Articles

Florigen and its homologs of FT/CETS/PEBP/RKIP/YbhB family may be the enzymes of small molecule metabolism: review of the evidence

Flowering signals are sensed in plant leaves and transmitted to the shoot apical meristems, where the formation of flowers is initiated. Searches for a diffusible hormone-like signaling entity (“florigen”) wen...

Authors: Olga Tsoy and Arcady Mushegian

Population structure analysis to explore genetic diversity and geographical distribution characteristics of cultivated-type tea plant in Guizhou Plateau

Tea plants originated in southwestern China. Guizhou Plateau is an original center of tea plants, and is rich in germplasm resources. However, the genetic diversity, population structure and distribution chara...

Authors: Zhifei Zhao, Qinfei Song, Dingchen Bai, Suzhen Niu, Yingqin He, Dahe Qiao, Zhengwu Chen, Caiyun Li, Jing Luo and Fang Li

Genome-wide association study for seedling biomass-related traits in Gossypium arboreum L.

Seedling stage plant biomass is usually used as an auxiliary trait to study plant growth and development or stress adversities. However, few molecular markers and candidate genes of seedling biomass-related tr...

Authors: Daowu Hu, Shoupu He, Yinhua Jia, Mian Faisal Nazir, Gaofei Sun, Xiaoli Geng, Zhaoe Pan, Liru Wang, Baojun Chen, Hongge Li, Yuting Ge, Baoyin Pang and Xiongming Du

Metabolic differences of two constructive species in saline-alkali grassland in China

Salinization of soil is an urgent problem that restricts agroforestry production and environmental protection. Substantial accumulation of metal ions or highly alkaline soil alters plant metabolites and may ev...

Authors: Qi Chen, Huansong Xie, Guanyun Wei, Xiaorui Guo, Jian Zhang, Xueyan Lu and Zhonghua Tang

Evolution of flower allometry and pigmentation in Mammillaria haageana (Cactaceae)

A puzzle in evolution is the understanding of how the environment might drive subtle phenotypic variation, and whether this variation is adaptive. Under the neutral evolutionary theory, subtle phenotypes are a...

Authors: Ulises Rosas, Elisa Sofía Fuentes-Pérez, Cristian R. Cervantes, Estela Sandoval-Zapotitla, Itzel Santiago-Sandoval, Salvador Arias and Jerónimo Reyes-Santiago

Physiological response of Kobresia pygmaea to temperature changes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is experiencing rapid climate warming, which may further affect plant growth. However, little is known about the plant physiological response to climate change.

Authors: Haiyan Xu, Lisha Li, Nan Mao, Zipeng Gan, Shouye Xue, Xiaoming Li, Bo Zhang, Guimin Liu and Xiaodong Wu

Correction to: Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of Lycium chinese and L. ruthenicum under salinity stress

Authors: Xiaoya Qin, Yue Yin, Jianhua Zhao, Wei An, Yunfang Fan, Xiaojie Liang and Youlong Cao

Transcriptome analysis reveals the mechanism of internode development affecting maize stalk strength

The stalk rind is one of the important factors affecting maize stalk strength that is closely related to stalk lodging. However, the mechanism of rind development in maize is still largely unknown.

Authors: Liuyong Xie, Daxing Wen, Chenglai Wu and Chunqing Zhang

QTL mapping for growth-related traits by constructing the first genetic linkage map in Simao pine

Simao pine is one of the primary economic tree species for resin and timber production in southwest China. The exploitation and utilization of Simao pine are constrained by the relatively lacking of genetic in...

Authors: Dawei Wang, Lin Yang, Chen Shi, Siguang Li, Hongyan Tang, Chengzhong He, Nianhui Cai, Anan Duan and Hede Gong

Interspecific complementation-restoration of phenotype in Arabidopsis cuc2cuc3 mutant by sugarcane CUC2 gene

In plants, a critical balance between differentiation and proliferation of stem cells at the shoot apical meristem zone is essential for proper growth. The spatiotemporal regulation of some crucial genes dicta...

Authors: Mohammad Aslam, Zeyuan She, Bello Hassan Jakada, Beenish Fakher, Joseph G. Greaves, Maokai Yan, Yingzhi Chen, Ping Zheng, Yan Cheng and Yuan Qin

Hyperosmotic stress-induced microtubule disassembly in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Land plants respond to drought and salinity by employing multitude of sophisticated mechanisms with physiological and developmental consequences. Abscisic acid-mediated signaling pathways have evolved as land ...

Authors: Lee Mei Ng, Shinichiro Komaki, Hideyuki Takahashi, Takashi Yamano, Hideya Fukuzawa and Takashi Hashimoto

Erianthus germplasm collection in Thailand: genetic structure and phylogenetic aspects of tetraploid and hexaploid accessions

The genus Erianthus, which belongs to the “Saccharum complex”, includes C₄ warm-season grasses. Erianthus species are widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia, East Asia and South Asia. Erianthus arundinaceus

Authors: Shin-ichi Tsuruta, Suparat Srithawong, Suchirat Sakuanrungsirikul, Masumi Ebina, Makoto Kobayashi, Yoshifumi Terajima, Amarawan Tippayawat and Werapon Ponragdee

Transcriptional and physiological data revealed cold tolerance in a photo-thermo sensitive genic male sterile line Yu17S

Rice is highly sensitive to chilling stress during the seedling stage. However, the adaptable photo-thermo sensitive genic male sterile (PTGMS) rice line, Yu17S, exhibits tolerance to low temperatures. Current...

Authors: Xiaoxue Pan, Ling Guan, Kairong Lei, Jingyong Li and Xianwei Zhang

Effects of sand burial depth on Xanthium spinosum seed germination and seedling growth

In desert habitats, sand burial is an important factor affecting germination of plant seeds and seedling growth. Xanthium spinosum has strong adaptability in arid desert areas, and is a common malignant invasive ...

Authors: Yuan-yuan Tao, Tian-cui Shang, Jun-jie Yan, Yun-xia Hu, Yu Zhao and Ying Liu

Genome-wide association study of the candidate genes for grape berry shape-related traits

In the breeding of new horticultural crops, fruit shape is an important selection characteristic. A variety of fruit shapes appeared during the gradual process of selection and domestication. However, few stud...

Authors: Chuan Zhang, Liwen Cui and Jinggui Fang

Role of cassava CC-type glutaredoxin MeGRXC3 in regulating sensitivity to mannitol-induced osmotic stress dependent on its nuclear activity

We previously identified six drought-inducible CC-type glutaredoxins in cassava cultivars, however, less is known about their potential role in the molecular mechanism by which cassava adapted to abiotic stress.

Authors: Meng-Bin Ruan, Xiao-Ling Yu, Xin Guo, Ping-Juan Zhao and Ming Peng

Oxidative damage and DNA repair in desiccated recalcitrant embryonic axes of Acer pseudoplatanus L.

Most plants encounter water stress at one or more different stages of their life cycle. The maintenance of genetic stability is the integral component of desiccation tolerance that defines the storage ability ...

Authors: Beata P. Plitta-Michalak, Alice A. Ramos, Piotr Pupel and Marcin Michalak

Characterization and regulation mechanism analysis of ubiquitin-conjugating family genes in strawberry reveals a potential role in fruit ripening

E2 ubiquitin-conjugating (UBC) enzymes are an integral component of the ubiquitin proteasome system that play an important role in plant development, growth, and external stress responses. Several UBC genes ha...

Authors: Mengyao Li, Liangxin Wang, Yiting Liu, Yuanxiu Lin, Yunting Zhang, Yu Long, Chuanying Luo, Yong Zhang, Qing Chen, Pinwen Chen, Yan Wang, Xiaorong Wang, Haoru Tang and Ya Luo

Nitrogen application and differences in leaf number retained after topping affect the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) transcriptome and metabolome

Agronomic treatments such as the application of nitrogen fertilizer and topping (removal of the inflorescence and top leaves) cause substantial changes in plant metabolism. To explore these changes, we conduct...

Authors: Bo Lei, Wei Chang, Huina Zhao, Kai Zhang, Jing Yu, Shizhou Yu, Kai Cai, Jie Zhang and Kun Lu

Genome-wide analysis of the NAAT, DMAS, TOM, and ENA gene families in maize suggests their roles in mediating iron homeostasis

Nicotianamine (NA), 2′-deoxymugineic acid (DMA), and mugineic acid (MA) are chelators required for iron uptake and transport in plants. Nicotianamine aminotransferase (NAAT), 2′-deoxymugineic acid synthase (DM...

Authors: Xin Zhang, Ke Xiao, Suzhen Li, Jie Li, Jiaxing Huang, Rumei Chen, Sen Pang and Xiaojin Zhou

Molecular mechanism of mulberry response to drought stress revealed by complementary transcriptomic and iTRAQ analyses

The use of mulberry leaves has long been limited to raising silkworms, but with the continuous improvement of mulberry (Morus alba) resource development and utilization, various mulberry leaf extension products h...

Authors: Ruixue Li, Xueqiang Su, Rong Zhou, Yuping Zhang and Taichu Wang

More opportunities more species: Pleistocene differentiation and northward expansion of an evergreen broad-leaved tree species Machilus thunbergii (Lauraceae) in Southeast China

The broad continuum between tropical and temperate floras in Eastern Asia (EAS) are thought to be one of the main factors responsible for a prominent species diversity anomaly of temperate plants between EAS a...

Authors: Dengmei Fan, Shuqing Lei, Hua Liang, Qi Yao, Yixuan Kou, Shanmei Cheng, Yi Yang, Yingxiong Qiu and Zhiyong Zhang

Analyses of key gene networks controlling carotenoid metabolism in Xiangfen 1 banana

Banana fruits are rich in various high-value metabolites and play a key role in the human diet. Of these components, carotenoids have attracted considerable attention due to their physiological role and human ...

Authors: Chen Dong, Jiuxiang Wang, Yulin Hu, Weijun Xiao, Huigang Hu and Jianghui Xie

Heat shock transcription factor (Hsf) gene family in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): genome-wide identification, phylogeny, evolutionary expansion and expression analyses at the sprout stage under abiotic stress

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an essential crop with high economic value. The growth of this plant is sensitive to environmental stress. Heat shock factor (Hsf) is a family of antiretroviral transcription f...

Authors: Qi Zhang, Jing Geng, Yanli Du, Qiang Zhao, Wenjing Zhang, Qingxi Fang, Zhengong Yin, Jianghui Li, Xiankai Yuan, Yaru Fan, Xin Cheng and Jidao Du

Plastid phylogenomics of tribe Perseeae (Lauraceae) yields insights into the evolution of East Asian subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests

The East Asian subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests (EBLFs) harbor remarkable biodiversity. However, their historical assembly remains unclear. To gain new insights into the assembly of this biome, we ge...

Authors: Tian-Wen Xiao, Hai-Fei Yan and Xue-Jun Ge

Thymol improves salinity tolerance of tobacco by increasing the sodium ion efflux and enhancing the content of nitric oxide and glutathione

Salt stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses affecting the yield and quality of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). Thymol (a natural medicine) has been widely used in medical research because of its antiba...

Authors: Liang Xu, Jia-Qian Song, Yue-Lin Wang, Xiao-Han Liu, Xue-Li Li, Bo Zhang, Ai-Jie Li, Xie-Feng Ye, Jing Wang and Peng Wang

Physiological mechanism of strigolactone enhancing tolerance to low light stress in cucumber seedlings

Strigolactone is a newly discovered type of plant hormone that has multiple roles in modulating plant responses to abiotic stress. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous GR24 (a synthetic ana...

Authors: Xinpeng Zhou, Zhanming Tan, Yaguang Zhou, Shirong Guo, Ting Sang, Yu Wang and Sheng Shu

Assembly and comparative analysis of the first complete mitochondrial genome of Acer truncatum Bunge: a woody oil-tree species producing nervonic acid

Acer truncatum (purpleblow maple) is a woody tree species that produces seeds with high levels of valuable fatty acids (especially nervonic acid). The species is admired as a landscape plant with high developmen...

Authors: Qiuyue Ma, Yuxiao Wang, Shushun Li, Jing Wen, Lu Zhu, Kunyuan Yan, Yiming Du, Jie Ren, Shuxian Li, Zhu Chen, Changwei Bi and Qianzhong Li

New insights into the role of cyanide in the promotion of seed germination in tomato

Cyanide is a natural metabolite that exists widely in plants, and it is speculated to be involved in the regulation of various growth and development processes of plants in addition to being regarded as toxic ...

Authors: Lu-Lu Yu, Cui-Jiao Liu, Ye Peng, Zheng-Quan He and Fei Xu

Fruit ripening: dynamics and integrated analysis of carotenoids and anthocyanins

Fruits are vital food resources as they are loaded with bioactive compounds varying with different stages of ripening. As the fruit ripens, a dynamic color change is observed from green to yellow to red due to...

Authors: Leepica Kapoor, Andrew J. Simkin, C. George Priya Doss and Ramamoorthy Siva

Transcriptome analysis provides new insights into plants responses under phosphate starvation in association with chilling stress

Chilling temperature reduces the rate of photosynthesis in plants, which is more pronounced in association with phosphate (Pi) starvation. Previous studies showed that Pi resupply improves recovery of the rate...

Authors: Xiaoning Gao, Jinsong Dong, Fatemeh Rasouli, Ali Kiani Pouya, Ayesha T. Tahir and Jun Kang

Genome-wide identification of the Liriodendron chinense WRKY gene family and its diverse roles in response to multiple abiotic stress

Liriodendron chinense (Lchi) is a tree species within the Magnoliaceae family and is considered a basal angiosperm. The too low or high temperature or soil drought will restrict its growth as the adverse environm...

Authors: Weihuang Wu, Sheng Zhu, Lin Xu, Liming Zhu, Dandan Wang, Yang Liu, Siqin Liu, Zhaodong Hao, Ye Lu, Liming Yang, Jisen Shi and Jinhui Chen

Calreticulin expression and localization in relation to exchangeable Ca²⁺ during pollen development in Petunia

Pollen development in the anther in angiosperms depends on complicated cellular interactions associated with the expression of gametophytic and sporophytic genes which control fundamental processes during micr...

Authors: Anna Suwińska, Piotr Wasąg, Elżbieta Bednarska-Kozakiewicz, Marta Lenartowska and Robert Lenartowski

Transcriptional regulation of KCS gene by bZIP29 and MYB70 transcription factors during ABA-stimulated wound suberization of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

Our previous study has demonstrated that the transcription of AchnKCS involved in suberin biosynthesis was up-regulated by exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) during the wound suberization of kiwifruit, but the regulat...

Authors: Xueyuan Han, Xiaopeng Wei, Wenjing Lu, Qiong Wu, Linchun Mao and Zisheng Luo

Correction to: Evidence for extensive hybridization and past introgression events in feather grasses using genome-wide SNP genotyping

Authors: Evgenii Baiakhmetov, Daria Ryzhakova, Polina D. Gudkova and Marcin Nobis

Characterization of non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLtp) gene families in the Brassica napus pangenome reveals abundance variation

Brassica napus is an important agricultural species, improving stress resistance was one of the main breeding goals at present. Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are small, basic proteins which are in...

Authors: Yu Liang, Yang Huang, Kang Chen, Xiangdong Kong and Maoteng Li

Chlorosis seedling lethality 1 encoding a MAP3K protein is essential for chloroplast development in rice

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are conserved signaling modules in eukaryotic organisms and play essential roles in immunity and stress responses. However, the role of MAPKs in chloroplast dev...

Authors: Jiayan Liang, Qiuxin Zhang, Yiran Liu, Jingjing Zhang, Wenyi Wang and Zemin Zhang

Transcriptional dynamics of gametogenesis in the green seaweed Ulva mutabilis identifies an RWP-RK transcription factor linked to reproduction

The molecular mechanism underlying sexual reproduction in land plants is well understood in model plants and is a target for crop improvement. However, unlike land plants, the genetic basis involved in trigger...

Authors: Xiaojie Liu, Jonas Blomme, Kenny A. Bogaert, Sofie D’hondt, Thomas Wichard, Dieter Deforce, Filip Van Nieuwerburgh and Olivier De Clerck

The identification of type I MADS box genes as the upstream activators of an endosperm-specific invertase inhibitor in Arabidopsis

Nuclear endosperm development is a common mechanism among Angiosperms, including Arabidopsis. During nuclear development, the endosperm nuclei divide rapidly after fertilization without cytokinesis to enter th...

Authors: Tobias Hoffmann, Xiuling Shi, Chuan-Yu Hsu, Aakilah Brown, Quintera Knight, La’ Shyra Courtney, Ruqiyah J. Mukarram and Dongfang Wang

The elemental defense effect of cadmium on Alternaria brassicicola in Brassica juncea

The elemental defense hypothesis states a new defensive strategy that hyperaccumulators defense against herbivores or pathogens attacks by accumulating heavy metals. Brassica juncea has an excellent ability of ca...

Authors: Zhe Liu, Zhenzhen Sun, Chaozhen Zeng, Xujie Dong, Mei Li, Zhixiang Liu and Mingli Yan

Melatonin increases growth and salt tolerance of Limonium bicolor by improving photosynthetic and antioxidant capacity

Soil salinization is becoming an increasingly serious problem worldwide, resulting in cultivated land loss and desertification, as well as having a serious impact on agriculture and the economy. The indoleamin...

Authors: Junpeng Li, Yun Liu, Mingjing Zhang, Hualing Xu, Kai Ning, Baoshan Wang and Min Chen

Biochemical and transcriptomic analyses of the symbiotic interaction between Cremastra appendiculata and the mycorrhizal fungus Coprinellus disseminatus

Cremastra appendiculata is a rare terrestrial orchid with a high market value as an ornamental and medicinal plant. However, the species depends entirely on fungi for seed germination under natural conditions. In...

Authors: Yanyan Gao, Jun Ji, Yujin Zhang, Ningxian Yang and Mingsheng Zhang

Asynapsis and unreduced gamete formation in a Trifolium interspecific hybrid

Unreduced gametes, a driving force in the widespread polyploidization and speciation of flowering plants, occur relatively frequently in interspecific or intergeneric hybrids. Studies of the mechanisms leading...

Authors: Helal A. Ansari, Nicholas W. Ellison, Isabelle M. Verry and Warren M. Williams

Endophytic fungus Pseudodidymocyrtis lobariellae KL27 promotes taxol biosynthesis and accumulation in Taxus chinensis

Taxol from Taxus species is a precious drug used for the treatment of cancer and can effectively inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. However, the growth of Taxus plants is very slow and the content of taxo...

Authors: Xiaoying Cao, Lingxia Xu, Jingyi Wang, Mengmeng Dong, Chunyan Xu, Guoyin Kai, Wen Wan and Jihong Jiang

MicroRNA biogenesis and activity in plant cell dedifferentiation stimulated by cell wall removal

Despite the frequent use of protoplast-to-plant system in in vitro cultures of plants, the molecular mechanisms regulating the first and most limiting stages of this process, i.e., protoplast dedifferentiation...

Authors: Konrad Dełeńko, Przemysław Nuc, Dawid Kubiak, Dawid Bielewicz, Jakub Dolata, Katarzyna Niedojadło, Sylwia Górka, Artur Jarmołowski, Zofia Szweykowska-Kulińska and Janusz Niedojadło

Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of Lycium chinese and L. ruthenicum under salinity stress

High soil salinity often adversely affects plant physiology and agricultural productivity of almost all crops worldwide, such as the crude drug known as wolfberry. However, the mechanism of this action in wolf...

Authors: Xiaoya Qin, Yue Yin, Jianhua Zhao, Wei An, Yunfang Fan, Xiaojie Liang and Youlong Cao

Salicylic acid mediated immune response of Citrus sinensis to varying frequencies of herbivory and pathogen inoculation

Plant immunity against pathogens and pests is comprised of complex mechanisms orchestrated by signaling pathways regulated by plant hormones [Salicylic acid (SA) and Jasmonic acid (JA)]. Investigations of plan...

Authors: Freddy Ibanez, Joon Hyuk Suh, Yu Wang, Monique Rivera, Mamoudou Setamou and Lukasz L. Stelinski

Novel insights into water-deficit-responsive mRNAs and lncRNAs during fiber development in Gossypium hirsutum

The fiber yield and quality of cotton are greatly and periodically affected by water deficit. However, the molecular mechanism of the water deficit response in cotton fiber cells has not been fully elucidated.

Authors: Nan Wu, Jun Yang, Guoning Wang, Huifeng Ke, Yan Zhang, Zhengwen Liu, Zhiying Ma and Xingfen Wang

tRNA-derived fragments from wheat are potentially involved in susceptibility to Fusarium head blight

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum is a devastating fungal disease of wheat. The mechanism underlying F. graminearum-wheat interaction remains largely unknown. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs)...

Authors: Zhengxi Sun, Yi Hu, Yilei Zhou, Ning Jiang, Sijia Hu, Lei Li and Tao Li

Gene expression programs during callus development in tissue culture of two Eucalyptus species

Eucalyptus is a highly diverse genus of the Myrtaceae family and widely planted in the world for timber and pulp production. Tissue culture induced callus has become a common tool for Eucalyptus breeding, however...

Authors: Ye Zhang, Junji Li, Changrong Li, Shengkan Chen, Qinglan Tang, Yufei Xiao, Lianxiang Zhong, Yingying Chen and Bowen Chen