Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. It is a self-incompatible plant species, and self-incompatibility greatly contributes to its high genetic diversity. Cultivated tea plants mainly include Camellia sinensis var. assamica (CSA) and Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (CSS). The former is characterized by large leaves, cold sensitive phenotype, an arborous or semiarborous habit, whereas

STAUROSPORINE AND TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE3 (STT3) is a catalytic subunit of oligosaccharyltransferase, which is important for asparagine-linked glycosylation. Sharp eyespot, caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia cerealis, is a devastating disease of bread wheat. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat defense against R. cerealis are still largely unclear. In this study, we

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) is the second largest vegetable crop and the largest fruit crop (Costa and Heuvelink, 2018). Progress in tomato breeding has been achieved by classical breeding, introgression of traits found in related wild Solanum species and exploiting heterosis in F1 hybrid crosses (Lin et al., 2014). These approaches require the development of inbred lines to reduce or largely eliminate

Drought and Verticillium wilt disease are two main factors that limit cotton production, which necessitates the identification of key molecular switch to simultaneously improve cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae and tolerance to drought stress. R2R3-type MYB proteins could play such a role because of their conserved functions in plant development, growth, and metabolism regulation, however,

Shoot branching is an important agronomic trait that determines plant architecture and affects crop productivity (Shen et al., 2019). Molecular signals from the shoot apical meristem (SAM) create a hormonal environment that integrates with the expression of axillary bud-specific repressors such as BRANCHED1 (BRC1) to inhibit axillary shoot formation (Wang et al., 2019 and references therein). The signal

Humans have domesticated diverse species from across the plant kingdom, however our current understanding of plant domestication is largely founded on major cereal crops. Here, we examine the evolutionary processes and genetic basis underlying the domestication of water caltrop (Trapa spp., Lythraceae), a traditional, yet presently-underutilized non-cereal crop that sustained early Chinese agriculturalists

Rice false smut (RFS) caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is one of the most important diseases in the majority of rice-growing areas worldwide. Rice false smut causes not only yield loss, but also threatens human or animal health by producing cyclopeptide mycotoxins. Cultivar resistance is the most economical, effective and environmentally friendly approach to control RFS. However, development of RFS-resistant

Rice false smut (RFS), caused by the pathogenic ascomycete fungus Ustilaginoidea virens (U. virens), is one of the severely devastating diseases worldwide (Sun et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2014). U. virens infects rice flowers causing over 25% yield loss, also producing poisonous mycotoxins that threaten the health of humans and animals (Fan et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2014). So far, rice varieties

Bacterial-derived CRISPR/Cas systems are versatile platforms to engineer site-specific gene editing tools. Compared to the canonical Cas9-mediated DNA cleavage systems, which induce a high-proportion of frame-shift mutations, the recently developed base editing (BE) tools allow more precise and predictable base substitutions within a CRISPR/Cas9-defined editing window. Initially, such tools made use

Jasmonate (JA) critically regulates plant development and stress response, but its spatio-temporal distribution at the cellular level remains unclear. A JA biosensor consisting of a JA degron motif Jas9 fused with the fluorescent protein VENUS was developed in Arabidopsis (Larrieu et al., 2015), but its 35S promoter has low activity in reproductive tissues and does not express well in monocotyledons

Tea, the second most popular nonalcoholic beverage consumed worldwide, is favoured by billions of consumers due to its special flavour and numerous health benefits (Higdon and Frei, 2003). Theanine, a unique secondary metabolite in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.), confers the umami taste of the tea infusion. Theanine also has many physiological beneficial effects, including promoting relaxation

Pepper is an important vegetable cultivated worldwide. Pepper fruits accumulate unique metabolites, capsanthin and capsaicin, which are important raw materials for natural pigment and medicine. Pepper plants are rich in genetic diversity and are attractive subjects for fruit developmental studies. The release of pepper reference genomes provided key genetic information for dissecting function of pepper

Lawrence Bogorad, much known for his fundamental discoveries in plant molecular biology, reached the pinnacle of research as a topmost international scientist, occupying several key scientific leadership positions in his five-decade-long association with plant science community. Much has been said and written about his life and his dedication to science as a pioneer in photosynthesis research. Here

Drought is a common abiotic stress for terrestrial plants and often affects crop development and yield. Recent studies have suggested that lignin plays a crucial role in plant drought tolerance; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still largely unknown. Here, we report that the rice (Oryza sativa) gene CINNAMOYL-CoA REDUCTASE 10 (OsCCR10) is directly activated by the OsNAC5 transcription

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, the fifth most important cereal worldwide, is a multi-use crop for feed, food, forage and fuel. To enhance sorghum and other important crop plants, establishing gene function is essential for their improvement. For sorghum, identifying genes associated with its notable abiotic stress tolerances requires a detailed molecular understanding of the genes associated with those

Adapting crops to warmer growing season temperatures is a major challenge in mitigating the impacts of climate change on crop production. Warming temperatures drive greater evaporative demand and can directly interfere with both reproductive and vegetative physiological processes. Most of the world’s crop species have C3 photosynthetic metabolism for which increasing temperature means higher rates

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) is one of the most widely cultivated warm-season turfgrass species around the world. Cold stress has been a key environmental factor that adversely affects the growth, development, and geographical distribution of bermudagrass; however, the underlying mechanism of bermudagrass responsive to cold stress remains largely unexplored. Here, we identified a cold-induced WRKY

Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense) is the source of the world’s finest fiber-quality cotton, yet relatively little is understood about genetic variations among diverse germplasms, genes underlying important traits, and the effects of pedigree selection. Here, we resequenced 336 G. barbadense accessions and identified 16 million SNPs. Phylogenetic and population structure analyses revealed two

Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, is the most severe pandemics in citrus in more than 50 countries in Asia, Africa and America, causing serious economic losses worldwide (Gottwald, 2020; Wang, 2019). The disease is associated with a phloem-limited and fastidious member of the α-proteobacteriacea. ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas) is the most prevalent strain. It was frequently

Grains of tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) mainly accumulate the non-provitamin A carotenoid lutein—with low natural variation in provitamin A β-carotene in wheat accessions necessitating alternative strategies for provitamin A biofortification. Lycopene ɛ-cyclase (LCYe) and β-carotene hydroxylase (HYD) function in diverting carbons from β-carotene to lutein biosynthesis and catalyzing the turnover

Pathogenic fungi cause major postharvest losses. During storage and ripening, fruit becomes highly susceptible to fungi that cause postharvest disease. Fungicides are effective treatments to limit disease. However, due to increased public concern for their possible side effects, there is a need to develop new strategies to control postharvest fungal pathogens. Botrytis cinerea, a common postharvest

Genetically elucidating functions of gene families often requires simultaneous disruption of several family members to overcome redundancy. CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing technology can simultaneously knockout multiple target genes (Armario Najera et al., 2019; Li et al., 2021; Ma et al., 2015), but it is laborious to isolate multiple null combinations lacking transgenes (Miao et al., 2018; Zhao et al

Actinidia kolomikta is a kiwifruit plant that grows in the wild in China. This species has a unique fruit flavor and high level of canker resistance. Here, we present a chromosome-scale reference genome for A. kolomikta with which to address the likely genetic bases for these characteristics. The assembled genome size is 566.8Mb and the heterozygosity is around 2.13%. We annotated a total of 41,660

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) reader protein plays an important role in trichome morphology, developmental timing and morphogenesis in Arabidopsis. However, the function of m6A readers in plant-microbe interaction remains unclear. Here, a Malus YTH-domain family protein MhYTP2 was initially characterized as an m6A reader. MhYTP2 overexpression increased mRNA m6A modification level and translation efficiency

Cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis enzymes play important roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. The functions of cell wall polysaccharide synthesis enzymes in plant growth and development have been well studied. In contrast, their roles in plant responses to environmental stress are poorly understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that the rice cell wall cellulose synthase-like

Cinnamomum camphora, commonly known as the camphor tree, an economically and ecologically important aromatic tree species, has a long history of cultivation and utilization. It is the representative species of subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests in eastern Asia and an important raw material for essential oil production worldwide. The whole camphor tree is rich in terpenoids, which are widely

Meiotic recombination is not only fundamental to the adaptation of sexually reproducing eukaryotes in nature but increased recombination rates facilitate the combination of favorable alleles into a single haplotype in breeding programs. The main objectives of this study were to (i) assess the extent and distribution of the recombination rate variation in cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), (ii)

Melilotus species are used as green manure and rotation crops worldwide and contain abundant pharmacologically active coumarins. However, there is a paucity of information on its genome and coumarin production and function. Here, we reported a chromosome-scale assembly of Melilotus albus genome with 1.04 Gb in eight chromosomes, containing 71.42% repetitive elements. Long terminal repeat retrotransposon

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 LC-PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are important for human health. Suboptimal levels of ω3 LC-PUFAs are associated with increased risk of several diseases (Ghasemi Fard et al., 2019). Docosapentaenoic acid (ω3-DPA, C22:5) is a rare LC-PUFA but of special interest because of its unique properties (Drouin and

To measure stomatal traits automatically and nondestructively, a new method for detecting stomata and extracting stomatal traits was proposed. Two portable microscopes with different resolutions (TipScope with a 40× lens attached to a smartphone and ProScope HR2 with a 400× lens) are used to acquire images of living stomata in maize leaves. FPN model was used to detect stomata in the TipScope images

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in plant development and defence responses against various stresses. Here, we show that blocking miR1871 improves rice resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae and enhances grain yield simultaneously. The transgenic lines overexpressing miR1871 (OX1871) exhibit compromised resistance, suppressed defence responses and reduced panicle number resulting in slightly decreased

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a global staple food now grown on all inhabited continents, was domesticated from its wild progenitor, O. rufipogon Griff., in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia (Oka, 1988). After domestication, the expansions of rice landraces into the present-day range required a diverse array of adaptations to local environments, which included changes in daylight sensitivity, expanded

Maize height is determined by the number of nodes and the length of internodes. Node number is driven by intercalary meristem formation and internode length by intercalary cell elongation, respectively. However, mechanisms regulating establishment of nodes and internode growth are unclear. We screened EMS-induced maize mutants and identified a dwarf mutant zm66, linked to a single base change in TERMINAL

Starch accounts for over 80% of the total dry weight in cereal endosperm and determines the kernel texture and nutritional quality. Amyloplasts, terminally differentiated plastids, are responsible for starch biosynthesis and storage. We screened a series of rice mutants with floury endosperm to clarify the mechanism underlying amyloplast development and starch synthesis. We identified the floury endosperm19

Double haploid (DH) technology, based on in vivo haploid induction, enables the fixation of recombinant haplotypes within two generations, thereby greatly increasing crop breeding efficiency (Jacquier et al., 2020). Although haploid plants can be produced from some legumes via an in vitro anther/microspore culture approach (Croser et al., 2006), an in vivo (seed-based) haploid induction system has

Wheat stem (or black) rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), has been historically among the most devastating global fungal diseases of wheat. The recent occurrence and spread of new virulent races such as Ug99 have prompted global efforts to identify and isolate more effective stem rust resistance (Sr) genes. Here, we report the map-based cloning of the Ug99-effective SrTm5 gene from

Two type II-C Cas9 orthologs (Nm1Cas9 and Nm2Cas9) were recently identified from Neisseria meningitidis and have been extensively used in mammalian cells, but whether these NmCas9 orthologs or other type II-C Cas9 proteins can mediate genome editing in plants remains unclear. In this study, we developed and optimized targeted mutagenesis systems from NmCas9s for plants. Efficient genome editing at

Breeding cycle time largely determines the efficiency of crop genetic improvement. To shorten the generation time, Watson et al. (2018) proposed a concept of ‘speed breeding (SB)’ by extending the photoperiod and increasing the light intensity during plant growth and achieved up to 6 and 4 generations per year for the spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) and spring canola (Brassica napus), respectively

Cytosine base editors (CBEs) can install a predefined stop codon at the target site, representing a more predictable and neater method for creating genetic knockouts without altering the genome size. Due to the enhanced predictability of the editing outcomes, it is also more efficient to obtain homozygous mutants in the first generation. With the recent advancement of CBEs on improved editing activity

CRISPR/Cas has revolutionized genome engineering in plants. However, the use of anti-CRISPR proteins as tools to prevent CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene editing and gene activation in plants has not been explored yet. This study describes the characterization of two anti-CRISPR proteins, AcrIIA4 and AcrVA1, in Nicotiana benthamiana. Our results demonstrate that AcrIIA4 prevents site-directed mutagenesis in

Seed vigour is an imperative trait for the direct seeding of rice. In this study, we examined the genetic regulation of seedling percentage at the early germination using a genome-wide association study in rice. One major quantitative trait loci qSP3 for seedling percentage was identified, and the candidate gene was validated as qSP3, encoding a cupin domain protein OsCDP3.10 for the synthesis of 52 kDa

A high content of seed glucosinolates and their degradation products imposes anti-nutritional effects on livestock; therefore, persistent efforts are made to reduce the seed GSL content to increase the commercial value of rapeseed meal. Here, we dissected the genetic structure of SGC by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) combined with transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS). Fifteen reliable

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas systems have revolutionized plant breeding. Different Cas enzymes have been widely used to introduce deletions or insertions into plant genomes. However, many important agronomical traits in plants are associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms. For example, the Lin5 SNP causes an Asn366 to Asp change, resulting in a higher

As the basic building blocks of all living species, cells play a crucial role in sustaining life activities. Traditional bulk methods only give us molecular insight into tissue, organ, or/and individual. With the rapid development of sequencing technology, especially the 10× Genomics based on microfluidic omics, biological research has entered the era of single-cell level, which enables us to gain

Dipterocarpaceae are typical tropical plants (dipterocarp forests) that are famous for its high economic value because of their production of fragrant oleoresins, top-quality timber and usage in traditional Chinese medicine. Currently, the lack of Dipterocarpaceae genomes has been a limiting factor to decipher the fragrant oleoresin biosynthesis and gain evolutionary insights into high-quality wood

In the age of synthetic biology, plastid engineering requires a nimble platform to introduce novel synthetic circuits in plants. While effective for integrating relatively small constructs into the plastome, plastid engineering via homologous recombination of transgenes is over 30 years old. Here we show the design–build–test of a novel synthetic genome structure that does not disturb the native plastome:

Peptides are generally composed of 2-100 amino acid residues and well known as key regulators of many physiological processes (Tavormina et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2020a). Conventional peptides have been found to exhibit pronounced antifungal activities and are relatively safe for the environment and human health (Marcos et al., 2008; Ribeiro et al., 2013). Therefore, antifungal peptides, as novel

Nicotine is the predominant alkaloid in tobacco plants, accounting for ~90% of their total alkaloid content. It is the main addictive substance in cigarettes. Reducing nicotine content in tobacco leaves will aid the development of low-nicotine tobacco products. Prior work has shown that the manipulation of genes involved in nicotine biosynthesis can achieve this purpose (Hidalgo Martinez et al., 2020)

Crop plant partial resistance to plant pathogens controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTL) is desirable in cultivar development programmes because of its increased durability. Mechanisms underlying such resistance are difficult to study. We performed RNA-seq analyses for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) nearly isogenic lines (NILs) with and without favourable allele(s) at Phn7.1, a major QTL influencing

The biotrophic fungal pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) is a crucial factor causing reduction in global wheat production. Wild wheat relatives, for example Thinopyrum intermedium, is one of the wild-used parents in wheat disease-resistant breeding. From T. intermedium line, we identified the aspartic protease gene, TiAP1, which is involved in resistance against Bgt. TiAP1 is a secreted

Necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani Kühn (R. solani) causes serious diseases in many crops worldwide, including rice and maize sheath blight (ShB). Crop resistance to the fungus is a quantitative trait and resistance mechanism remains largely unknown, severely hindering the progress on developing resistant varieties. In this study, we found that resistant variety YSBR1 has apparently stronger ability

Ramie is an important fibre-producing crop in China; however, the genetic basis of its agronomic traits remains poorly understood. We produced a comprehensive map of genomic variation in ramie based on resequencing of 301 landraces and cultivars. Genetic analysis produced 129 signals significantly associated with six fibre yield-related traits, and several genes were identified as candidate genes for

Genetically-modified crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins have been widely cultivated, permitting an effective non-chemical control of major agricultural pests. While their establishment can enable an area-wide suppression of polyphagous herbivores, no information is available on the impact of Bt crop abandonment in entire landscape matrices. Here, we detail a resurgence of the cosmopolitan

Vegetative storage proteins (VSPs) are known to serve as nitrogen reserves in many dicot plants but remain undiscovered in grasses, most widely grown group of crops globally. We identified and characterized a VSP in maize and demonstrated that its overexpression improved drought tolerance. Nitrogen supplementation selectively induced a mesophyll lipoxygenase (ZmLOX6), which was targeted to chloroplasts

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is one of the most important causes of soybean yield loss. The major source of genetic resistance to SCN is the Rhg1 repeat, a tandem copy number polymorphism of three genes. The roles of these genes are only partially understood. Moreover, nematode populations virulent on Rhg1-carrying soybeans are becoming more common, increasing the need to understand the most successful

MicroRNA168 (MIR168) is a key miRNA that targets the main RNA-induced silencing complex component Argonaute 1 (AGO1) to regulate plant growth and environmental stress responses. However, the regulatory functions of MIR168 need to be further elucidated in rice. In this paper, we generated clean OsMIR168a deletion mutants by CRISPR-Cas9 strategy. We then phenotypically and molecularly characterized these

The AGAMOUS-LIKE6 (AGL6)-like genes are ancient MADS-box genes and are functionally studied in a few model plants. The knowledge of these genes in wheat remains limited. Here, by studying a ‘double homoeolog mutant’ of the AGL6 gene in tetraploid wheat, we showed that AGL6 was required for the development of all four whorls of floral organs with dosage-dependent effect on floret fertility. Yeast two-hybrid

ERECTA PANICLE 3 (EP3) and ORYZA SATIVA F-BOX KELCH 1 (OsFBK1) proteins share 57% and 54% sequence identity with the Arabidopsis F-box protein HAWAIIAN SKIRT (HWS). Previously we showed that EP3 is a functional orthologue of HWS. Here we demonstrate that OsFBK1 is another functional orthologue of HWS and show the complexity of interaction between EP3 and OsFBK1 genes at different developmental stages