Late Middle Pleistocene Levallois stone-tool technology in southwest China.

Levallois approaches are one of the best known variants of prepared-core technologies, and are an important hallmark of stone technologies developed around 300,000 years ago in Africa and west Eurasia1,2. Existing archaeological evidence suggests that the stone technology of east Asian hominins lacked a Levallois component during the late Middle Pleistocene epoch and it is not until the Late Pleistocene (around 40,000-30,000 years ago) that this technology spread into east Asia in association with a dispersal of modern humans. Here we present evidence of Levallois technology from the lithic assemblage of the Guanyindong Cave site in southwest China, dated to approximately 170,000-80,000 years ago. To our knowledge, this is the earliest evidence of Levallois technology in east Asia. Our findings thus challenge the existing model of the origin and spread of Levallois technologies in east Asia and its links to a Late Pleistocene dispersal of modern humans.

Pilot Evaluation of the Long-Term Reproducibility of Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Top-Down Proteomics of a Complex Proteome Sample.

Mass spectrometry (MS)-based top-down proteomics (TDP) has revolutionized biological research by measuring intact proteoforms in cells, tissues, and biofluids. Capillary zone electrophoresis-tandem MS (CZE-MS/MS) is a valuable technique for TDP, offering a high peak capacity and sensitivity for proteoform separation and detection. However, the long-term reproducibility of CZE-MS/MS in TDP remains unstudied, which is a crucial aspect for large-scale studies. This work investigated the long-term qualitative and quantitative reproducibility of CZE-MS/MS for TDP for the first time, focusing on a yeast cell lysate. Over 1000 proteoforms were identified per run across 62 runs using one linear polyacrylamide (LPA)-coated separation capillary, highlighting the robustness of the CZE-MS/MS technique. However, substantial decreases in proteoform intensity and identification were observed after some initial runs due to proteoform adsorption onto the capillary inner wall. To address this issue, we developed an efficient capillary cleanup procedure using diluted ammonium hydroxide, achieving high qualitative and quantitative reproducibility for the yeast sample across at least 23 runs. The data underscore the capability of CZE-MS/MS for large-scale quantitative TDP of complex samples, signaling its readiness for deployment in broad biological applications. The MS RAW files were deposited in ProteomeXchange Consortium with the data set identifier of PXD046651.

α-Cyanostilbene-based Molecule with the Synergistical Mechanisms of AIE, ESIPT and TICT: A New Schiff Base Probe for Selective Detection of Fe3+ and Reversible Response to HCl/NH3 Vapor.

We designed and synthesized a new Schiff base probe, which incorporated the salicylaldehyde-analogue α-cyanostilbene and benzophenone hydrazone by the imine linkage. Its chemical structure was verified by FT-IR, MALDI-TOF-MS, HR-MS and 1H/13C NMR technologies. It could exhibit a red fluorescence based on the synergistical effects of aggregation-induce emission (AIE), excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) in the aggregation or solid states. Interestingly, the TLC-based test strip loaded with the target compound showed the reversible fluorescence response to amine/acid vapor and on-site visual fluorescence quenching response to Fe3+. In THF/water mixtures (fw = 90%, 10 µM, pH = 7.4), the detection limit (DL) and the binding constant (Ka) of the developed probe towards Fe3+ were evaluated as 5.50 × 10- 8 M and 1.69 × 105, respectively. The developed probe was successfully applied for the detection of Fe3+ with practical, reliable, and satisfying results.

Characterization of Proteoform Post-Translational Modifications by Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mass Spectrometry in Conjunction with Annotations.

Many proteoforms can be produced from a gene due to genetic mutations, alternative splicing, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and other variations. PTMs in proteoforms play critical roles in cell signaling, protein degradation, and other biological processes. Mass spectrometry (MS) is the primary technique for investigating PTMs in proteoforms, and two alternative MS approaches, top-down and bottom-up, have complementary strengths. The combination of the two approaches has the potential to increase the sensitivity and accuracy in PTM identification and characterization. In addition, protein and PTM knowledge bases, such as UniProt, provide valuable information for PTM characterization and verification. Here, we present a software pipeline PTM-TBA (PTM characterization by Top-down and Bottom-up MS and Annotations) for identifying and localizing PTMs in proteoforms by integrating top-down and bottom-up MS as well as PTM annotations. We assessed PTM-TBA using a technical triplicate of bottom-up and top-down MS data of SW480 cells. On average, database search of the top-down MS data identified 2000 mass shifts, 814.5 (40.7%) of which were matched to 11 common PTMs and 423 of which were localized. Of the mass shifts identified by top-down MS, PTM-TBA verified 435 mass shifts using the bottom-up MS data and UniProt annotations.

A review of advances in aptamer-based cell detection technology.

Since cells are the basic structural and functional units of organisms, the detection or quantitation of cells is one of the most common basic problems in life science research. The established cell detection techniques mainly include fluorescent dye labeling, colorimetric assay, and lateral flow assay, all of which employ antibodies as cell recognition elements. However, the widespread application of the established methods generally dependent on antibodies is limited, because the preparation of antibodies is complicated and time-consuming, and unrecoverable denaturation is prone to occur with antibodies. By contrast, aptamers that are generally selected through the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment can avoid the disadvantages of antibodies due to their controllable synthesis, thermostability, and long shelf life, etc. Accordingly, aptamers may serve as novel molecular recognition elements like antibodies in combination with various techniques for cell detection. This paper reviews the developed aptamer-based cell detection methods, mainly including aptamer-fluorescent labeling, aptamer-isothermal amplification assay, electrochemical aptamer sensor, aptamer-based lateral flow analysis, and aptamer-colorimetric assay. The principles, advantages, progress of application in cell detection and future development trend of these methods were specially discussed. Overall, different assays are suitable for different detection purposes, and the development of more accurate, economical, efficient, and rapid aptamer-based cell detection methods is always on the road in the future. This review is expected to provide a reference for achieving efficient and accurate detection of cells as well as improving the usefulness of aptamers in the field of analytical applications.

Evaluation of Machine Learning Models for Proteoform Retention and Migration Time Prediction in Top-Down Mass Spectrometry.

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) are two primary proteoform separation methods in mass spectrometry (MS)-based top-down proteomics. Proteoform retention time (RT) prediction in RPLC and migration time (MT) prediction in CZE provide additional information for accurate proteoform identification and quantification. While existing methods are mainly focused on peptide RT and MT prediction in bottom-up MS, there is still a lack of methods for proteoform RT and MT prediction in top-down MS. We systematically evaluated eight machine learning models and a transfer learning method for proteoform RT prediction and five models and the transfer learning method for proteoform MT prediction. Experimental results showed that a gated recurrent unit (GRU)-based model with transfer learning achieved a high accuracy (R = 0.978) for proteoform RT prediction and that the GRU-based model and a fully connected neural network model obtained a high accuracy of R = 0.982 and 0.981 for proteoform MT prediction, respectively.

Proteoform Identification by Combining RNA-Seq and Top-Down Mass Spectrometry.

In proteogenomic studies, genomic and transcriptomic variants are incorporated into customized protein databases for the identification of proteoforms, especially proteoforms with sample-specific variants. Most proteogenomic research has been focused on combining genomic or transcriptomic data with bottom-up mass spectrometry data. In the last decade, top-down mass spectrometry has attracted increasing attention because of its capacity to identify various proteoforms with alterations. However, top-down proteogenomics, in which genomic or transcriptomic data are combined with top-down mass spectrometry data, has not been widely adopted, and there is still a lack of software tools for top-down proteogenomic data analysis. In this paper, we introduce TopPG, a proteogenomic tool for generating proteoform sequence databases with genetic alterations and alternative splicing events. Experiments on top-down proteogenomic data of DLD-1 colorectal cancer cells showed that TopPG coupled with database search confidently identified proteoforms with sample-specific alterations.

Niosomal Nanocarriers for Enhanced Skin Delivery of Quercetin with Functions of Anti-Tyrosinase and Antioxidant.

This study aimed to screen an effective flavonoid with promising whitening and antioxidant capacities, and design flavonoid-loaded niosomes to improve its solubility, stability, and penetration. In vitro anti-tyrosinase and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging experiments were conducted to investigate the whitening and antioxidant capacities of several flavonoids, including quercetin, morin, festin, myricetin, rutin, and breviscapine. The conductivity, viscosity, and particle size of Span60-RH40-based formulation of nonionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) with different mass ratios were studied to determine the most appropriate formulation. Drug-loaded niosomes were characterized for size, zeta potential, morphology, and entrapment efficiency. The photostability, solubility, release behavior, ex vivo drug penetration, and skin retention were also studied. The results showed that quercetin has considerable whitening and antioxidant capacities and Span60-RH40 at a mass ratio of 9:11 forms spherical or oval niosomes of 97.6 ± 3.1 nm with a zeta potential range of 31.1 ± 0.9 mV, and drug entrapment efficiency as high as 87.3 ± 1.6%. Niosomes remarkably improved the solubility and photostability of quercetin. Furthermore, compared to quercetin solution, quercetin-niosomes had the advantages of sustained release and improved transdermal penetration, with skin retention 2.95 times higher than quercetin solution.

Antimetastatic effects of Eclipta prostrata extract on oral cancer cells.

Eclipta prostrata, a traditional Chinese medication, has been used for the treatment of several diseases. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of Eclipta prostrata extracts (EPE) on human oral cancer cell metastasis remains unclear. We thus examined the effects of EPE on metastasis promoting proteins in oral cancer. Our results revealed that the EPE attenuated SCC-9, HSC-3, and TW2.6 cell migration and invasiveness by reducing matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 enzyme activities. In addition, Western blot analysis revealed that EPE significantly reduced the levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) but not those of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1/2 and p38. In conclusion, we found that EPE could inhibit oral cancer metastasis through the inhibition of MMP-2 expression. Therefore, EPE may be used to prevent the metastasis of oral cancer, and has the potential to be applied to cancer treatment.

[Preparation and Dissolution Evaluation of Breviscapine Self-microemulsion].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prescription and preparation technology of breviscapine self-microemulsion for oral administration, and to evaluate the quality, stability and in vitro dissolution. METHODS: The prescription and preparation technology were selected and optimized through the solubility experiment, compatibility test, and pseudo-ternary phase diagram method, using the self-emulsifying time, appearance, particle diameter and stability as indexes. The droplet morphous, drug content, stability and dissolution were evaluated. Results:The prescription composition of breviscapine self-microemulsion was caprylic/capric triglyceride(GTCC,40%), Cremophor RH-40(50%), and PEG-400 (10%), with the drug loading of 7. 0 mg/g. The breviscapine self-microemulsion exhibited uniform and transparent,with the particle size of 38. 57 nm,Zeta potential of - 8. 80 mV. The results of dissolution indicated that the accumulative dissolution in 0. 1 mol/L hydrochloric acid was able to reach 90. 30% after 90 min, being 5. 9 times to that of the raw material medicine. The stability result showed that the content of breviscapine self-microemulsion was affected by high temperature, indicating it should be stored at low temperature. CONCLUSION: The preparation of breviscapine self-microemulsion is simple, which can increase the solubility of breviscapine in water and the absorption of breviscapine in the stomach and intestine, and conform to the main indexes of oral drug delivery system. It offers the basis for further research of breviscapine.

A tolerant lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus paracasei, and its immunoregulatory function.

The aim of the present investigation was to isolate a probiotic strain from 23 samples of yurts cheese and 21 samples of kumiss (collected from scattered households in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia), and from eN-Lac Capsules, a health-promoting product. The isolates were subjected to biochemical characterization analysis and were tested for tolerance to low pH, sodium salt, bile salt, pepsin, and trypsin. 16S DNA sequence analysis was conducted to identify the strain. The possible dose-dependent role of strain LP2 in immunomodulation was investigated using the ICR mouse model (from the Institute of Cancer Research). Daily, we conducted clinical observations, a carbon clearance test, a spleen lymphocyte proliferation test, and measurements of body mass and lymphoid organ index. Natural killer cell activity and delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction were determined. The results showed that 3 selected strains (LP2, LP4, and LP9) had high tolerance to low pH, sodium chloride, and bile salt and were not significantly different from Lactobacillus paracasei in terms of morphology, colony, and biochemistry characterizations. A further tolerance test showed that LP2 had the highest survival rate (90%) under the conditions of pH 3.0, 0.3% bile salt, 10 mg/mL pepsin, and 10 mg/mL trypsin for 24 h. The sequence heterogeneities within the 16S rDNA genes molecularly elucidated that the LP2 belongs to the L. paracasei family, on the basis of a homology of 99.6%. A significant enhanced footpad swelling reaction and natural killer cell activity in the middle-dose (10(8) cfu/mL) and the high-dose (10(9) cfu/mL) groups were observed but without obvious dose dependence (P < 0.05). Lymphocyte proliferation was also increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01) compared with that of the control group, indicating a positive immunoregulatory effect.

Effect of tea polyphenols on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) fruit during cold storage.

To understand the potential of application of tea polyphenols to the shelf life extension and quality maintenance of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) fruit, the fruits were dipped into a solution of 1% tea phenols for 5 min before cold storage at 4 °C. Changes in browning index, contents of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities, O2.- production rate and H2O2 content, levels of relative leakage rate and lipid peroxidation, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were measured after 0, 10, 20 and 30 days of cold storage. The results showed that application of tea polyphenols markedly delayed pericarp browning, alleviated the decreases in contents of total soluble solids (TSS) and ascorbic acid, and maintained relatively high levels of total phenolics and anthocyanins of litchi fruit after 30 days of cold storage. Meanwhile, the treatment reduced the increases in relative leakage rate and lipid peroxidation content, delayed the increases in both O2.- production rate and H2O2 contents, and increased SOD activity but reduced POD activity throughout this storage period. These data indicated that the delayed pericarp browning of litchi fruit by the treatment with tea polyphenols could be due to enhanced antioxidant capability, reduced accumulations of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, and improved membrane integrity.

Characterization of proteoform post-translational modifications by top-down and bottom-up mass spectrometry in conjunction with UniProt annotations.

Many proteoforms can be produced from a gene due to genetic mutations, alternative splicing, post-translational modifications (PTMs), and other variations. PTMs in proteoforms play critical roles in cell signaling, protein degradation, and other biological processes. Mass spectrometry (MS) is the primary technique for investigating PTMs in proteoforms, and two alternative MS approaches, top-down and bottom-up, have complementary strengths. The combination of the two approaches has the potential to increase the sensitivity and accuracy in PTM identification and characterization. In addition, protein and PTM knowledgebases, such as UniProt, provide valuable information for PTM characterization and validation. Here, we present a software pipeline called PTM-TBA (PTM characterization by Top-down, Bottom-up MS and Annotations) for identifying and localizing PTMs in proteoforms by integrating top-down and bottom-up MS as well as UniProt annotations. We identified 1,662 mass shifts from a top-down MS data set of SW480 cells, 545 (33%) of which were matched to 12 common PTMs, and 351 of which were localized. PTM-TBA validated 346 of the 1,662 mass shifts using UniProt annotations or a bottom-up MS data set of SW480 cells.

A Symbiotic Fungus Sistotrema Benefits Blueberry Rejuvenation and Abiotic Stress Tolerance.

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) rhizosphere microorganisms can significantly increase the absorption area and improve the efficiency of rhizospheric nutrient uptake. However, there has been little research on blueberry rhizosphere microorganisms, especially those that can complement root function deficiency. In this study, we analyzed the rhizosphere fungi of 'O'Neal,' 'Sharpblue,' and 'Premier' blueberry cultivars and found that 'Premier' blueberries showed strong growth potential and relatively high root regulation ability. The dominant symbiotic fungus Sistotrema was correlated with the strong growth of 'Premier' and was directionally screened and isolated based on conserved gene structures and COG function analysis. This fungus was reinoculated onto the roots of 'Gulfcoast' and 'Star' blueberry cultivars. Sistotrema promoted the growth of blueberries and improved their ability to resist stress and grow under adverse conditions, as indicated by maintained or increased chlorophyll content under such conditions. Further analyses showed that Sistotrema has certain functional characteristics such as the ability to dissolve iron in its insoluble form and then release it, to fix nitrogen, and to inhibit nitrification in soil. Thus, it effectively doubled the soil nitrogen content and increased the soluble iron content in soil by 50%. This investigation indicates sistotrema inoculation as an approach to increase blueberry stress tolerance and complete their root nutrition deficiency.

Altered gut microbiota in temporal lobe epilepsy with anxiety disorders.

Introduction: Patients with epilepsy are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of anxiety disorders. In particular, temporal lobe epilepsy with anxiety disorders (TLEA) has attracted more attention in epilepsy research. The link between intestinal dysbiosis and TLEA has not been established yet. To gain deeper insight into the link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and factors affecting TLEA, the composition of the gut microbiome, including bacteria and fungi, has been examined. Methods: The gut microbiota from 51 temporal lobe epilepsy patients has been subjected to sequencing targeting 16S rDNA (Illumina MiSeq) and from 45 temporal lobe epilepsy patients targeting the ITS-1 region (through pyrosequencing). A differential analysis has been conducted on the gut microbiota from the phylum to the genus level. Results: TLEA patients' gut bacteria and fungal microbiota exhibited distinct characteristics and diversity as evidenced by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). TLEA patients showed higher abundances of Escherichia-Shigella (genus), Enterobacterales (order), Enterobacteriaceae (family), Proteobacteria (phylum), Gammaproteobacteria (class), and lower abundances of Clostridia (class), Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae (family), Lachnospirales (order), and Ruminococcus (genus). Among fungi, Saccharomycetales fam. incertae sedis (family), Saccharomycetales (order), Saccharomycetes (class), and Ascomycota (phylum) were significantly more abundant in TLEA patients than in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy but without anxiety. Adoption and perception of seizure control significantly affected TLEA bacterial community structure, while yearly hospitalization frequency affected fungal community structures in TLEA patients. Conclusion: Here, our study validated the gut microbiota dysbiosis of TLEA. Moreover, the pioneering study of bacterial and fungal microbiota profiles will help in understanding the course of TLEA and drive us toward preventing TLEA gut microbiota dysbiosis.

A Study of the Molecular Regulatory Network of VcTCP18 during Blueberry Bud Dormancy.

BRANCHED1 (BRC1) is a crucial member of the TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) gene family and is well known for playing a central role in shoot branching by controlling buds' paradormancy. However, the expression characteristics and molecular regulatory mechanism of BRC1 during blueberry bud dormancy are unclear. To shed light on these topics, shoots of three blueberry cultivars with different chilling requirements (CRs) were decapitated in summer to induce paradormancy release and subjected to different levels of chilling in winter to induce endodormancy release. The results showed that the high-CR cultivar 'Chandler' had the strongest apical dominance among the three cultivars; additionally, the expression of VcTCP18, which is homologous to BRC1, was the highest under both the decapitation treatment and low-temperature treatment. The 'Emerald' cultivar, with a low CR, demonstrated the opposite trend. These findings suggest that VcTCP18 plays a negative regulatory role in bud break and that there may be a correlation between the CR and tree shape. Through yeast 1-hybrid (Y1H) assays, we finally screened 21 upstream regulatory genes, including eight transcription factors: zinc-finger homeodomain protein 1/4/5/9, MYB4, AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor AINTEGUMENTA (ANT), ASIL2-like, and bHLH035. It was found that these upstream regulatory genes positively or negatively regulated the expression of VcTCP18 based on the transcriptome expression profile. In summary, this study enriched our understanding of the regulatory network of BRCl during bud dormancy and provided new insights into the function of BRC1.

Improving shikonin solubility and stability by encapsulation in natural surfactant-coated shikonin nanoparticles.

It is significant to develop a colloidal delivery system to improve the water solubility, stability, and bioavailability of shikonin, which is a hydrophobic plant polyphenol with a variety of physiological activities. In this study, three kinds of natural surfactants (saponin, sophorolipid, and rhamnolipid) were used to prepare shikonin nanoparticles by the pH-driven method. The physicochemical and structural properties of the shikonin nanoparticles were characterized, including particle size, zeta potential, and morphology. The encapsulation efficiencies of shikonin nanoparticles coated with saponin and sophorolipid were 97.6% and 97.3%, respectively, which were much higher than that of rhamnolipid-coated shikonin nanoparticles (19.0%). Shikonin nanoparticles coated with saponin and sophorolipid showed good resistance to heat and light and maintained long-term stability during storage. Moreover, shikonin nanoparticles coated with saponin and sophorolipid improved their in vitro-bioavailability. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: These article results are of great importance for improving the stability and bioavailability of shikonin in functional foods, dietary supplements, or pharmaceutical preparations. Moreover, this study provided theoretical and practical guides for further research of shikonin nanoparticles and may promote the development of natural colloidal delivery systems.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the MADS-Box Transcription Factor Genes in Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) and Their Expression Pattern during Fruit Ripening.

MADS-box is a class of transcriptional regulators that are ubiquitous in plants and plays important roles in the process of plant growth and development. Identification and analysis of blueberry MADS-box genes can lay a foundation for their function investigations. In the present study, 249 putative MADS-box genes were identified in the blueberry genome. Those MADS-box genes were distributed on 47 out of 48 chromosomes. The phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses showed that blueberry MADS-box genes were divided into 131 type I members and 118 type II members. The type I genes contained an average of 1.89 exons and the type II genes contained an average of 7.83 exons. Motif analysis identified 15 conserved motifs, of which 4 were related to the MADS domain and 3 were related to the K-box domain. A variety of cis-acting elements were found in the promoter region of the blueberry MADS-box gene, indicating that the MADS-box gene responded to various hormones and environmental alterations. A total of 243 collinear gene pairs were identified, most of which had a Ka/Ks value of less than 1. Nine genes belonging to SEP, AP3/PI, and AGL6 subfamilies were screened based on transcriptomic data. The expression patterns of those nine genes were also verified using quantitative PCR, suggesting that VcMADS6, VcMADS35, VcMADS44, VcMADS58, VcMADS125, VcMADS188, and VcMADS212 had potential functions in blueberry fruit ripening. The results of this study provide references for an in-depth understanding of the biological function of the blueberry MADS-box genes and the mechanism of blueberry fruit ripening.

[Application research of hot-melt extrusion in preparation of solid dispersion].

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) is mainly used to enhance the dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. It has many advantages, such as simple process, continuous operation, high efficiency, on-line monitoring and so on. HME provides an innovative approach, which has been concerned by pharmaceutical workers, for preparation of solid dispersion abroad. This article reviews recent advances on preparation of solid dispersion by HME in preparation processing, carrier materials and quality evaluation in order to further promote and apply HME in preparation of solid dispersion.

Transcriptomic and Physiological Analysis Reveals the Responses to Auxin and Abscisic Acid Accumulation During Vaccinium corymbosum Flower Bud and Fruit Development.

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is reputed as a rich source of health-promoting phytonutrients, which contributes to its burgeoning consumer demand and production. However, blueberries are much smaller and have lower yields than most domesticated berries, and the inherent regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, the cytological and physiological changes, as well as comparative transcriptomic analysis throughout flower and fruit development in the southern highbush blueberry cultivar 'O'Neal' were performed. 'O'Neal' hypanthium and fruit exhibited a distinctive cell proliferation pattern, and auxin accumulation was unusual throughout development, while abscisic acid (ABA) levels rapidly increased in association with anthocyanin accumulation, total phenolic reduction and fruit maturation. Transcriptomic data showed that many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were specifically expressed at each flower bud and fruit developmental stage. Further weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed numerous DEGs that correlated with the cell numbers of outer mesocarp and columella, showed two distinctive expression patterns. Most of the DEGs involved in auxin biosynthesis, transportation and signal transduction were upregulated, and this upregulation was accompanied by cell expansion, and flower bud and fruit development. However, individual members of VcSAUR50 and VcIAA9 families might be insensitive to auxin, suggesting that these genes play a distinctive role in the growth and development of blueberry fruits. These results will support future research to better understand the flower and fruit development of southern highbush blueberry.