WITHDRAWN: Physiological and transcriptomic insights into cauliflower seedlings’ responses to multiple abiotic stresses

ABSTRACT Cauliflower ( Brassica oleracea var. botrytis ) is an important vegetable crop whose seedling stage is highly vulnerable to abiotic stresses that can compromise its yield and quality. Here, we conducted a physiological and comparative transcriptomic study of cauliflower seedlings subjected individually to five abiotic stresses: cold, heat, drought, salt, and waterlogging. Physiologically, heat stress led to severe oxidative damage and high mortality, while cold stress promoted growth with increased plant height. Drought, salt, and waterlogging inhibited growth but triggered adjustments in antioxidant activities to mitigate damage. RNA-seq analysis revealed extensive transcriptional reprogramming, with heat inducing the most differentially expressed genes (15,276) and salt the fewest (3,841). GO and KEGG enrichment highlighted both stress-specific and shared pathways, while WGCNA identified modules and hub genes uniquely correlated with each stress. Thirty genes were co-upregulated across all stresses, including HSP20, MIPS1, MYB32 and NAC032 . These genes were validated by qRT-PCR, subcellular localization, and yeast functional assays, which confirmed their roles in enhancing stress tolerance. Transcription factor analysis identified key gene families (such as MYB, AP2/ERF, bHLH) with stress-specific expression patterns and regulatory networks, which may coordinate the transcriptional reprogramming in response to diverse abiotic stresses. Alternative splicing event was most active under heat, with 44 genes showing conserved splicing across all stresses and enriching mainly in mRNA processing pathways. This study identifies the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the stress responses of cauliflower seedlings, providing important theoretical basis and candidate targets for breeding stress-tolerant cauliflower cultivars.