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Expression of a bacterial salicylate hydroxylase gene NahG impedes the expression of PAMP-triggered immunity-related genes in plants Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-18 Yuan Wang, Youwei Ouyang, Limin Jiang, Jiajing Xiao, Gang Yu
The plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) plays a vital role in plant development and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. There are two characterized pathways for SA biosynthesis in plants, catalysed by phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and isochorismate synthase (ICS), respectively. Pathogen-induced rapid accumulation of SA in Arabidopsis thaliana (hereafter ‘Arabidopsis’) leaves is primarily dependent
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CgABR1-CgFAD negatively regulates the fruit neck length in citrus Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-13 Shengjun Liu, Xuejun Bei, Yawei Li, Xiang Gao, Fusheng Wang, Xiaoyan An, Qingjiang Wu, Jinmei Huang, Lixia Lu, Hongming Liu, Chunrui Long, Yuantao Xu, Xia Wang, Qiang Xu, Shaohua Wang
Pummelo (Citrus maxima) is a fundamental species of Citrus which contributes to most of the cultivated citrus, including sweet orange, lemon and etc. The fruit neck is a structural feature of pummelo, and a long fruit neck reduces the edible rate of the fruit. In this study, we assembled a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) gap-free reference genome for the typical short fruit neck cultivar, ‘Pingshan’ pummelo
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GmFER1, a soybean ferritin, enhances tolerance to salt stress and root rot disease and improves soybean yield Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-14 Yanzheng Zhang, Shuhan Liu, Xiaoyue Liang, Jiqiang Zheng, Xiangpeng Lu, Jialiang Zhao, Haibin Li, Yuhang Zhan, Weili Teng, Haiyan Li, Yingpeng Han, Xue Zhao, Yongguang Li
SummaryThe plant stress response mechanism is activated by biotic and abiotic stresses, but its continuous activation typically affects growth. The role of ferritin in regulating biomass accumulation has been extensively characterized in diverse plant species; however, the underlying mechanisms through which it contributes to salt stress tolerance and Fusarium resistance remain poorly understood. Here
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Haploid induction in sweet potato by activating the AP2/ERF family transcription factor IbBBM Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-14 Wenpeng Song, Yixuan Zhu, Junyao Zheng, Hong Zhai, Shaozhen He, Huan Zhang, Ning Zhao, Qingchang Liu, Shaopei Gao
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a major root crop in the world. As an asexual crop, sweet potato breeding and basic research face a number of challenges due to the highly heterozygous genome. Doubled haploid (DH) breeding is one of the most efficient means of improving crop germplasm. However, there is no reliable haploid induction system for sweet potato. BABY BOOM (BBM) encodes an AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE
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Engineering Gypsophila elegans hairy root cultures to produce endosomal escape-enhancing saponins Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-10 Elia Lacchini, Tongtong Qu, Tessa Moses, Alexander N. Volkov, Alain Goossens
The limited cytosolic delivery of DNA and protein-based therapeutics due to endosomal entrapment reduces drug efficacy, increasing treatment costs and possible side effects in human and veterinary medicine as a consequence of higher administered dosages. Plant-derived triterpenoid saponins, specifically those with endosomal escape-enhancing (EEE) properties, have shown promise in overcoming this limitation
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The KNOX transcription factor ClSP activates ClAPRR2 to regulate dark green stripe formation in watermelon Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-09 Zhen Yue, Yanan Fu, Xue Dai, Yingda Chen, Chenxi Guo, Ruiqing Zhang, Xin Huang, Mengjiao Feng, Xing Yan, Zhongyuan Wang, Rong Yu, Shi Liu, Hao Li, Xian Zhang, Li Yuan, Chunhua Wei
As a prominent external feature of watermelon, the stripe pattern exhibits remarkable phenotypic diversity, directly impacting commercial value through consumer preference. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying this important agronomic trait in watermelon remain poorly understood. In this study, we discovered that the total chlorophyll content in dark green stripes (DGS) was significantly
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PGCP: A comprehensive database of plant genomes for comparative phylogenomics Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-06 Xinkai Zhou, Hai-Yun Fan, Xing-Yu Feng, Zhonghao Ruan, Jinkai Yuan, Quan Han, Zhaohui He, Yuxin You, Haoyu Chao, Ming Chen, Zhu-Qing Shao, Jia-Yu Xue, Dijun Chen
With the rapid advancement of sequencing and genome assembly technologies, thousands of plant genomes have been sequenced, assembled and annotated (Marks et al., 2021; Xie et al., 2024), providing a rich and invaluable resource for comparative genomic and evolutionary studies in plants. However, these genomes are often dispersed across various databases, creating barriers to efficient data access,
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OsBIR3 maintains the homeostasis of OsBRI1, OsREM4.1, and Brd2 protein levels in brassinosteroid pathways in rice Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-09 Jia Guo, Hongshan Zhang, Mengyu Fan, Yongkang Xiao, Yongshuang Zhu, Congping Chen, Hao Shu, Miaomiao Wei, Yating Luo, Xiaorong Yang, Yue Liu, Jinze Xu, Ke Zhao, San Wang, Bin Yang, Changhui Sun, Xiaojian Deng, Pingrong Wang
SummaryBrassinosteroids (BRs) are a crucial class of plant hormones and regulate many important agronomic traits in crops. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), BIR3 interacts with the BR receptor BRI1 and coreceptor BAK1 to negatively regulate BR signalling. In contrast, OsBIR3 interacts with OsBRI1 and OsBAK1 to positively regulate BR signalling in rice (Oryza sativa). However, our understanding
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Host‐induced gene silencing of the amino acid biosynthesis gene acetolactate synthase of Phytophthora infestans caused strong enhanced late blight resistance of potato in the field Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-09 Nora Temme, Tobias Haehre, Clarissa Boyher, Lydia Hoppe, Colin Davenport, Zach Stumo, Kai Prenzler, Anja Maeser, Maike Pflugmacher, Kerstin Koch, Dietmar J. Stahl
SummaryLate blight caused by Phytophthora infestans is the most serious disease of potatoes. Here we present the effectiveness of the host‐induced gene silencing (HIGS) technology against an amino acid biosynthesis gene of the pathogen to increase the resistance against the plant‐infecting oomycete in the field. A RNAi hairpin construct directed against the acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene of Phytophthora
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Optimizing plant size for vertical farming by editing stem length regulators Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-09 Yoonseo Lim, Myeong‐Gyun Seo, Jiwoo Lee, Seungpyo Hong, Jeong‐Tak An, Ho‐Young Jeong, Hong‐Il Choi, Woo‐Jong Hong, Chanhui Lee, Soon Ju Park, Choon‐Tak Kwon
SummaryVertical farming offers the advantage of providing a stable environment for plant cultivation, shielding them from adverse conditions such as climate change. For fruit‐harvesting plants like tomato, vertical farming necessitates the optimization of plant growth and architecture. The gibberellin 3‐oxidase (GA3ox) genes encode gibberellin 3‐oxidases responsible for activating GA within the pathway
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The chimeric gene orf610a reduces cotton pollen fertility by impairing the assembly of ATP synthase Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-07 Yang Han, Lishuang Ge, Juanjuan Feng, Meng Zhang, Hexuan Zhang, Lin Shi, Di Wu, Xuexian Zhang, Liping Guo, Tingxiang Qi, Huini Tang, Xiuqin Qiao, Chaozhu Xing, Jianyong Wu
SummaryCytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) serves as a pivotal tool for exploiting hybrid vigour and studying nuclear‐cytoplasmic interactions. Despite its long‐standing use in cotton breeding, the underlying mechanisms of the CMS‐D2 system remain elusive. Our study unravelled the role of the mitochondrial chimeric gene orf610a in reducing fertility in cotton through its interaction with ATP synthase
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LRM3 positively regulates stem lodging resistance by degradating MYB6 transcriptional repressor in soybean Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-07 Yongheng Ye, Zhiyuan Cheng, Xinjing Yang, Suxin Yang, Kuanqiang Tang, Hui Yu, Jinshan Gao, Yaohua Zhang, Jiantian Leng, Wei Zhang, Ye Zhang, Moran Bu, Zhengwei Liang, Zhicheng Dong, Zhonghui Zhang, Xianzhong Feng
SummaryStem lodging resistance plays a critical role in maintaining soybean yield stability, yet the molecular mechanisms governing stem development and lodging tolerance remain poorly understood. Here, we report the characterization of lodging‐related mutant 3 (lrm3), a weak‐stemmed soybean line exhibiting increased lodging susceptibility. Molecular cloning revealed that LRM3 encodes a U‐box E3 ubiquitin
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Identification of β‐galactosidases along the secretory pathway of Nicotiana benthamiana that collectively hamper engineering of galactose‐extended glycans on recombinant glycoproteins Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-07 Alex van der Kaaij, Myrna J. M. Bunte, Lisa Nijhof, Sanaz Mokhtari, Hein Overmars, Arjen Schots, Ruud H. P. Wilbers, Pieter Nibbering
SummaryGlycosylation is an important aspect for many biopharmaceuticals, including vaccines against parasitic helminths. Plants, especially Nicotiana benthamiana, have proven to be excellent production hosts for biopharmaceuticals with tailor‐made glycosylation. If desired, galactosylation can be introduced on biopharmaceuticals through co‐expression of the appropriate glycosyltransferase. However
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Guava root exudate‐driven rhizosphere microorganisms changes transmitted to foliar‐feeding insects influence their feeding behaviour Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-07 Peiwen Zhang, Wei Lu, Lei Yue, Zhixiang Zhang, Xuehua Shao
SummaryThe growth of different grafted guava was different as affected by grafting on different rootstock varieties, which also influenced the damage degree of Spodoptera litura larvae. The co‐regulation of the pest gut by rhizosphere microorganisms and root exudates may contribute to this differential damage. In this study, the microorganisms of soil, plants, S. litura larvae and root exudates of
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ESSENTIAL MEIOTIC ENDONUCLEASE 1 is required for chloroplast development and DNA repair in rice Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-07 Yanxin Du, Yang Li, Weijiang Tang, Weiping Mo, Tingting Ma, Rongcheng Lin
SummaryChloroplast development is fundamental to photosynthesis and plant growth but is sensitive to environmental stress. Chloroplast development and division require genome stability and DNA repair, but the underlying mechanisms have been unclear. Using a forward genetic approach, we identified the striped‐leaf mutant k48 in the rice (Oryza sativa L. japonica) cultivar KY131 background. k48 displayed
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Promoter replacement by genome editing creates gain‐of‐function traits in Arabidopsis Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-05 Takashi Nobusawa, Michiharu Nakano, Yumi Nagashima, Makoto Kusaba
Modifying target genes through genome editing technology has promising agricultural applications (Wang and Doudna, 2023). Typical genome editing employs site-directed nucleases (SDNs), such as clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas9), to generate DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at specific sites in the genome, leading to DNA mutations caused by errors
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A fijivirus capsid protein hijacks autophagy degrading an ω‐3 fatty acid desaturase to suppress jasmonate‐mediated antiviral defence Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-05 Jianjian Liu, Xinxin Jing, Pengyue Wang, Gaohua Wang, Meirong Xiang, Pengbai Li, Hongfeng Zou, Honglian Li, Zujian Wu, Chaonan Wang, Songbai Zhang, Chao Zhang
SummaryPlant viruses often suppress jasmonic acid (JA)‐mediated defences through disturbing JA signalling or biosynthesis pathways to benefit their own infection. Few studies have examined how the precursors of JA biosynthesis are regulated by viral infection. In this study, we demonstrate that rice black‐streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) infection inhibits the production of α‐linolenic acid (C18:3), a
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Genome assembly and population genomic analysis reveal the genetic basis of popcorn evolution Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-05 Xiaojian Fang, Hangqin Liu, Jiacheng Liu, Yang Song, Min Xu, Xing Jian, Li Dong, Qianwen Zhang, Le Xu, Guorui Fan, Zhaoying Wang, Yiwen You, Tianyu Feng, Wenyu Li, Yuling Li, Rentao Song, Zhongwei Lin
SummaryPopcorn, one of the world's most popular snack foods, represents the most ancient type of maize domesticated by humans. However, the genetic basis underlying popcorn evolution and kernel‐popping traits remains largely unknown. In this study, we assembled a high‐quality genome sequence of the popcorn landrace Strawberry Popcorn (SP) and conducted extensive population genomic analyses. The SP
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OsFON879, an orphan gene, regulates floral organ homeostasis in rice Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-03 Dong‐Hui Wang, Zhi‐Hong Xu, Shu‐Nong Bai
Floral organ development in angiosperms is tightly regulated by conserved pathways, including the ABCE model and CLV-WUS signalling, which coordinate meristem activity and organ identity (Litt and Kramer, 2010; Schoof et al., 2000). However, the mechanisms underlying species-specific floral architecture, particularly in monocots like rice (Oryza sativa), remain poorly understood. Although key regulators
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High yield production of the antifungal proteins PeAfpA and PdAfpB by vacuole targeting in a TMV‐based expression vector Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-03 Adrià Bugeda, Xiaoqing Shi, Laia Castillo, Jose F. Marcos, Paloma Manzanares, Juan José López‐Moya, María Coca
SummaryAntifungal proteins (AFPs) derived from filamentous fungi show great potential against economically significant fungi that cause plant diseases and consequently threat food safety and security. This study focuses on the Penicillium expansum PeAfpA and Penicillium digitatum PdAfpB proteins and their activity against several phytopathogens. The AFPs were synthesized through a highly productive
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BrCNGC12 and BrCNGC16 mediate Ca2+ absorption and transport to enhance resistance to tipburn in Chinese cabbage Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-03 Jingping Yuan, Changwei Shen, Ruixiang Chen, Yunduan Qin, Shuai Li, Bo Sun, Chunyang Feng, Xinlei Guo
SummaryTipburn is a common physiological disorder in leafy vegetables, significantly impairing crop growth and commercial value. It is widely recognized that Ca2+ deficiency is a key factor triggering tipburn; however, the functions and regulatory mechanisms of genes conferring resistance remain largely unexplored. Through transcriptomic analysis of Chinese cabbage under normal (medium calcium, MCa)
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A telomere‐to‐telomere gap‐free assembly integrating multi‐omics uncovers the genetic mechanism of fruit quality and important agronomic trait associations in pomegranate Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-05-03 Lina Chen, Hao Wang, Tingtao Xu, Ruitao Liu, Juanli Zhu, Haoxian Li, Huawei Zhang, Liying Tang, Dan Jing, Xuanwen Yang, Qigao Guo, Peng Wang, Luwei Wang, Junhao Liu, Shuyun Duan, Zhaoning Liu, Mengchi Huang, Xiaolong Li, Zhenhua Lu
SummaryPomegranate is an important perennial fruit tree distributed worldwide. Reference genomes with gaps and limit gene identification controlling important agronomic traits hinder its functional genomics and genetic improvements. Here, we reported a telomere‐to‐telomere (T2T) gap‐free genome assembly of the distinctive cultivar ‘Moshiliu’. The Moshiliu reference genome was assembled into eight chromosomes
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Bioengineered poplar fibres via PagGLR2.8 editing: A synergistic design for high‐performance biocomposites Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-29 Yi An, Shi‐Qi Wang, Xin‐Yi Jia, Xue Jiao, Mei‐Qiao Qu, Yan Dong, Zhong‐Yuhan Wang, Zhong‐Yi Ma, Song Yang, Xiao Han, Li‐Chao Huang, Ning‐Ning Chen, Cheng Jiang, Meng‐Zhu Lu, Jin‐Feng Dai, Jin Zhang
SummaryThe urgent need to replace petroleum‐derived materials with sustainable alternatives drives innovation at the nexus of plant biotechnology and materials science. Here, we engineered Populus alba × P. glandulosa ‘84 K’ through CRISPR‐Cas9‐mediated knockout of PagGLR2.8, a glutamate receptor gene regulating vascular development, to investigate its role in fibre biosynthesis and composite performance
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Establishment and application of high‐pressure propagation breeding (HPPB)‐mediated genetic transformation system in citrus rootstocks Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-29 Si‐Yu Zhang, Rui‐Fang Luo, Ya‐Xiao Wu, Ting‐Ting Zhang, Abdulhamid Yusuf, Nian Wang, Min Li, Shuo Duan
Citrus cultivation plays a pivotal role in global agriculture and food security. With intensifying international market competition and increasing environmental challenges, citrus crops have become particularly urgent (Mukhametzyanov et al., 2024). Traditional breeding and genetic transformation are two main strategies for improvement, with the latter gaining more attention due to its ability to introduce
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Breeding triple‐advantage cottonseed with higher yield, enhanced nutrition, and reduced toxicity by redirecting terpenoid metabolism to astaxanthin Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-29 Lu Long, Ying‐Chao Tang, Zhen‐Nan Zhang, Yi‐Bo Fan, Guan‐Ying Wang, Ting‐Wan Li, Gai‐Yuan Hu, Shen‐Zhai Shang, Man Jiang, Hao‐Ge Song, Yuan‐Mei Miao, Zhong‐Ping Xu, Shuang‐Xia Jin, Wei Gao
SummaryCottonseed is a valuable source of edible oil and protein, but its utilization is limited by high gossypol content. In this study, we engineered cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) to biosynthesize astaxanthin through both single‐gene (CrBKT) and multi‐gene (CrBKT, ZmPSY1, PaCrtI, HpCrtZ) expression strategies. Transgenic cotton plants exhibited significant astaxanthin accumulation across multiple tissues
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Natural variation of CsUGT71A60 determines growth and cold tolerance via regulating cytokinin glycosylation in Camellia sinensis Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-29 Mingyue Zhao, Jingming Wang, Xinyuan Hao, Jieyang Jin, Junwei Tang, Yueyue Wang, Mengting Zhang, Tingting Jing, Wilfried Schwab, Ting Gao, Xinchao Wang, Chuankui Song
SummaryCold stress severely limits tea plant (Camellia sinensis) productivity, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying cold adaptation remain elusive. Here, we identified a cold‐inducible glycosyltransferase, CsUGT71A60, through integrative genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) and proteomic profiling. Natural variation in CsUGT71A60 was strongly associated with cold tolerance, as evidenced by linkage
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A MYB61‐SWB9‐KOs module regulates grain chalkiness via gibberellin biosynthesis in rice endosperm Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-29 Yujuan Chen, Suozhen Hui, Huijuan Li, Guiai Jiao, Ruijie Cao, Liang Zhou, Jingxin Wang, Amos Musyoki Mawia, Lingwei Yang, Yu Wu, Yuanyaun Zhang, Zhonghua Sheng, Gaoneng Shao, Fengli Zhao, Ling Wang, Yusong Lyu, Shaoqing Tang, Shikai Hu, Peisong Hu
SummaryGrain chalkiness leads to the deterioration of grain appearance quality, which affects grain processing quality and the market value of rice. Gibberellin plays a crucial role in seed germination and plant growth, but its mechanism on endosperm starch synthesis and rice grain chalkiness formation remains largely elusive. Here, we identified a grain white belly (chalkiness in the belly area of
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Towards engineering hybrid incompatibility in plants Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-23 Matthew H. Zinselmeier, J. Armando Casas‐Mollano, Jonathan Cors, Savio S. Ferreira, Daniel F. Voytas, Michael J. Smanski
The potential for gene flow between genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and non-GMO relatives poses a significant challenge to the development and regulatory approval of GMO crops (Wedger et al., 2024), for example, the spread of herbicide resistance transgenes from crops such as rice or sorghum to cross-pollinating weedy species. Addressing this concern, we developed Engineered Genetic Incompatibility
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CRY1–GAIP1 complex mediates blue light to hinder the repression of PIF5 on AGL5 to promote carotenoid biosynthesis in mango fruit Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-23 Manman Zhang, Yongchen Fang, Fan Jiang, Yifei Liao, Chen Pan, Jiage Li, Jiahao Wu, Qinsong Yang, Rongling Qin, Songling Bai, Yuanwen Teng, Junbei Ni
SummaryCarotenoids are essential natural pigments that not only determine the commercial value of horticultural crops through colouration but also serve as vital antioxidants and provitamin A precursors in the human diet. Our previous research has demonstrated that blue light induces carotenoid biosynthesis in mango fruit. However, a critical knowledge gap remains regarding how blue light regulates
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Verticillium dahliae effector Vd06254 disrupts cotton defence response by interfering with GhMYC3‐GhCCD8‐mediated hormonal crosstalk between jasmonic acid and strigolactones Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-23 Jianhui Ma, Fan Jiang, Yan Yu, Haodan Zhou, Jingjing Zhan, Jianing Li, Yanli Chen, Ye Wang, Hongying Duan, Xiaoyang Ge, Zhenzhen Xu, Hang Zhao, Lisen Liu
SummaryVerticillium dahliae is among the most destructive plant pathogens, posing a significant threat to global cotton production. Cotton plants have developed sophisticated immune networks to inhibit V. dahliae colonization. Ingeniously, V. dahliae employs numerous virulent effectors to surmount plant immune responses. However, the pathogenic mechanisms of V. dahliae‐derived effectors remain elusive
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CmFDa-mediated epigenetic regulation of flowering in chrysanthemum Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-20 Wanjie Xue, Jiaxu Shi, Zhuozheng Li, Yumeng Zhang, Mingwei Tang, Xinyu Du, Zeyu An, Haowen Chen, Dian Yang, Xueqi Li, Fanqi Bu, Jialin Xu, Yu Wang, Qingzhu Zhang, Yuhua Li, Yang Zhang
FD, a conserved bZIP transcription factor, is well known for its role in promoting flowering. Here, we uncover that a short coding sequence of the Chrysanthemum morifolium FD gene, CmFDa, represses flowering. Interestingly, we identified CmFDa as a novel epiallele stringently regulated by DNA methylation in chrysanthemum for the first time. Epigenetic editing of the CmFDa promoter using the CRISPR-dCas9-TET1cd
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Breaking down data silos across companies to train genome‐wide predictions: A feasibility study in wheat Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-20 Moritz Lell, Abhishek Gogna, Vincent Kloesgen, Ulrike Avenhaus, Jost Dörnte, Wera Maria Eckhoff, Tobias Eschholz, Mario Gils, Martin Kirchhoff, Michael Koch, Sonja Kollers, Nina Pfeiffer, Matthias Rapp, Valentin Wimmer, Markus Wolf, Jochen Reif, Yusheng Zhao
SummaryBig data, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, holds the potential to significantly enhance the accuracy of genome‐wide predictions. Motivated by the success reported for wheat hybrids, we extended the scope to inbred lines by integrating phenotypic and genotypic data from four commercial wheat breeding programs. Acting as an academic data trustee, we merged these data with
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A plant viral effector subverts FER‐RALF1 module‐mediated intracellular immunity Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-20 Penghuan Rui, Zhaoxing Jia, Xinxin Fang, Tianqi Yu, Wenqi Mao, Jiajia Lin, Hongying Zheng, Yuwen Lu, Feng Yu, Jianping Chen, Fei Yan, Guanwei Wu
SummaryThe receptor‐like kinase FERONIA (FER) is a prominent member of the Catharanthus roseus RLK1 (CrRLK1L) family, functioning as a modulator of immune receptor kinase complex formation in response to rapid alkalinization factors (RALFs). Typically, FER recognizes mature extracellular RALFs to combat bacterial and fungal infections. However, any role of the FER‐RALF signalling cascade in plant viral
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Expression of mannanase and glucanases in lettuce chloroplasts and functional evaluation of enzyme cocktail against Candida albicans in oral cancer patient samples Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-18 Iqra Fatima, Geetanjali Wakade, Henry Daniell
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Identification of HSSP1 as a regulator of soybean protein content through QTL analysis and Soy‐SPCC network Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-18 Huilin Tian, Yanbin Yin, Xin Li, Zhanguo Zhang, Shaowei Feng, Song Jin, Xue Han, Mingliang Yang, Chang Xu, Limin Hu, Chunyan Liu, Fanjiang Kong, Qingshan Chen, Zhaoming Qi
SummarySoybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.) are a major source of plant‐based protein for human nutrition and livestock feed. Enhancing the protein content of soybean seeds is vital for meeting growing dietary needs and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. In this study, we first performed QTL (Quantitative Trait Loci) mapping analysis and constructed a Soybean Seed Protein Content Co‐expression
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Resolving floral development dynamics using genome and single‐cell temporal transcriptome of Dendrobium devonianum Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-16 Jing Wang, Ying Zhou, Manchang Zhang, Xinping Li, Tingxia Liu, Yinglin Liu, He Xie, Kaiying Wang, Peng Li, Zhichao Xu, Baozhong Duan
SummaryDendrobium devonianum, a species of the Orchidaceae family, is notable for its unique floral characteristics, which include two yellow spots and purple tips on its labellum, as well as fringed edges. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying flower pattern formation in D. devonianum remain poorly understood, hindering advancements in its breeding process. Here, a chromosome‐scale genome of
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Identification and overexpression of RNA‐decapping protein GhLSM1BS: Enhancing cotton somatic embryogenesis through up‐regulating brassinosteroid biosynthesis Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-15 Zheng Yang, Jie He, Shuqian Yao, Xuxin Li, Chang Du, Juwu Gong, Haoliang Yan, Yanpeng Zhao, Yang Li, Youlu Yuan, Haihong Shang
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Modification of TAWAWA1‐mediated panicle architecture by genome editing of a downstream conserved noncoding sequence in rice Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-14 Takeshi Kuroha, Fabien Lombardo, Watal M. Iwasaki, Svetlana Chechetka, Yoshihiro Kawahara, Akiko Yoshida, Takashi Makino, Hitoshi Yoshida
Genome editing has significantly advanced in recent years, with numerous attempts to integrate it into crop breeding (Gao, 2021). Many useful agronomic traits result from subtle changes in gene expression patterns conferred by natural variations (Olsen and Wendel, 2013). Therefore, the modification of regulatory sequences through genome editing presents a potential strategy to develop practical breeding
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The IQ67‐domain protein IQD1 regulates fruit shape through complex multiprotein interactions in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-11 Lianzhen Mao, Yiyu Shen, Qingzhi Cui, Yu Huang, Xiang Zhang, Junheng Lv, Wujun Xing, Dan Zhang, Naying Fang, Daqing Chen, Zhuoxuan Wu, Peiru Li, Minghua Deng, Lijun Ou, Xuexiao Zou, Zhoubin Liu
SummaryNatural genetic variation can be used to improve important crop agronomic traits, and understanding the genetic basis of natural variation in fruit shape can help breeders develop pepper varieties that meet market demand. In this study, we identified a QTL controlling fruit length–width ratio by conventional genetic mapping, encoding a previously uncharacterized gene CaIQD1. Reduced CaIQD1 expression
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Editing of an antiviral host factor boosts plant growth and yield of plant viral vector‐mediated heterologous protein expression Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-11 Zhu Fang, Xinru Zhao, Min Du, Xinyi Xu, Hui Zhou, Wei Guo, Xueping Zhou, Xiuling Yang
Plants have emerged as powerful biofactories for producing proteins of interest. Compared to mammalian-based expression system, plant biofactories offer unique advantages in terms of higher scalability, lower production costs, reduced risk of contamination by human pathogens and faster expression rate (Chung et al., 2022; Eidenberger et al., 2023). Over the past three decades, plant-based expression
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DinoSource: A comprehensive database of dinoflagellate genomic resources Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-11 Fuming Lai, Chongping Li, Yidong Zhang, Ying Li, Yuci Wang, Qiangwei Zhou, Yaping Fang, Hao Chen, Guoliang Li
Dinoflagellates are a taxonomically diverse and ecologically significant group of phytoplankton. They are also infamous for their involvement in harmful algal blooms, which have significant ecological and economic impacts. In recent years, substantial advances have been made in the analysis of dinoflagellate genomes, including sequencing, assembly and gene annotation, alongside the accumulation of
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ERF100 regulated by ERF28 and NOR controls pectate lyase 7, modulating fig (Ficus carica L.) fruit softening Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-10 Zhiyi Fan, Yuan Wang, Yanlei Zhai, Xiaojiao Gu, Kairong Sun, Dan Zhao, Jinying Wang, Pinqi Sun, Hantang Huang, Jiajun He, Yining Wang, Moshe A. Flaishman, Huiqin Ma
SummaryThe mechanism regulating fruit textural changes has not been fully elucidated. Transcription factor FcERF100 showed rapid transcription repression during drastic texture loss in fig (Ficus carica L.) fruit ripening. Transient overexpression of FcERF100 delayed fig fruit softening and significantly decreased the transcript abundance of a key cell wall‐modifying pectate lyase gene, FcPL7. Yeast
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A plant cell‐based platform for the expression of complex proteins with fucose‐reduced sialylated N‐glycans Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-10 Saeideh Dianatkhah, Benjamin Kogelmann, Stanislav Melnik, Florian Eminger, Somanath Kallolimath, Lin Sun, Delia Sumesgutner, Michael W. Traxlmayr, Markus Sack, Eva Stoger, Herta Steinkellner
Sialylated N-glycans are widely distributed in vertebrates and represent the dominant glycoform of many human plasma proteins (Miura et al., 2015). Although knowledge of the diverse effects of this glycan formation is rapidly increasing, full understanding of its biological significance remains elusive (Lewis et al., 2022). A major reason for this is the difficulty in controlling sialylation in production
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Targeted insertion of large DNA fragments through template‐jumping prime editing in rice Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-10 Fei Li, Haonan Hou, Minglei Song, Zhen Chen, Ting Peng, Yanxiu Du, Yafan Zhao, Junzhou Li, Chunbo Miao
Targeted insertion of large DNA fragments holds great promise in crop breeding but is extremely challenging in plants. Prime editing (PE) can efficiently install small genomic insertion through replacement but faces challenges in mediating insertion of >100 bp. To enable larger insertion, a paired PE strategy termed GRAND editing was developed in human cells. In plants, genomic insertions of up to
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Natural allelic variation of basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor 25 regulates carotenoid biosynthesis in sweet potato Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-10 Zihao Wei, Meiqi Shang, Zhicheng Jiang, Hong Zhai, Shihan Xing, Zhen Wang, Shaozhen He, Shaopei Gao, Ning Zhao, Huan Zhang, Qingchang Liu
SummaryCarotenoid‐rich orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is an important staple diet and source of nutrition in developing countries, including Africa and Asia. However, the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis remains to be better understood. A natural allelic variation closely linked to carotenoid biosynthesis was identified in the promoter region of the IbbHLH25 gene that encodes a basic helix–loop–helix
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Rhizobium rhizogenesA4‐derived strains mediate hyper‐efficient transient gene expression in Nicotiana benthamiana and other solanaceous plants Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-09 Juan Carlos Lopez‐Agudelo, Foong‐Jing Goh, Sopio Tchabashvili, Yu‐Seng Huang, Ching‐Yi Huang, Kim‐Teng Lee, Yi‐Chieh Wang, Yu Wu, Hao‐Xun Chang, Chih‐Horng Kuo, Erh‐Min Lai, Chih‐Hang Wu
SummaryAgroinfiltration, a method utilizing agrobacteria to transfer DNA into plant cells, is widely used for transient gene expression in plants. Besides the commonly used Agrobacterium strains, Rhizobium rhizogenes can also introduce foreign DNA into host plants for gene expression. While many R. rhizogenes strains have been known for inducing hairy root symptoms, their use for transient expression
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Localising enzymes to biomolecular condensates increases their accumulation and benefits engineered metabolic pathway performance in Nicotiana benthamiana Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-09 Anya L. Lindström Battle, Angus W. Barrett, Mark D. Fricker, Lee J. Sweetlove
SummaryThe establishment of Nicotiana benthamiana as a robust biofactory is complicated by issues such as product toxicity and proteolytic degradation of target proteins/introduced enzymes. Here we investigate whether biomolecular condensates can be used to address these problems. We engineered biomolecular condensates in N. benthamiana leaves using transient expression of synthetic modular scaffolds
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Maternal haploid induction in maize via mutation of Gamete Expression protein 1 Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-09 Yuhui Sun, Lulu Hou, Chengcheng Li, Zijian Zhou, Jianyu Wu, Haidong Yu
SummaryDoubled haploid (DH) technology, based on haploid induction (HI), is a crucial tool in enhancing crop‐breeding efficiency and has been successfully applied in various plant species. While many HI‐related genes have been identified using diverse strategies, the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying HI remain incompletely understood. In this study, we present a novel system for inducing
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Cellular heterogeneity and immune responses to smut pathogen in sugarcane Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-09 Shoujian Zang, Qibin Wu, Dongjiao Wang, Zhenxiang Li, Tingting Sun, Xinlu Sun, Tianzhen Cui, Yachun Su, Haifeng Wang, Youxiong Que
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a globally significant crop, valued for its contribution to the production of sugar and bioenergy. Despite its economic and industrial importance, sugarcane is highly vulnerable to smut disease caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, a major fungal pathogen that substantially reduces yield and quality (Wu et al., 2024). The complexity of the sugarcane genome, characterized
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A large‐scale gene regulatory network for rice endosperm starch biosynthesis and its application in genetic improvement of rice quality Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-07 Kunyong Huang, Feifei Lu, Pengfei Chen, Guiai Jiao, Haiyan Lin, Jian Zhang, Shaolu Zhao, Ruijie Cao, Gaoneng Shao, Zhonghua Sheng, Shikai Hu, Shaoqing Tang, Peisong Hu, Xiangjin Wei
SummaryRice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important food crops. Starch is the main substance of rice endosperm and largely determines the grain quality and yield. Starch biosynthesis in endosperm is very complex, requiring a series of enzymes which are also regulated by many transcription factors (TFs). But until now, the large‐scale regulatory network for rice endosperm starch biosynthesis
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Molecular changes in agroinfiltrated leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana expressing suppressor of silencing P19 and coronavirus‐like particles Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-05 Louis‐Philippe Hamel, Francis Poirier‐Gravel, Marie‐Ève Paré, Rachel Tardif, Marc‐André Comeau, Pierre‐Olivier Lavoie, Andréane Langlois, Marie‐Claire Goulet, Dominique Michaud, Marc‐André D'Aoust
SummaryThe production of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines can be achieved by transient expression of the spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in agroinfiltrated leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. Relying on bacterial vector Agrobacterium tumefaciens, this process is favoured by co‐expression of viral silencing suppressor P19. Upon expression, the S protein enters the
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Somatic embryogenetic receptor kinase TaSERL2 regulates heat stress tolerance in wheat by influencing TaBZR2 protein stability and transcriptional activity Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-05 Xiang‐Yang Hao, Tai‐Fei Yu, Chao‐Jun Peng, Yi‐Han Fu, Yu‐Hui Fang, Yan Li, Zhao‐Shi Xu, Jun Chen, Hai‐Bin Dong, You‐Zhi Ma, Wei‐Gang Xu
SummaryHeat stress is a major factor limiting crop yield, a challenge intensified by climate change. Initial findings indicate that BES1/BZR1 may use heat shock to regulate plant thermal adaptability independently of BIN2‐mediated brassinosteroid signalling, although the exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we identified TaBZR2, a wheat gene whose expression showed a strong positive
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Rice‐derived SARS‐CoV‐2 glycoprotein S1 subunit vaccine elicits humoral and cellular immune responses Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-05 Li Song, Yaya Wen, Yu Zhou, Hui Zhang, Yuqi Tian, Jing Wang, Yaodan Cui, Ruimeng Tan, Dan Xiong, Chuang Meng, Yan Zhou, Qianfeng Li, Zhiming Pan, Qiaoquan Liu, Xinan Jiao
SummarySince 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the virus causing COVID‐19, has been spreading and mutating globally despite the expedited approval of many commercial vaccines. Therefore, developing safe, effective and affordable vaccines remains essential to meet the global demand, particularly in developing countries. Transgenic plants have emerged as a promising
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Spatial regulation of chlorophyll degradation in kiwifruit: AcNAC2‐AcSGR1/2 cascades mediate rapid de‐greening in the inner pericarp Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-05 Yingying Wu, Jinfeng Liu, Xinyuan Sheng, Wenqiu Wang, Tianchi Wang, Marcela Martinez‐Sanchez, Songhu Wang, Meiyan Tu, Jiahui Deng, Andrew C. Allan, Ross G. Atkinson, Niels J. Nieuwenhuizen, Xueren Yin, Yunliu Zeng
SummaryChanges in skin colour, as a visual cue for fruit ripeness, are important physiological markers in many crops including tomato, banana and grape. In kiwifruit, the skin remains brown during ripening, but de‐greening of the pericarp occurs to reveal accumulated carotenoids and anthocyanins in gold‐ and red‐fleshed cultivars. In this study, analysis of the inner and outer pericarp of Actinidia
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Synthetic photorespiratory bypass more stably increases potato yield per plant by improving photosynthesis Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-04 Xiuling Lin, Yuming Long, Zhen Yao, Boran Shen, Min Lin, Xiaofen Zhong, Xiaohong Chen, Xiangyang Li, Guohui Zhu, Zhisheng Zhang, Xinxiang Peng
SummaryThe bioengineering of photorespiration has emerged as a key target for improving photosynthesis and crop yield. In our previous study, two photorespiratory bypasses, GOC and GCGT, were successfully established in rice, and the transgenic plants exhibited increased photosynthesis and yield. However, reduced seed‐setting rates were observed in both GOC and GCGT rice. To overcome this bottleneck
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ISDH‐seq: a robust methodology for profiling and characterization of open chromatin Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-02 Zhaoguo Li, Yonghang Run, Ying Yang, Yining Shi, Mahmoud Tavakoli, Yulian Peng, Linwei She, Gennadii Borovskii, Wenli Zhang
SummaryProfiling of open chromatin is essential for understanding regulatory mechanisms that govern DNA‐templated events. However, methodology‐dependent detection of open chromatin sites (OCSs) has been reported in both humans and plants. Therefore, there is a pressing need for any reliable orthogonal methodologies to broaden the identification of open chromatin across the genome, particularly in plants
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9311 allele of OsNAR2.2 enhances nitrate transport to improve rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-01 Linlin Hou, Dongdong Chen, Xiangjian Pan, Shenghang Jiang, Jiajia Liu, Qing Li, Yuanyuan Liu, Yi Tong, Li Zhu, Jiang Hu, Guangheng Zhang, Guojun Dong, Qiang Zhang, Deyong Ren, Lan Shen, Longbiao Guo, Qian Qian, Zhenyu Gao
SummaryImproving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice is a requirement for future sustainable agricultural production. However, key factors and regulatory networks involved in NUE remain unclear. Here, QTL analysis, fine‐mapping and functional validation demonstrated that qCR4 encodes a putative high‐affinity nitrate transporter‐activating protein 2.2 (OsNAR2.2). Located in the endoplasmic reticulum
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An NLR receptor confers broad‐spectrum resistance to diversified powdery mildew sublineages in wheat and barley Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-01 Renchun Fan, Lei Feng, Yaling Liu, Qiulian Tang, Yitong Zhao, Yanan Li, Shuangjun Gong, Ruiming Lin, Shuo Huang, Ting Qi, Alexander Förderer, Lijun Yang, Yajun Wang, Jijie Chai, Paul Schulze‐Lefert, Huagang He, Qian‐Hua Shen
Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) are the two most important crops in the Triticeae tribe that diverged approximately 11.6 million years ago. Both crops are severely threatened by notorious fungal diseases such as powdery mildew. The pathogens causing powdery mildew disease on cereal crops are Blumeria graminis (syn. Erysiphe graminis), which have evolved and existed as distinct
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Genetic diversity and adaptive evolutionary history of Sapindus in China: insights from whole‐genome resequencing of 100 representative individuals Plant Biotech. J. (IF 10.1) Pub Date : 2025-04-01 Jiming Liu, Guochun Zhao, Yulin Zheng, Yuanyuan Xu, Mianzhi Wang, Lu Li, Caowen Sun, Qiuyang He, Rami‐Petteri Apuli, Joan Jing Yi Jong, Jia Jun Ngiam, Andrey Vaulin, Roy Jun Kai Tham, Liming Jia, Zhong Chen, Jarkko Salojärvi
SummarySapindus is an important forest tree genus with utility in biodiesel, biomedicine, biochemistry and forestry. Similar to many perennial crop plants, its breeding is hampered by long generation times and lack of genetic resources. To understand the genome evolution underlying the important bioeconomic traits, we carried out a common garden experiment with 100 Sapindus core germplasm individuals