The Chestnuts genus (Castanea spp.) is comprised of economically important trees native to the Northern hemisphere that are used as food and hardwood timber. Here, a very efficient method for micropropagation of European × Japanese chestnut hybrids (Castanea sativa × C. crenata) is described. Woody Plant Medium was used as the basal medium. In vitro shoots of four rootstock cultivars were micropropagated

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play an important role in plant growth and development, as well as in the plant response to various abiotic stresses. In this study, CsLEA1, a novel gene encoding a LEA_3 subfamily protein, was successfully cloned from a tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]. Bioinformatics analysis and prokaryotic expression assays showed that CsLEA1 is a typical hydrophilic

Stone cells have been described to substantially influence pear fruit quality, as lignin and cellulose are the main components of stone cells. However, there are limited studies on the relationship between the variation and molecular basis of stone cells, lignin and cellulose content among different pear varieties. Here, to reveal the variation of stone cell content within different cultivated species

To understand the functional identification of large-scale genomic sequences in Forsythia, tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-mediated virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), suitable for the plant, was explored in this study. The results showed that the TRV-mediated VIGS system could be successfully used in Forsythia for silencing the reporter gene FsPDS (Forsythia phytoene desaturase) using stem infiltration

Phenomics is a new branch of science that provides high-throughput quantification of plant and animal traits at systems level. The last decade has witnessed great successes in high-throughput phenotyping of numerous morphological traits, yet major challenges still exist in precise phenotyping of physiological traits such as transpiration and photosynthesis. Due to the highly dynamic nature of physiological

Plants harbor diverse fungal communities both on their surfaces (epiphytic) and inside of plant tissues (endophytic), and these fungi play important roles in plant health and vigor. However, comparisons of epiphytes and endophytes have rarely been performed. In this study, the soil, epiphytic and endophytic fungal assemblages of greenhouse-grown tomato plants were extensively examined and compared

Anthocyanin is abundant in a few vegetables, including eggplant. It protects plants from abiotic stress and benefits human health, making the research of anthocyanin biosynthesis increasingly important. Flowering time is an important reference for judging reproduction and adaptability, which can guide plant production. In this study, SmbHLH13 from eggplant was identified. Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase

Apiaceae is a major family from Apiales and includes many important vegetable and medicinal crops. Heat shock transcription factors (Hsf) play important roles in heat tolerance during plant development. Here, we conducted systematic analyses of the Hsf gene family in three Apiaceae species, including 17 Apium graveolens (celery), 32 Coriandrum sativum (coriander), and 14 Daucus carota (carrot). A total

The smut Ustilago esculenta is an endophytic fungus that invades Zizania latifolia (Jiaobai) and plays an important role in inducing the host stem to form a swollen gall. The aims of this study were to investigate isolation, identification and inoculation methods of U. esculenta from Jiaobai. The spore suspension culturing method was the best method of isolating U. esculenta, and yeast-like fungal

Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata is an emerging horticultural pest of Solanaceae plants in Asia. Here, we employed transcriptome sequencing of three female and three male H. vigintioctopunctata libraries to identify sex-related genes. We recorded 281 599 294 bp of clean reads, and de novo assembly generated 85 206 unigenes, with N50 of 1 311 bp and average length of 763 bp. We found 5 002 genes highly

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a genetic tool used to assess gene function. Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) is a VIGS vector commonly used to induce endogenous gene silencing in plants. However, there is no VIGS system established for Centaurea spp. We evaluated the effectiveness of a TRV-based VIGS system using phytoene desaturase (PDS) as a reporter gene in Centaurea cyanus. Three methods including

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an agriculturally and economically important vegetable crop worldwide. The thickness of mesocarp is an important quality pertaining to edibility. The development of mesocarp, however, has received little attention. In this study, we selected one thick mesocarp line D8 to analyze the gene expression profiles of mesocarp at 0, 3, 6, and 9 days after pollination (DAP)

Melatonin, as a plant growth regulator, is involved in plant stress resistance. We studied the effects of different concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100, 150, and 200 µmol · L−1) of melatonin on the growth and physiological characteristics of strawberry under cadmium (Cd) stress. The results represented that the growth of strawberry seedlings was inhibited under Cd stress, and the seedling biomass, chlorophyll

Brassica rapa is one of the most important leafy vegetable crops with large cultivated area in China. To increase the availability of DNA markers in B. rapa, we developed insertion-deletion (InDel) markers utilizing high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis. We designed primers for 252 InDels (≥ 3 bp) evenly distributed in the genome and tested gene polymorphisms with eight accessions. In total

Meiotic recombination and the resulting novel allele combinations are fundamental to plant breeding and the identification of superior hybrids. However, the rate of meiotic crossovers is naturally suppressed below its potential ability, which prevents plant breeding efficiency. Nine suppressors of meiotic recombination have been identified in the model plant Arabidopsis and in other crop species. Mutations

Among the economically important horticultural crops, citrus is one of the most vulnerable crops to soil salinity. Rangpur lime is more tolerant to high soil salinity than other commonly used citrus rootstocks. However, the molecular mechanism involved in salinity tolerance has not been explored in Rangpur lime. In this study, a cDNA library was constructed from leaves of Rangpur lime watered for 30

Pectobacterium carotovorum is the causal agent of bacterial soft rot in a wide range of vegetable host species. Once P. carotovorum infects the plant, the spread of the disease is difficult to control. In this study, a rapid and sensitive method based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was developed for detecting P. carotovorum in celery with soft rot using a primer set designed from

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is an economically important perennial aquatic herb plant in China. Presently, viral diseases caused by Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV) are detected in lotus. In this study, the putatively novel badnaviruses from lotus plants (LBVs) were identified using next-generation sequencing of siRNAs and conventional Sanger sequencing based on the

Continuous cropping in greenhouses can result in root-knot nematode outbreaks resulting from imbalances in the soil nematode community. However, the changes in soil nematode communities in greenhouses with continuous crop production are unclear. We compared soil nematode communities in greenhouses after 2 years (2-yr) and 10 years (10-yr) of continuous crop production by 18S rDNA high-throughput sequencing

The local auxin distribution characteristics in the roots, stems, and leaves of stably transformed plantlets of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) with auxin reporter system DR5::GUS-YFP were elucidated in this research. The auxin response maxima could be observed in the apex of the root tip, primary phloem of the tender stem, and the margin of the young leaves according to the activity of the

Anthocyanins are the most widely produced secondary metabolites in plants, and they play an important role in plant growth and reproduction. The nitrogen source is an important factor affecting anthocyanin production, but the nitrogen concentrations on metabolism and the underlying genetic basis remain unclear. In this study, in vitro anthocyanin induction was conducted on Malus spectabilis. The leaf

Soil microbial communities play an essential role in maintaining soil fertility and are considered as ecological indicators to evaluate soil health. In the present study, we examined the influence of almost 4 years of fertilization [no fertilizer (CK), nitrogen alone (N), nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium chemical fertilizer (NPK), organic manure (M), nitrogen plus organic manure (NM), and NPK plus

Research on peach genetic resources and breeding has achieved remarkable progress in recent decades, especially in China. In this review, we first described the geographic distribution, ecology, phenotypes, and genetic diversity of peach landraces and wild relatives in China. We also discussed the almond. Subsequently, breeding programs of peaches in China are summarized, including breeding history

As an important horticultural plant, the orchid is widely distributed in its natural habitat and faces various environmental stresses, among which nutrient recycling and stress resistance are of great concern. During these processes, autophagy is an essential pathway, which is a conserved self-eating process that degrades macromolecular components and recycles cell materials or nutrients during developmental

The eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is rich in vitamin P (also known as rutin), which is beneficial for humans. In this study, the vitamin P contents of 53 eggplant lines were measured via UV spectrophotometry. The results showed that the vitamin P content differed significantly among the eggplant lines and the actual contents of vitamin P in fresh fruit pulp and fresh peel were 0.18–0.82 mg · g−1

Watermelon fruit undergoes distinct development stages with dramatic changes during fruit ripening. To date, the molecular mechanics of watermelon ripening remain unclear. Genetic and transcriptome evidences suggested that the ethylene response factor (ERF) gene ClERF069 may be an important candidate factor affecting watermelon fruit ripening. To dissect the roles of ClERF069 in fruit ripening, structure

Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is the causal agent of yellow vein clearing disease, a significant and devastating disease of most citrus species including lemon and sour orange. CYVCV, a single-strand positive-sense RNA virus containing six ORFs (Open Reading Frames), represents a new species in the genus Mandarivirus of the Alphaflexiviridae family. The virus can cause particularly serious

Self-incompatibility (SI), which has recurred during the evolution of plants, is one of the most important cross-pollination mating systems. Three S-loci have been reported in Brassicaceae, namely, Arabidopsis lyrata (Al), Brassica (Br), and Leavenworthia alabamica (La) S-loci. Here, through multi-genomic comparative analysis of 20 species, we revealed that the most ancient S-locus was formed prior

A two-year field experiment was carried out in order to study the occurrence degree and mechanism of apple replant disease (ARD) in the apple orchards with different soil textures. So we can adopt appropriate control measures according to the severity of ARD. Healthy two-year-old seedlings with consistent growth were selected, of which the root stock was T337 and the scion was Yanfu 3. There were significant

To gain insight into the molecular and genetic basis of fruit size and shape in cucumber, we conducted Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) mapping with F2 and BC1F1 populations derived from a cross between the Northern-China type inbred line CNS21 and the Southern-China type inbred line RNS7. Populations were evaluated during two developmental stages, ovary at anthesis and commercial fruit (immature fruit)

Paeonia species are important ornamental plants, including three types: tree peony, herbaceous peony, and Itoh hybrid peony. Paeonia with yellow color is desired and becoming popular. However, the chemical mechanism of the formation of yellow flowers in Paeonia is still unclear. In this study, 14 representative samples were selected: four samples of three species of Paeonia, four herbaceous peony cultivars

The pollen intine plays important roles in pollen germination and tube growth, but related information in Ginkgo biloba remains unclear. We isolated and obtained de-exined pollen from G. biloba. Using fluorescent probes, we observed the strongest cellulose fluorescence in the pollen intine. De-esterified pectin immunolabeled with JIM5 was present throughout the entire cell wall, whereas esterified

Fuji apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is a popular fruit cultivar and occupies an important position in the fruit market due to its excellent flavor and storage quality. Ethylene emission can induce respiration, which would reduce postharvest quality and increase storage losses. In order to maintain fruit quality and extend shelf life, apples are usually stored in a low-temperature environment after

White rust caused by Puccinia horiana is a destructive disease of chrysanthemum plants. To better understand the resistance mechanisms of composite species to this disease, the leaf cuticular traits, antioxidant and defensive enzymes activities of immune (Chrysanthemum makinoi var. wakasaense) and highly susceptible (Ajania shiwogiku var. kinokuniense) species were compared. Trichome density of two

Tonoplast sugar transporters (TSTs) play essential roles in regulating plant growth, development, and response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a total of three TST genes were identified by a genome-wide analysis in cucumber. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TST proteins from cucumber and other plant species can be classified into five groups, and nearly all TST members in the

Tumorous stem mustard is well known for its swollen stem from which pickled “Fuling Mustard” is made. The molecular mechanisms governing the formation of the modified swollen stems are still poorly understood. This paper aims to identify candidate genes involved in the developmental regulation of the swollen stems. We sought to map previously published transcriptome datasets for Brassica juncea, including

Dianthus spiculifolius is a perennial herbaceous flower with strong environmental adaptability and is an important ornamental ground cover plant. In this study, seeds of D. spiculifolius were used as explants for callus induction, adventitious bud differentiation, and rooting by adding different concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 6-benzyl aminopurine (6-BA), and naphthaleneacetic

Growing pear has a long tradition in Tunisia, and numerous local cultivars possessing an excellent adaptability and resilience potential to climatic variation are present. This large adaptability is associated with an important genetic diversity, which is threatened to erosion. Appropriate measures have to be taken in order to properly evaluate and conserve this local material. Microsatellite markers

Viruses are representative of a global threat to agricultural production. Genetic resistance is the preferred strategy for the control of viral infection and against loss of crop yield. Viral protein synthesis requires host cellular factors for translating their viral RNAs, and for regulating their replication and cell to cell systemic movement. Therefore, the viruses are dependent on cellular translation

The male-sterile line has been largely used in the hybrid seed production of pepper, which can effectively improve the efficiency of hybrid seed production. However, the formation mechanism of male sterility in pepper remains unclear. In the present study, we compared the gene expression patterns between pepper cytoplasmic male sterile line 9704A and its maintainer 9704B during floral bud development

Modern horticultural crop production systems target the exploitation of sustainable techniques for crop improvement while maintaining balance with the environment. Several beneficial microbes have been investigated and have yielded remarkable results. The endophytic fungus, Piriformospora indica, is one microbe group with the potential to offer numerous benefits and opportunities in modern horticultural

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signaling substance that plays an important role in plant growth, development and disease resistance. In order to further understand the role of the SA pathway in potato disease resistance and identify SA signaling key genes, gene expression profiling of the late blight resistance genotype SD20 was performed under exogenous SA application. A total of 28 572 unigenes

The temperature drop of plants from the optimal requirements can increase tolerance to severe chilling stress. Photosynthesis and osmoregulators were analyzed during chilling stress to explore the adaptation mechanisms that underlie the induction of chilling tolerance in response to suboptimal temperature. The relationships of these processes to suboptimal temperature acclimation in watermelon were

The genus Diospyros contains more than 500 species, among them persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is the most economically important species. However, the inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity remains unknown due to historic cultivation, domestication and introduction in different regions of China. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and relationship among 268 Diospyros accessions

Pak choi is a low-temperature vernalized plant that readily undergoes premature bolting during spring, but little is known about the governing molecular regulation of vernalization. In order to enhance our understanding of mechanism about premature bolting, we discussed the relationship between auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) and flowering of pak choi. During vernalization, hormone metabolism is

Our aim is to study the roles of a new emerging group of non-coding RNAs, circRNAs, in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants grown at the combination of drought and heat, two of the most usual stress conditions known to frequently happen in field. Tomato seedlings from cultivar ‘Jinling Meiyu’ were treated without stresses (control), at water shortage, high temperature and subjected the multiple

Phalaenopsis equestris is an obligate crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant with high ornamental and economic value. CAM photosynthesis is associated with drought tolerance and efficient water utilization, which enhances the survival rate of CAM plants in arid environments. The identification and analysis of CAM-related genes will be helpful to improve our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms

Orchid origin and evolution are common topics in evolutionary biology. Orchidaceae have approximately 30 000 orchid species distributed in diverse habitats and account for approximately 10% of the flowering plant species worldwide. Orchids provide us with materials to explore coevolution and organic evolution. In this review, we highlighted the genome study progress of orchids. In addition, we revealed

Small RNAs (sRNAs) are vital regulators of gene expression and involved in various biological processes. Among them, microRNAs (miRNAs) and phased small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs) have been well defined and studied in the past decades. A bunch of scripts or pipelines were developed to annotate miRNAs and phasiRNAs. However, some computational annotations are rough and without careful manual check

The majority of crops we eat today are derived from the domestication of their wild progenitors. Crop domestication satisfies the human need for food and nutrition. Characterization of the history and genetic basis of crop domestication is essential for us to conduct modern breeding practices. Genomics provide unprecedented opportunities for us to study domestication. In this review, the typical domestication

The prevalence and recurrence of polyploidization in plant species make it one of the most important evolutionary events in plants, and as a result, polyploidization is an extensively investigated research field. Due to the rapid development of sequencing technologies, there is increased evidence to support that polyploidization plays an important role in the diversification of plant species, evolution

Lily was grown worldwide as a fresh cutting flower because of its colorful petals, but its anther contained a large number of pollen grains that cause serious pollen contamination, however, pollen abortion can effectively reduce the level of pollen pollution. Our analysis aims to use cytological observation to detect the critical stage when pollen abortion occurs and to provide comprehensive gene expression

The research addresses the identification of a screening methodology for salt stress tolerance in radish cultivars. In the first experiment, two different radish cultivars (long white and round red) were compared in their morphological and physiological responses to different salinity levels. Round red radish showed better morphological and physiological responses to incremental salinity in terms of

Fresh fruits are susceptible to bruising, a common type of mechanical damage during harvest and at all stages of postharvest handling. In quest of developing and adoption of strategies to reduce bruise damage, it is of utmost importance to understand major factors influencing bruise susceptibility of fresh produce at these stages. This review presents a critical discussion of factors affecting bruising

Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) is mainly grown as a leafy vegetable and oilseed crop. Sinigrin is predominant glucosinolate in the leaves of Ethiopian mustard. It is hydrolyzed by enzyme myrosinase to produce bioactive product specifically allyl-isothiocyanates. Due to sinigrin content, Ethiopian mustard has a mild flavor and it is a healthy addition to human diet. However, sinigrin concentration

Sensitivity to boron stress in growing media during the early seedlings stage could severely inhibit watermelon growth and development. The aim of this study was to test if watermelon (Citrullus lanatus cv. Mahbubi) performance can be improved under different boron concentrations (0, 46.31 and 935.11 µmol·L−1 H3BO3) by grafting watermelon plants onto Cucurbita pepo Tiana F1 hybrid rootstock. Shoot

To improve the understanding of molecular mechanisms of anther and/or pollen development in Chili pepper, in the present study, full-length cDNA and DNA sequences of the pollen development-related gene CaMF5 were obtained from the anthers of a Capsicum annuum nuclear male-fertile line. Sequence analysis indicated that the full length of CaMF5 was 747 bp, containing a maximum opening reading frame of

The genus Cucumis, includes the cucumber (2n = 14), melon (2n = 24), and other wild species, which is a good model for studying genome organization and evolution due to their variation in genome size and basic chromosome number. In this study, five Cucumis species with different geographical origins and basic chromosome numbers (i.e., C. sativus, C. hystrix, C. melo, C. anguria, and C. metuliferus)

Plants with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) generally utilize water 20%–80% more efficiently than non-CAM plants. The whole genomes of several CAM plants have been sequenced or are being sequenced. For effective genome characterization and genome editing of CAM plants, an efficient transformation system is essential. In this study, we developed an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for

Apple rootstock breeding has achieved great progress worldwide. In this review, we first summarize the rootstock breeding targets and utilization in main apple-producing countries. Furthermore, we discuss the focus and important research areas of apple rootstock breeding through five aspects: parent selection and setting of crosses, target genes and marker-assisted breeding, root configuration-guided