Genome-wide identification of castor bean OSCA genes and analysis of expression patterns under drought and salt stress

This study constitutes the first genome-wide identification of the OSCA gene family in castor bean and provides preliminary insights into its evolutionary features and, more importantly, the species- and tissue-specific expression dynamics under salt and drought stresses. Future functional studies are warranted to fully elucidate the roles of these RcOSCAs in stress adaptation. These results contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying drought and salt tolerance in this resilient oil crop and offer valuable candidate genes for future functional characterization.