may contribute to the regulation of rice environmental adaptability by mediating ABA and JA signaling pathways, respectively. In conclusion, this study identified members of the LBD gene family through the screening of two rice gene databases, and performed a comprehensive analysis of their physicochemical properties, evolutionary relationships, and expression profiles under various conditions. These findings provided valuable insights for further functional studies of LBD genes. Moreover, this study provides a foundation for targeting LBD genes to enhance stress resilience (e.g., drought/cold tolerance) and root architecture optimization. The LBD gene family possesses dual values in both stress resistance regulation and developmental optimization. The construction of its multidimensional functional map lays the theoretical and resource foundation for the precise design of high-yield and stress-resistant varieties.

Q-type C2H2 zinc finger protein (ZFP) transcription factors, a plant-specific subfamily of C2H2 ZFP, have been implicated in regulating abiotic stress responses, growth, and developmental processes in plants. Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a crucial oil crop widely used for the production of high-quality vegetable oil, animal feed, and biodiesel. Compared with studies on Q-type C2H2-ZFP genes in other plant species, systematic research has not been performed in B. napus. In this study, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of Q-type C2H2-ZFPs in B. napus was conducted. A total of 216 Q-type C2H2-ZFP genes were identified, exhibiting extensive and uneven distribution across the 19 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis, based on homologs from Arabidopsis, classified these genes into eight distinct subfamilies, with each containing one to three conserved “QALGGH” motifs. Each subfamily exhibited similar motif compositions and gene structures. Evolutionary studies revealed that segmental duplication events played a crucial role in the expansion of the BnaQ-type C2H2-ZFP gene family. Expression pattern analysis in different tissues and under abiotic stress identified BnaA03g09250D, BnaC09g35160D, BnaC03g11570D, and BnaA10g25850D as candidate genes involved in the response to freezing stress. Overexpression of BnaC09g35160D provided preliminary evidence that it enhances freezing tolerance in plants. This comprehensive study of Q-type C2H2-ZFPs in B. napus will enhance our understanding of the BnaQ-type C2H2-ZFP gene family and provide valuable insights for further functional investigations of BnaC09g35160D.

The CPA gene family regulates ionic balance and pH homeostasis in cells, significantly contributing to plant stress tolerance. In this study, a total of 63 BrCPA gene family members were identified in the whole genome of Brassica rapa L. (B. rapa), and the three subfamily members were BrNHX (9), BrKEA (15), and BrCHX (39), respectively. The members of the BrCPA gene family encoded 303-1259 amino acids, with molecular weights in the range of 32,860.39~139,884.73 kDa, distributed on 10 chromosomes, and contained 17 conserved motifs, BrNHX and BraKEA, and the BrCPA gene family members had the same molecular weights on 10 chromosomes and contain 17 conserved motifs. The BrNHX and BraKEA subfamilies have more exons than the BrCHX subfamily. An analysis of promoter cis-acting elements in the BrCPA gene showed that members of this gene family contain TC-rich, LTR, MBS, and ARE stress response elements. In addition, transcriptome analysis revealed the expression of CPA genes in B. rapa under salt stress. The selected genes were verified by RT-qPCR. By detecting the Na+ and K+ flow rates in the root and chloroplast cells of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive varieties after salt treatment, it was found that the rate of Na+ and K+ efflux from the root and chloroplast cells of salt-sensitive varieties was significantly higher than that of salt-tolerant varieties. This investigation marks the first systematic identification of the CPA gene family in B. rapa. This study further explores its expression patterns and the efflux rates of Na+ and K+ across salt-tolerant varieties, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the role of the CPA gene family in the salt stress response of B. rapa.

Postharvest strawberry is susceptible to mechanical damage and fungal attack, which poses serious storage challenges. In this study, senescence of strawberry fruit was successfully delayed using 0.25, 0.5 and 1 g L- 1 alpha-lipoic acid (alpha-LA), and microbial proliferation was effectively inhibited during the storage. In particular, the treatment at with 0.5 g L- 1 alpha-LA was the most effective, significantly reducing the decay rate and weight loss, while sustaining the firmness, TSS content and color. Strawberry fruit treated with alpha-LA showed higher total phenolics, total flavonoids, total anthocyanin, ascorbic acid, and individual phenolic compounds content compared with the control. alpha-LA attenuated strawberry membrane lipid peroxidation by inhibiting MDA and H2O2 production, and increasing antioxidant capacity. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of genes related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and the transcription factors FaMYC2 and FaMYB308 might act as negative regulators in phenolic metabolism. In addition, alpha-LA remarkably enhanced the expression of key genes related to phenolic metabolism and anthocyanin synthesis. In summary, alpha-LA maintained quality by modulating phenolic metabolism and antioxidant capacity in postharvest strawberry.

Glyoxalase I (GLYI) is a key enzyme that detoxifies methylglyoxal, a toxic byproduct of glycolysis, and is essential for plant pollination. However, the genome-wide identification and functional analysis of GLYI in Brassica rapa L. (B. rapa) remain limited. This study identified 17 BrGLYI genes (BrGLYI1–BrGLYI17) from the B. rapa genome. The self-compatible line 039-1 and the self-incompatible line GAU-28-5 were used as experimental materials, and Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed to examine the effect of BrGLYI genes on self-compatibility in winter B. rapa. Preliminary results showed that BrGLYI13 exhibited significant tissue specificity, with higher expression in the flowers of 039-1 compared to GAU-28-5. The open reading frame of BrGLYI13 (852 bp) was cloned from both 039-1 and GAU-28-5 cDNA, with no base mutations observed between the two lines. RT-qPCR revealed higher BrGLYI13 expression in the stigma of 039-1 compared to GAU-28-5. Based on the functional conservation and sequence homology, BrGLYI13 is speculated to play a similar role to that of AtGLYI3 in methylglyoxal detoxification and stress response. Furthermore, the knockout of AtGLYI3 resulted in reduced silique lengths and seed numbers. These findings suggest that BrGLYI13 is involved in the self-compatibility response in B. rapa and promotes the silique length and seed number in the Arabidopsis mutant, providing a basis for further research on the mechanisms of self-compatibility in B. rapa.

To explore the dyeing technique and karyotype analysis of winter turnip rape (Brassica rape L.), the root tip of winter turnip rape Longyou 7 was used as the experimental material. Chromosome preparation technology was optimized, and karyotype analysis was carried out by changing the conditions of material collection time, pretreatment, fixation, and dissociation. The results showed that the optimal conditions for the preparation of dyeing winter turnip rape were as follows: the sampling time was 8:00–10:00, the ice–water mixture was pretreated at 4 °C for 20 h, the Carnot’s fixative solution I and 4 °C were fixed for 12 h, and the 1 mol/L HCl solution was bathed in a water bath at 60 °C for 10~15 min. Karyotype analysis showed that the number of chromosomes in winter turnip rape cells was 2n = 20, and the karyotype analysis formula was 2n = 2x = 20 = 16m + 4sm. The karyotype asymmetry coefficient was 58.85%, and the karyotype type belonged to type 2A, which may belong to the primitive type in terms of evolution. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for further in-depth study of the phylogenetic evolution and genetic trend of Brassica rapa.

TCP transcription factors are important during plant growth and stress responses. However, their role in the cold stress response of Brassica rapa L. remains poorly understood. In this research, we identified the TCPs gene family in B. rapa to learn the features of the BrTCP gene family, functionally annotating the interacting proteins of TCP4 and analyzing their expression levels. Our results illustrated the presence of 19 members of the BrTCPs family in B. rapa, exhibiting molecular weights ranging from 27,367.45 to 59,433.64 Da. All identified proteins were classified as unstable, with isoelectric points ranging from 5.5 to 9.48. Subcellular localization forecasted that TCP proteins were all positioned in the nucleus. The BrTCP gene structure is relatively simple, with only seven members possessing introns, and none of the members contain UTR regions. BrTCPs comprise hormone-, light-, and stress-responsive elements. We found that the frequency of photoresponsive elements was greatest in the promoter region, suggesting that BrTCP genes are regulated by light signals and function synergistically with plant growth and development. In addition, five candidate interaction proteins of BrTCP4 were identified using yeast two-hybrid screening. RNA-Seq and q-PCR analyses of the interacting genes revealed differential expression of BrTCP family genes across various tissues following cold stress. Significant responses were observed under low-temperature stress, drought stress, and rehydration treatment, suggesting that these genes play crucial roles as regulators of the molecular network mechanisms responding to stress. This study enhances our understanding of the BrTCP family and provides significant insights into the stress tolerance mechanisms of B. rapa.