Brassinosteroids (BRs) are well-characterized growth hormones that are critical for plant growth, development, and productivity. Genetic and molecular studies have revealed the key components of BR biosynthesis and signaling pathways. The membrane-localized BR signaling receptor, Brassinosteroid Insensitive 1 (BRI1) binds directly to its ligand and initiates series of signaling events that led to the

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are major defense-related phenolics in mulberry, but the mechanism underlying their biosynthesis remains uncharacterized. In this study, the relationship between the expression of genes encoding anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) or leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) and PA biosynthesis was investigated in white and red mulberry fruits. In ripening fruits, the MnANR and MnLAR transcription

Cytosolic Ca2+ increases in response to many stimuli. CAX1 (H+/Ca2+ exchanger 1) maintains calcium homeostasis by transporting calcium from the cytosol to vacuoles. Here, we determined that the cax1 mutant exhibits enhanced resistance against both an avirulent biotrophic pathogen Pst-avrRpm1 (Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 avrRpm1), and a necrotrophic pathogen, B. cinerea (Botrytis cinerea)

Plants produce a huge diversity of specialized metabolites (SM) throughout their life cycle that play important physiological and ecological functions. SM can protect plants and seeds against diseases, predators, and abiotic stresses, or support their interactions with beneficial or symbiotic organisms. They also have strong impacts on human nutrition and health. Despite this importance, the biosynthesis

Fagopyrum cymosum has been considered as a traditional medicinal plant that belongs to Fagopyrum, which has exhibited great pharmaceutical potential due to its abundant flavonoid accumulation. The hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes has been utilized to produce valuable specialized metabolites or reveals plant metabolic processes, whereas the underlying regulatory networks of flavonoid

Rapid and low-cost methods of detecting mutations and polymorphisms are crucial for genotyping applications including mutagenesis and gene editing. S1 family endonucleases such as T7E1, EndoV and CELI can potentially be used in enzymatic mismatch detection. Among them, CELI has been shown to be effective in detecting mutations in Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING). However, current

Heat stress has negative effects on plant performance, especially in photosynthesis and photoprotection. To withstand heat stress, plants modulate the steroid phytohormones, brassinosteroids (BRs). However, their regulation and functions in heat stress acclimation are still poorly understood. Plant growth, photoinhibition, photo-oxidative stress and endogenous contents of hormones (including not only

Breeding to enrich lignin, a major component of lignocelluloses, in plants contributes to enhanced applications of lignocellulosic biomass into solid biofuels and valuable aromatic chemicals. To collect information on enhancing lignin deposition in grass species, important lignocellulose feedstocks, we generated rice (Oryza sativa) transgenic lines deficient in OsWRKY36 and OsWRKY102, which encode

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) have been widely associated with plant abiotic stress responses. However, the functions of the majority of LRR-RLKs has not been well defined. Here, we identified a novel rice LRR-RLK member involved in salt tolerance and designated as OsSTLK (Oryza sativa L. Salt-Tolerance LRR-RLK). Transcript analysis showed that OsSTLK was significantly induced

Successful plant colonization by parasites requires the circumvention of host defenses, and sometimes a reprogramming of host metabolism, mediated by effector molecules delivered into the host. Using transcriptomic and enzymatic approaches, we characterized salivary glands and saliva of Phloeomyzus passerinii, an aphid exhibiting an atypical feeding strategy. Plant responses to salivary extracts of

Both salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene induce stomatal closure and positively regulate stomatal immunity, but their interactions in guard cell signaling are unclear. Here, we observed that SA induced the expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes; the production of ethylene, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO); and stomatal closure in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, SA-induced stomatal

German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is one of the most ancient medicinal species in the world and terpenoids from their flowers have important medicinal value. We cloned three sesquiterpene synthase genes, McGDS1, McGDS2 and McGDS3, and performed sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. The encoded proteins possess three conserved structural features: an RRxxxxxxxxW motif, an RxR motif

Ovule development is critical to plant reproduction and free nuclear mitosis of megagametophyte (FNMM) is vital for ovule development. However, most results of ovule development were based on the studies in angiosperms, and its molecular regulation remained largely unknown in gymnosperms, particularly, during FNMM. In this context, we studied the genome-wide difference between sterile line (SL) and

Drought is one of the most common abiotic stresses, and can limit wheat yield, crops and productivity. GAPCs play vital roles under drought stress conditions in multiple species. The aim of this experiment was to determine the regulatory mechanism of TaGAPC5 under drought stress. In this study, the genes and promoters of TaGAPC5 in diverse drought-tolerant cultivars were cloned. The amino acid sequences

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important crop that is adversely affected by drought. Post-drought growth is essential for improving peanut productivity and quality. Previous studies demonstrated that AhGLK1 (Arachis hypogaea L. Golden2-like 1) activates the expression of AhPORA to stimulate chlorophyll biosynthesis, and that AhGLK1 physically interacts with AhHDA1 (Arachis hypogaea L. histone deacetylase

Glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2) is a key NADPH-dependent flavo-protein oxidoreductase which can catalyze the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH) to protect plant cells from oxidative damage induced by Reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst. To investigate the biochemical characteristics and functional divergence of Populus GR family, three GR genes (PtGR1.1/1.2/2) were cloned

Despite being toxic at a high concentrations, reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role as signaling molecules in responses to stress and regulation of plant development. The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is the major source of ROS in cells. Although the regulation of ROS in mitochondria has been well elucidated, the protein-protein interaction-based regulation of ETC members

Specialized terpenoids are natural products synthesized by plants that have no obvious role in growth and development, but play many important functional roles to improve the plant’s overall fitness. Besides, specialized terpenoids have immense value to humans due to their applications in fragrance, flavor, cosmetics, and biofuel industries. Understanding the fundamental aspects involved in the biosynthesis

Adaptation of agriculture to climate change and its associated ecological pressures will require new crops, novel trait combinations, and previously unknown phenotypic attributes to deploy in climate resilient cropping systems. Genebanks, a primary source of exotic germplasm for novel crops and breeding materials, need comprehensive methods to detect novel and unknown phenotypes without a priori information

Autophagy is a conserved pathway to degrade and recycle damaged proteins and organelles, which has generally been reported to play an important role in plant adaption to various abiotic stressors. Here, we isolated a new apple autophagy-related gene, MdATG10, from Malus domestica. Expression of MdATG10 was induced by salt stress, particularly in roots. To investigate the effects of increased autophagic

Plants transmit their experiences of environmental conditions to their progeny through epigenetic inheritance, improving their progeny’s fitness under prevailing conditions. Though ABA is known to regulate epigenetic-modification genes, no strong phenotypic link between those genes and intergenerational “memory” has been shown. Previously, we demonstrated that mesophyll insensitivity to ABA (FBPase::abi1-1{fa}

Phosphate acquisition by plants is an essential process that is directly implicated in the optimization of crop yields. Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes, which catalyze the hydrolysis of a wide range of phosphate esters and anhydrides. While some plant PAPs display a preference for ATP as the substrate, others are efficient in hydrolyzing phytate or 2-phosphoenolpyruvate

High temperature (HT) is a main environmental restraint that affects rice yield and grain quality. In this study, SSIIIa-RNAi and its wild-type (WT) were used to investigate the effect of HT exposure on the isozyme-specific variation of several key starch biosynthesis enzymes in developing endosperms and its relation to starch properties. SSIIIa-RNAi had minimal impact on grain chalky occurrence under

Various abiotic stresses, including high salinity, affect the growth and yield of crop plants. We isolated a gene, TaPUB26, from wheat that encodes a protein containing a U-box domain and armadillo (ARM) repeats. The TaPUB26 transcript levels were upregulated by high salinity, temperature, drought and phytohormones, suggesting the involvement of TaPUB26 in abiotic stress responses. An in vitro ubiquitination

NAC proteins represent one of the largest transcription factor (TF) families involved in the regulation of plant development and the response to abiotic stress. In the present study, we elucidated the detailed role of GmNAC8 in the regulation of drought stress tolerance in soybean. The GmNAC8 protein was localized in the nucleus, and expression of the GmNAC8 gene was significantly induced in response

The wild tomato species Solanum habrochaites (Sh) has been used as a source for tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) resistance in a breeding program to generate a TYLCV-resistant tomato line. Susceptible (S) and resistant (R) lines have been developed through this program. We compared the behavior of R, S and Sh tomato plants upon infection to find out whether the resistant phenotype of R plants

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in plant development and defence through post-transcriptional regulation of the target genes. However, few miRNAs were reported to regulate cotton plant disease resistance. Here, we characterized the cotton miR164-NAC100 module in the later induction stage response of the plant to Verticillium dahliae infection. The results of GUS fusing reporter and transcript identity

Cold stress is one of the major environmental factors that limit growth and utilization of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers], a prominent warm-season turfgrass. However, the molecular mechanism of cold response in bermudagrass remains largely unknown. In this study, we characterized a cold-responsive ERF (ethylene responsive factor) transcription factor, CdERF1, from bermudagrass. CdERF1 expression

Seed germination is essential for ensuring grain yield and quality. Germination rate, uniformity, and post-germination growth all contribute to cultivation. Although the phytohormones gibberellin (GA) and brassinosteroid (BR) are known to regulate germination, the underlying mechanism of their crosstalk in co-regulating rice seed germination remains unclear. In this study, the isobaric tags for relative

The sirtuin family of intracellular enzymes are able to catalyze a unique β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (β-NAD+)-dependent Nε-acyl-lysine deacylation reaction on histone and non-histone protein substrates. Since 2000, the sirtuin family members have been identified in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes; tremendous accomplishments have also been achieved on the mechanistic and functional (pharmacological)

Tomato fruit ripening is regulated by transcription factors (TFs), their downstream effector genes, and the ethylene biosynthesis and signalling pathway. Spontaneous non-ripening mutants ripening inhibitor (rin), non-ripening (nor) and Colorless non-ripening (Cnr) correspond with mutations in or near the TF-encoding genes MADS-RIN, NAC-NOR and SPL-CNR, respectively. Here, we produced heterozygous single

Previous studies have demonstrated that the freezing tolerance (FT) of grapevine was enhanced by foliar application of exogenous abscisic acid (exo-ABA), a treatment which might be incorporated into cultural practices to mitigate cold damage in vineyards. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of this response, a two-year (2017 and 2018) study was conducted to characterize the effects of exo-ABA

Triterpenoids produced by the secondary metabolism of Betula platyphylla Suk. exhibit important pharmacological activities, such as tumor inhibition, anti-HIV, and defense against pathogens, but the yield of natural synthesis is low, which is insufficient to meet people’s needs. In this study, we identified two OSC genes of birch, named as BpCAS and Bpβ-AS, respectively. The expression of BpCAS and

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for plant life and development. However, in soil, Fe bioavailability is often limited and variable in space and time, thus different regions of the same root system might be exposed to different nutrient provisions. Few studies showed that the response to variable Fe provision is controlled at local and systemic levels, albeit the identity of the signals involved

The large-scale untargeted proteomic and metabolomic studies were conducted in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) cv. Akihime fruit at five developmental stages. We found that some C6 volatiles highly contributed to the enrichment of volatiles at the red stage of strawberry fruit. We found that 12 genes involved in LOX pathway for volatile biosynthesis showed multiple patterns in protein abundance during

As the major nutritional component in soybean seeds storage proteins are initially synthesized on the endoplasmic reticulum as precursors and subsequently delivered to protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) via the Golgi-mediated pathway where they are converted into mature subunits and accumulated. However, the molecular machinery required for storage protein trafficking in soybean remains largely unknown

When a plant is attacked by a pathogen, an immune response is activated to help protect it from harm. ERF transcription factors have been reported to regulate immune responses in plants. Here, three ERF transcription factors from Chinese wild Vitis quinquangularis, VqERF112, VqERF114 and VqERF072, are shown to respond to pathogen inoculation by powdery mildew, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst)

Annexin, a multi-gene family in plants, is essential for plant growth and stress responses. Recent studies demonstrated a positive effect of annexin in abiotic stress responses. Interestingly, we found OsANN10, a putative annexin gene in rice, negatively regulated plant responses to osmotic stress. Knocking down OsANN10 significantly decreased the content of H2O2 by increasing Peroxidase (POD) and

Chrysanthemum is a typical short day (SD) flowering plant that requires a longer night period than a critical minimum duration to successfully flower. We identified FLOWERING LOCUS T-LIKE 3 (FTL3) and ANTI-FLORIGENIC FT/TFL1 FAMILY PROTEIN (AFT) as a florigen and antiflorigen, respectively, in a wild diploid chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum seticuspe). Expression of the genes that produce these proteins

Pear is one of the most commercially important fruit trees worldwide and is widely cultivated in temperate zones. Drought stress can greatly limit pear fruit yield and quality. Pyrus betulaefolia Bunge, a drought-resistant pear rootstock that is commonly used in northern China, confers favourable characteristics to pear scions, allowing them to respond rapidly to drought stress via the transport of

Azospirillum brasilense colonizes plant roots and improves productivity, but the molecular mechanisms behind its phytostimulation properties remain mostly unknown. Here, we uncover an important role of TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) signaling on the response of Arabidopsis thaliana to A. brasilense Sp245. The effect of the bacterium on TOR expression was analyzed in the transgenic line TOR/tor-1, which

Extreme heat events will challenge agricultural production and raise the risk of food insecurity. California is the largest agricultural producer in the United States, and climate change and extreme heat may significantly affect the state’s food production. This paper provides a summary of the current literature on crop responses to extreme heat, with a focus on perennial agriculture in California

The word phenotyping can nowadays invoke visions of a drone or phenocart moving swiftly across research plots collecting high-resolution data sets on a wide array of traits. This has been made possible by recent advances in sensor technology and data processing. Nonetheless, more comprehensive often destructive phenotyping still has much to offer in breeding as well as research. This review considers

Anthropogenic increases in fossil fuel emissions have been a primary driver of increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide ([CO2]) and other greenhouse gases resulting in warmer temperatures, alterations in precipitation patterns, and increased occurrence of extreme weather events in terrestrial areas across the globe. In agricultural growing regions, alterations in climate can challenge

The flexible development of plants is characterized by a high capacity for post-embryonic organ formation and tissue regeneration, processes, which require tightly regulated intercellular communication and coordinated tissue (re-)polarization. The phytohormone auxin, the main driver for these processes, is able to establish polarized auxin transport channels, which are characterized by the expression

In Brassica napus, pod number and pod density are critical factors to determine seed yield. Although the pod density is an essential yield trait, the regulation of yield formation in oil crops, as well as the genetic and molecular mechanisms, are poorly understood. In this study, we characterized a rapeseed high-density pod mutant (dpt247) from composite hybridization. To shed some light on the nature

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation promotes anthocyanin synthesis in many plants. Although several transcription factors promote anthocyanin synthesis in response to UV-B radiation, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the MdWRKY72 transcription factor gene was isolated from the 'Taishanzaoxia' apple genome. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses revealed that the genes encoding enzymes

Protein N-glycosylation plays key roles in protein folding, stability, solubility, biogenesis, and enzyme activity. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop with abundant nutritional value, and the formation of tomato fruit qualities primarily occurs in the fruit ripening process. However, a large number of N-glycosylation-mediated mechanisms in regulating tomato fruit ripening

Plants respond and adapt to changes in their environment by employing a wide variety of genetic, molecular, and biochemical mechanisms. When so doing, they trigger large-scale rearrangements at the metabolic and transcriptional levels. The dynamics and patterns of these rearrangements and how they govern a stress response is not clear. In this opinion, we discuss a plant's response to stress from the

The Geminiviridae family is one of the most successful and largest families of plant viruses that infect a large variety of important dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous crops and cause significant yield losses worldwide. This broad spectrum of host range is only possible because geminiviruses have evolved sophisticated strategies to overcome the arsenal of antiviral defenses in such diverse plant

Transcription factor (TF) gene clusters in plants, such as tomato, potato, petunia, tobacco, and almond, have been characterized for their roles in the biosynthesis of diverse array of specialized metabolites. In Catharanthus roseus, three AP2/ERF TFs, ORCA3, ORCA4, and ORCA5, have been shown to be present on the same genomic scaffold, forming a cluster that regulates the biosynthesis of pharmaceutically

Leaf color mutants are an ideal tool to study chlorophyll biosynthesis, chloroplast development and photosynthesis. In this study, we identified an EMS-induced yellow young leaf mutant C777. The mutant exhibited yellow cotyledons and emerging true leaves with stay-green dots that turn green gradually with leaf growth. Segregation analysis in several populations indicated that the mutant C777 was controlled

Drought is an environmental stress that severely affects plant growth and crop production. Different studies have focused on drought responses but the molecular bases that regulate these mechanisms are still unclear. We report the participation of Aspartic Protease (APA1) in drought tolerance. Overexpressing APA1 Arabidopsis plants (OE-APA1), showed a phenotype more tolerant to drought compared with

As a group of plant-specific proteins, OVATE family protein (OFP) members have been shown to function as transcriptional repressors and involve in plant growth regulation in Arabidopsis and rice. It has also been shown that OFPs can interact with TONNEAU1 Recruiting Motif (TRM) proteins to regulate tomato fruit shape. In this study, we show that mutant plants with knock-down expression of OFP1, OFP2

Protease inhibitors (PIs) are regulatory proteins found in numerous animal tissues and fluids, plants, and microorganisms that reduce and inhibit the exacerbated and uncontrolled activity of the target proteases. Specific PIs are also effective tools for inactivating proteases involved in human diseases like arthritis, pancreatitis, hepatitis, cancer, AIDS, thrombosis, emphysema, hypertension, and

Furanocoumarins are defense molecules mainly described in four plant families that are phylogenetically distant. Molecular characterization of the biosynthetic pathway has been started for many years in Apiaceae and Rutaceae. The results obtained thus far in Apiaceae indicated a major role of cytochromes P450 (P450s) in the CYP71 family. In the present work, we describe the importance of another subfamily