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  • Review
    YANG Dewei,ZHANG Haifeng,YU Wenquan
    Agricultural germplasm resources mainly include crops, livestock and poultry, agricultural microorganisms and medicinal plants. There are 134,000 crop germplasm resources preserved in China, among which 74,000 are rice germplasm resources. How to accurately evaluate and utilize such huge rice germplasm resources is of great significance in rice germplasm innovation and breeding. In this paper, we reviewed the progress in collection, evaluation and accurate identification of rice germplasm resources, creation of new strains of rice, utilization of heterosis of rice, new techniques and methods of rice germplasm creation, and exploration and utilization of excellent genetic resources of rice, and summarized a new model of rice germplasm resource creation and utilization. Finally, this article discussed the current problems of rice core germplasm construction, germplasm resources identification and mining, and germplasm resources sharing and win-win mechanism. At the same time, we analyzed and prospeced how to strengthen the construction of specialized core seed resources, the accurate identification of germplasm resources, the innovative research of germplasm resources, the sharing mechanism of germplasm resources and the cooperation and exchange of germplasm resources, in order to provide some reference and help for further development of the identification, evaluation and innovative utilization of rice germplasm resources.
  • GERMPLASM INNOVATION
    HU Binhua,PU Zhigang,HE Zhiyuan,WANG Ping,BAI Yulu,LI Gengmi,ZHANG Tao,JIANG Kaifeng,YANG Li
    The problem of excessive cadmium in rice grains seriously threatens human health. Disrupting the function of the cadmium transport gene OsNramp5 in rice can effectively reduce cadmium accumulation in rice. To rapidly create new rice germplasm with low cadmium accumulation, this study used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to knock out the cadmium transport gene OsNramp5 in the high-quality disease-resistant restorer line Chuanhui491 (R491) of three-line hybrid rice. Various edited plants with different mutations were obtained, and two homozygous mutant lines (KO1 and KO2) with single-target mutations without transgenic elements were selected. Compared with wild-type R491, the cadmium content of brown rice in knockout lines KO1 and KO2 were significantly reduced by about 90% when planted in cadmium-polluted soil fields. Agronomic trait investigation revealed no significant difference between the KO1 plants and wild-type R491, whereas the plant height, seed setting rate, and 1000-grain weight of KO2 mutant lines were significantly reduced. Therefore, knocking out the cadmium transporter gene OsNramp5 by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology can quickly create new rice germplasm with low cadmium accumulation. The new germplasm created in this study provides novel genetic resources for accelerating the breeding of safe rice varieties that can be planted in the cadmium-polluted field.
  • Review
    YAO Xiaolin,ZHANG Xiaofang,WANG Zheng,HAO Junying,ZHENG Rongfan,ZHANG Yanzheng,LI Shuai
    MADS-box is an important transcription factor in plants, and its family members have a typical MIKC structure, highly conserved N-terminal MADS, and less conserved I domains and C-terminals. MADS-box genes are widely expressed in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, buds and other trophic tissue parts of plants, and are involved in regulating the flowering time, flower development, seed development and abiotic stress response. In recent years, researches have shown that the expression patterns of different MADS-box genes are distinct, and their functions are also quite different. This review introduces the structure and classification of soybean MADS-box gene family, and summarizes the research progress of related members of MADS-box genes in ABCDE model, such as SVPSOC1FLC and other genes in the flower development. Finally, the research on soybean MADS-box is prospected, which provides an essential information for further utilization of such transcription factor genes for soybean genetic improvement and germplasm innovation in the future.
  • Review
    HAN Xin,YANG Liuyan,CHEN Minmin,LI Xin,YANG Yunyao,ZHANG Yongchun
    Lilium spp. are perennial bulbous herbs that include ornamental, edible, and medicinal lilies all with high economic value. Since Lily is identified with complex genetic background, high heterozygosity, incompatibility in distant hybridization, long cycle of traditional cross breeding as well as low breeding accuracy, it is difficult to breed for new varieties. These modern breeding techniques, including crossbreeding, mutation breeding, polyploidization breeding, protoplast fusion breeding, and genetic engineering, have been applied in lily. This article reviews and summarizes the methods for overcoming the barriers of distant hybridization in lily hybrid breeding, the treatments in mutation breeding, the technical approaches in polyploidization breeding and haploid breeding, the methods in protoplast isolation and fusion in protoplast fusion breeding, and the advances in lily genetic transformation and editing. In addition, several examples in lily breeding methods and techniques are listed, and the problems in techniques are proposed. The future development and application prospects in lily breeding technologies are discussed. This article aims to provide insights for future research on lily breeding technologies and their applications in breeding of lily varieties.
  • Review
    HUANG Yanbo,LIN Chuhang,LIU Fengluan
    There are about 1000 species of Salvia L. in the world, and a large number of species have been developed in many aspects of medicine, ornamental, edible as well as essential oils and health care. In China, there are abundant germplasm resources including 84 species and 24 varieties, while only one native species, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, is widely cultivated and used for medicinal purpose. It is urgent to investigate and classify their growth habits, morphological characteristics and horticultural characteristics, in order to promote their efficient development and popularization. Based on classical taxonomy and solid data obtained from field investigation and cultivation observation in the past 13 years, this article focuses on the classification and characterization of the horticultural characteristics of Salvia L., including six aspects, such as end-use, flowering period, flower color, flower size, stem characteristics and garden shape. Spring-flowered (April-June), summer-flowered (July-August), and autumn-flowered (September-November) types were classified according to flowering periods, while purple, blue, red, pink, yellow and white flower styles were categorized based on flower colors. There were four levels for flower sizes: small (<1.5 cm), medium (1.5-3.0 cm), medium-large (3.0-4.5 cm), and large (>4.5 cm), and three forms for stem types: trailing, cespitose, and erect. Notable flexibility were displayed in garden shape by a number of germplasms. The majority of domestic sage resources are the cespitose herbs with medium-sized (large) purple and blue flowers that bloom in the spring. This study improved the applied classification system of Salvia L., and provided reference for further development and extensive application of Salvia L. species in China.
  • Research Articles
    GONG Chengru,YUAN Yuhao,LIU Zhen,ZHENG Jizhou,TIAN Zhicheng,LIU Shengli,SHEN Qinghua,HUANG Zhenpu,DONG Chunhao,GAO Yan,LI Qiaoyun,TANG Jianwei,JIAO Zhuqing,YIN Guihong
    This study aims to identify the pre-harvest sprouting resistance in wheat germplasm resources and molecular markers for marker-assisted selection, ultimately obtaining excellent white grain wheat germplasm resources applicable in wheat breeding. These spikes of 222 wheat germplasm resources were tested for pre-harvest sprouting resistance, and the functional markers of eight anti-pre-harvest sprouting genes, including myb10DDFR-BVp1B3PM19-A1MFT-3AMFT-A2MKK3-AQSD1, were used for genotyping. Phenotypic identification results showed that there were significant differences in the relative sprouting percentage of 222 wheat germplasm resources. The relative sprouting percentage ranged from 0 to 1.15, and the average relative sprouting percentage was 0.73. 38 wheat materials were identified to be resistant to pre-harvest sprouting, including 9 white wheat, 27 red wheat and 2 black wheat. Correlation analysis between allele types and relative sprouting percentage showed that the relative sprouting percentage was significantly correlated with functional markers myb10DDFR-BVp1B3MFT-3A and MFT-A2, but not with PM19-A1MKK3-A and QSD1. These results indicated that molecular markers myb10DDFR-BVp1B3MFT-3A and MFT-A2 could be used for detection of pre-harvest sprouting resistance and marker-assisted breeding. Based on the phenotype and genotype results, nine white wheat germplasm resources with pre-harvest sprouting resistance were selected, including Yunong 914, Yunong 946, Fengdecunmai 30, Fangmai 5, Xumai 029, Lianmai 1901, Baofeng 1903, Zhengmai 829 and 13wang27-8, which could be used for genetic breeding and layout of wheat varieties with pre-harvest sprouting resistance.
  • Review
    LIU Jiarui,ZHANG Yu,PENG Guoqing,QI Zhaoming,CHEN Qingshan,XIN Dawei,HU Limin
    Soybean serves as an essential food and oil crop, and plays a crucial role in people's livelihoods. However, in recent years, domestic soybean supply has been insufficient, and there is a high dependency on imports. This situation has seriously impacted the domestic soybean market and brought some hidden dangers to the national food security. Hence, enhancing yield and improving seed quality are major goals in current soybean breeding programs in China. At present, a number of key genes controlling important traits in soybean have been cloned and analyzed, which provides important theoretical support for molecular design breeding. The traditional breeding is time-consuming and low efficiency. Gene editing technology provides a new way and tool for biological breeding, which can accelerate the breeding process. Gene editing technologies, represented by CRISPR/Cas9, have rapidly developed into important tools for studying soybean gene functions, genetic modifications, and improving agronomic traits. This article provides an overview of gene editing technology types, features, and their utilization in plants. It also reviews the latest research progress of gene editing technology in enhancing agronomic traits related to soybean yield, quality, stress resistance, disease resistance, flowering time, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, fertility and other traits, providing a theoretical basis and reference for soybean gene editing breeding. Furthermore, this paper also discusses the challenges of gene editing technology in soybean genetic improvement and presents its promising future applications.
  • Research Articles
    XUE Yapeng,WANG Rong,CHAI Xiaojiao,WANG Ruonan,WANG Qian,LIU Shaoxiong,WANG Ruiyun,LIU Minxuan
    A two-year field trials and agronomic performance analysis were conducted in 179 foxtail millet accessions which are homonyms of the four famous landraces (Qinzhouhuang, Taohuami, Longshanxiaomi and Jinmi),as well as exploring the genetic relationships between the materials. Fifty-one accessions including the four original varieties were subjected for nutritional quality analysis. The significant differences on quantitative traits were detected in 179 accessions, while the quality traits were detected without much differences. Through the correlation analysis, a highly significant positive correlation between kernel weight of single ear and ear weight, as well as stalk weight and ear weight, were found. Principal component analysis showed that the first three principal components contributed to 89.414% of the cumulative variation. Gained from the composite score F-value calculated based on the results of principal component analysis, we observed the highest and lowest composite scores in Bocaigen-30 (F=7.42) and Yintianhan-27 (F=-9.17), respectively. Cluster analysis based on agronomic traits revealed that the 179 accessions were classified into four clusters with relatively concentrated clustering within homonyms varieties and greater similarity of agronomic traits. The results of phylogenetic relationships indicate that there are diverse evolutionary relationships among different varieties with the same name, and there may be gene exchange between different varieties with different names. The differences in nutritional quality among the four categories of famous foxtail millet were small, and the differences in all nutritional quality indexes except crude fiber were not significant. The crude protein and crude fat was positively correlated, while starch negatively correlated with protein and fat. The first six major components explained 88.414% of the cumulative variation and could basically cover the information of the 10 nutritional qualities. Based on the principal component analysis of nutritional qualities, the top ranked varieties were Bocaigen-77, Bocaigen-33, Bocaigen-44, Papocao-15, Jugenqi-25 and Yintianhan-13, combined with the comprehensive scores of different accessions.This study identifies and studies the agronomic traits, quality traits, and phylogenetic relationships of the four famous foxtail millet groups, which is of great significance for the protection and utilization of germplasm resources, as well as the excavation of excellent resources.
  • Research Articles
    NIU Xuejing,WANG Xindong,WANG Jinping,SUN Juan,QIE Yanmin,WANG Lina,GENG Lige
    Based on "The Third National Campaign of Crop Germplasm Census and Collection", genetic diversity analysis, correlation analysis, cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to study and evaluate 136 sorghum germplasm resources collected from 2020 to 2021 in Hebei province. The results showed that there were abundant phenotypic variations in the collection. The diversity index of 15 phenotypic traits ranged from 0.0844 to 1.9926, and the coefficient of variation ranged from 4.69% to 68.00%. The genetic diversity of 1000-grain weight and the coefficient of variation of panicle shape were the highest. A significant positive correlation between plant height and panicle traits was detected. These germplasms were divided into three groups by cluster analysis, while three clusters didn’t correlate with the geographic collection sites. Cluster I showed the best performance in panicle traits and could be used in breeding for technical purposes. The plant height of cluster II was low, which can be used as dwarf resources in germplasm innovation. Cluster III showed the best yield traits which can be used in breeding for higher grain production. Principal component analysis simplified phenotypic trait factors into 5 principal components, with the cumulative contribution rate of 60.182%. The plant height, the panicle and grain traits were the main factors contributing to the phenotypic differences. Based on the comprehensive scores of 136 sorghum germplasms that ranged from 0.107 to 1.147, the top 10 elite germplasm resources such as Suning sorghum, Changsui sorghum, Tiaozhou sorghum and Luoshu were selected. Collectively, based on the evaluation of these newly collected sorghum germplasm resources in Hebei province, this study provided insights for the mining of elite sorghum germplasm and the innovative utilization of germplasm.
  • Research Articles
    PAN Bowen,WEI Bingxin,SU Baofeng,JU Yanlun,LIU Chonghuai,FAN Xiucai,ZHANG Ying,SUN Lei,JIANG Jianfu,FANG Yulin
    Grafting is beneficial in enhancing the adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses, and improving the yield and quality of grapes. There are varieties of grape rootstocks, while their precise clarification become complex and difficult. Deep learning, capable of rapidly capturing deep features from images, has been extensively applied in the field of plant image classification and recognition. In this study, the mature leaf images of 30 grape rootstocks were deployed to construct a dataset, comprising 13547 grape rootstock leaf images. Four convolutional neural networks, GoogleNet, ResNet-50, ResNet-101 and VGG-16, were used for image recognition. The results show that the classification network with the highest accuracy is ResNet-101, and the accuracy reaches 97.5 % under the optimal model parameters (learning rate:0.005, mini-batch size:32, Max epochs:50). Among the 30 varieties, the average prediction precision rate was 92.59%, and the prediction precision reaching 100% was observed in seven varieties. The recall rate of eight varieties reached 100%, and the average recall rate was 91.08 %. The leaf surface texture, leaf vein and leaf margin were major factors that influence variety classification. This study confirmed the application capacity of deep learning network models in real-time automatic identification of grape rootstocks, thus providing reference for the protection, utilization, clasification research of grape rootstock varieties and the variety recognition of other crops.
  • Review
    YANG Yunyao,ZHANG Yongchun,CHEN Minmin,HAN Xin,YANG Liuyan
    Lilium spp. originates in China and holds an important and special position in China's flower industry. Floral fragrance is a important label of its ornamental traits. Previous studies have shown that the main floral components of different fragrance types vary greatly. The differences between strongly scented lilies and lightly scented lilies are mainly concentrated in the differences of terpenoids, while the sampling period, location, environment, hormones and so on might lead to changes in floral components. At present, the research on the synthetic pathway of lily fragrance substances focuses on the terpene synthesis pathway, mostly on the functional study of terpene synthase and the analysis of the upstream regulatory network, while the functional analysis of the genes of the metabolic pathway of other floral fragrance components and the research on the molecular regulatory mechanism are still a lot of unanswered questions. Due to the lack of comprehensive and in-depth analysis of synthesis and regulatory mechanisms in floral fragrance, it is difficult to support precise modification of floral fragrance, ultimately resulting in a slow process of floral fragrance breeding. In-depth exploration and utilization of lily floral fragrance genes and improvement of related metabolic pathways and regulatory networks may be the following focus of lily floral fragrance. In this paper, we review and summarize the previous research on lily floral fragrance, and prospect the future research direction, in order to provide a reference for the subsequent research on the molecular regulatory mechanism of lily floral fragrance, and provide a reference for the directional cultivation of new lily varieties with pleasant fragrance.
  • Research Articles
    WANG Sheng,JIA Li,TANG Jing,LI Haoyu,SONG Tingting,YUAN Juanwei,YAN Congsheng,FANG Ling,ZHANG Qian,SUN Yujun,JIANG Haikun,SUN Xueliang,ZHANG Tao
    This study identified a nuclear male sterile pepper line showing male sterility and parthenocarpy characteristics, and the agronomic traits and parthenocarpy fruit setting rate of the material were determined, and the parthenocarpy of the sterile line at different developmental stages and the parthenocarpy of the fertile line were determined for endogenous hormones. In addition, the genetic segregation of F2 population was analyzed by field identification and microscopic examination, and the fertility segregation ratio of the population was analyzed by using the molecular markers developed by pepper nuclear male sterile genes ms-3msw msmsms and msc-1.The results showed the vertical and horizontal diameters of the parthenocarpy fruit of the sterile line were larger, and the fruit setting rate of the fertile line and the sterile line was significantly different. The fruit setting rate of the fertile line was 22 %, and the fruit setting rate of the sterile line was 43%. The GA4 (gibberellin) content in the parthenocarpic fruit of the sterile line in different periods was significantly higher than that of the fertile line. There are 97 fertile lines and 30 sterile lines in the F2 population,with a separation ratio of 3.23 : 1,which is consistent with the Mendelian inheritance law. It showsd that its fertility was controlled by a recessive single gene. We named the nuclear male sterile line of pepper as GMS702AB. This study provides a new nuclear male sterile line valuable in pepper breeding and seed production.
  • Research Articles
    TANG Fen,ZHAO Lukuan,SU Yijun,XIAO Shizhuo,YUAN Rui,WENG Zongkuan,DAI Xibin,ZHOU Zhilin,CHEN Yanli,CAO Qinghe
    Evaluating the genetic relationship of sweetpotato varieties is an important prerequisite for understanding their genetic background and effectively utilizing germplasm resources. Using 23 pairs of InDel primers developed by our research group, genotype analysis was conducted on 305 registered sweetpotato varieties in China. A total of 56 bands were amplified, of which 53 bands were polymorphic, with a polymorphism rate of 94.6%. The average values of polymorphic information content (PIC), Nei's genetic diversity index (H), observed heterozygosity (Ho), and expected heterozygosity (He) are 0.4098, 0.4451, 0.6003 and 0.4460, respectively. Group structure analysis indicates that ΔK reaches maximum at the number of groups K=2, with a small peak at K=4. The northern and Yangtze River sweetpotato zone are evenly distributed within the two groups, while the majority (72.97%) of the southern sweetpotato zone converge in group 2. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) shows that there is some convergence in the southern sweetpotato zone, but there is no clear cluster division overall. The clustering results divided the population into four main groups. The varieties in the northern sweetpotato zone and the Yangtze River sweetpotato zone were evenly distributed in groups I, II, III and IV, while the southern sweetpotato zone (77.03%) was mainly concentrated in group IV. This clustering result is basically consistent with population structure research and principal coordinate analysis. Genealogy analysis identified the main parental materials of 13 registered varieties, and there was a situation of repeated use of parents for forward and reverse breeding in each breeding unit. This article combines molecular marker results with pedigree information, preliminarily indicating that the registered varieties of sweetpotatoes in China have close genetic relationships and narrow genetic backgrounds, providing reference for germplasm innovation and new variety selection of sweetpotatoes.
  • Research Articles
    MAO Liyan,TAN Xiaohui,LONG Lingyun,HUANG Qiuwei,DENG Youzhan,YU Yanping,DING Liqiong,WEI Yongjie
    To investigate the floral aroma metabolism pathways and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the biosynthesis of terpenoid aroma compounds in tropical waterlily organs, the transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the flower organs including the petal (PE), stamen (ST) and pistil (PI) of N. ‘Paul Stetson’. The number of differentially expressed genes in PE-vs-PI, ST-vs-PI, and ST-vs-PE were 7853, 7501, and 2526, respectively. GO classification and enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly involved in biological regulation, cellular processes, metabolic processes, and stimulus response biological processes. KEGG annotation revealed abundant pathways with significantly enriched DEGs in PE-vs-PI, followed by ST-vs-PI, and ST-vs-PE. Ninety-eight of 794 DEGs that shared in three comparative groups were enriched in four terpenoid floral aroma synthesis pathways, and DEGs in PE-vs-PI and ST-vs-PI was higher than that in ST-vs-PE. In petals and stamens, the genes responsible for synthesis of acacia aldehyde and diterpenoid kaurene, were expressed at higher levels than in pistils. Six of 98 DEGs were randomly selected and subjected for qRT-PCR analysis, confirming the trend on transcriptional expression as revealed by transcriptome sequencing. The results provided a scientific reference for future deciphering the molecular mechanism of terpenoid aroma compounds biosynthesis in tropical waterlilies.
  • Research Articles
    WU Qiong,LIU Jiaxin,ZHAO Yingjie,LIANG Rui,HAN Meiling,LI Chao,DU Fang
    The bHLH transcription factor families is one of the largest families of transcription factors in plants. More and more plant bHLH transcription factor families have been identified presently. However, systematic analysis of the lily bHLH transcription factor family has not been reported.Based on the transcriptome data of Lilium, this study identified a total of 74 bHLH family members. All the bHLH proteins were hydrophilic, 93% of which were unstable proteins, and 61% were acidic proteins.Through the domain analysis, 25 conserved residues were accounted for ≥50% consistence, with R16, R17, L27, L49 and L59 being highly conserved. Sixty-four bHLH proteins were predicted to bind to DNA, including 58 E-box and 46 G-box bindings. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, lily bHLHs were assigned into 21 subfamilies, and they were annotated with functions on signal transduction, abiotic stress, plant growth and development, and substance synthesis. Three genes Unigene23213_AllCL1682.Contig2_All and CL8286.Contig2_All, which associated with ocimene and linalool biosynthesis, were cloned showing 97.30%-99.89% homology among varieties at each locus. The three genes were expressed in flowers, leaves and scales. The fundings of this research provided a valuable information in further study deciphering the functions of lily bHLH transcription factors.
  • Review
    WEI Guo,GU Yuqing,FENG Liguo
    Glycosylation modification plays a crucial role in the growth and development of plants. The core enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of glycosylation products is glycosyltransferase (GT), which includes the UGT family members. The UGT family primarily utilizes uridine diphosphate (UDP) as the glycosyl donor. Plant glycosylation reactions play a crucial role in regulating the solubility, stability and bioactivity of various plant metabolites. Furthermore, they are closely associated with plant quality traits, the storage of volatile compounds and respond to abiotic and biotic stresses. This study reviews the structural and catalytic features, reaction types, and functional classifications of glycosyltransferases in ornamental plants. It summarizes current research progress on modifications of hormones, terpenoids, and flavonoids in ornamental plants via UDP-glycosyltransferases, eventually affecting flower color, leaf color, leaf morphology, plant adversity, and functional compounds. By reviewing and summarizing the relevant studies, this study will help to understand the role of glycosyltransferases in the metabolic regulation of ornamental plants. Furthermore, this will also lay a foundation for future innovation in ornamental plant germplasm improvement and the development of functional components.
  • Research Articles
    WEI Xiaoyu,LIU Hong,MA Hui,BIE Tongde,SUN Ye
    In order to strengthen the protection and utilization of Cymbidium resources in China, ISSR markers were deployed to conduct the genetic diversity and fingerprint construction in this study. A total of 67 bands were detected with 11 primers in 96 samples, and the average of polymorphic bands rate is 73.63%, the number of alleles (Na) is 1.925, the number of effective alleles (Ne) is 1.450, the genetic diversity of Nei's is 0.277, and the Shannon index (I) is 0.427, the percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) is 92.54%, the genetic diversity within populations (Hs) is 0.1934, the genetic differentiation coefficient (Gst) is 0.3009, the total genetic diversity (Ht) was 0.2767, and the average gene flow among populations(Nm) of Cymbidium is 1.1619, the fixation index of pairwise genetic differentiation among populations ranged from 0.002 to 0.527, with an average of 0.325. The systematic clustering results indicate that Cymbidium has high degree of genetic differentiation, which was divided into three groups by systematic clustering analysis, Cymbidium. goeringii and C. sinense were assigned to one category, while C. kanranC. goeringii var. longibracteatumC. faberiC. tortisepalum and C. ensifolium were in the second category, the hybrids were in a unique category, which has a large genetic distance from the other two categories. Principal coordinate analysis indicated that C. tortisepalum and C. goeringii showed a distant genetic relationship. 6 pairs of primers were selected to construct fingerprint QR codes for 96 species. Collectively, this study provided an important basis for the breeding and variety identification of Cymbidium in the future.
  • Review
    PENG Hui,MU Lin,SHEN Jiaxin,ZHANG Wenjie,HUANG Jing,HUANG Yuxun,ZHANG Zhifei
    EMS is the most commonly used mutagen in chemical mutagenesis, which has the advantages of high point mutation rate of a single base, low cost and easy operation. Obtaining mutants through EMS mutagenesis can provide favorable material for breeding and gene function studies. The key of EMS mutagenesis technology is to determine the EMS concentration and mutagenesis time. Generally, the combination of concentration and time to achieve the half lethal rate is the best. In gramineous plants, seeds are mainly used as mutagenic materials. At the same time, pollen, callus and vegetative organs of gramineous plants that rely on vegetative reproduction can be used as mutagenic materials. Different plant materials have different tolerance to EMS. Pollen is the most sensitive, followed by callus, and asexual reproduction materials and seeds have strong tolerance. The screening methods of mutants include phenotypic comparison screening, stress directional screening, and forward and reverse genetic screening. This article reviews the application of EMS mutagenesis in gramineous plants breeding and gene function research in recent years, introduces the mutagenesis principle, mutagen concentration, mutagen time, mutagenic material selection and the screening of mutants, and the future research on EMS mutagenesis in gramineous plants was prospected, this information can provide reference for EMS mutagenesis research of gramineous plants in the future.
  • Research Articles
    BAI Shuangyu,CUI Yuanyuan,WANG Zhaoyi,HE Juntao,LIU Caixia,LIU Fenglou,WANG Zhangjun,LI Qingfeng
    Understanding plant responses to pathogen invasion is important for identifying resistance genes. In this experiment, the seedlings of wheat variety Zhongzuo 9504 were inoculated by powdery mildew, in order to observe the changes of growth, physiological metabolism-related indexes and gene expression in wheat leaves at 0 h, 6 h, 1 d, 4 d and 7 d after infestation. This study attempted to reveal the response mechanism of powdery mildew inoculation on the growth, osmoregulatory substances and reactive oxygen species in wheat. The results showed that with the increase of inoculation time, the number of dead cells, and the activity of peroxidase and superoxide anion in wheat leaves tended to increase. The powdery mildew produced mature secondary conidia 7 days post inoculation. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and polyphenol oxidase functioned at different infestation times. Soluble protein content basically showed an increasing trend, chlorophyll content decreased significantly at 7 d, which in turn affected plant growth. No significant changes on hydrogen peroxide content was observed throughout the inoculation period. Transcriptome analysis revealed that PTI signaling was partially inhibited and down-regulated at the initial stage of inoculation (0 h to 6 h). PTI signaling responded positively in the early and middle stages (6 h to1 d and 1 d to 4 d), while ETI appeared in the early stage. In the late stage of infestation (4 d to 7 d), there was a down-regulation tendency on both the PTI and ETI signaling pathways, as powdery mildew had colonized the surface of the leaf completely, thus compromising photosynthesis in wheat.
  • Research Articles
    YANG Jian,LIANG Wenxian,WANG Chunyan,ZHOU Sumei,HU Naiyue,XIE Songxin,YANG Xiwen,HE Dexian
    In order to explore the genetic mechanism of wheat seminal root formation and growth, 198 wheat natural cultivars growing in the Huang-Huai Area were investigated in this study. The total first grade branch number, branch density, length, surface area, volume and average diameter of the radicle were examined using 21 days old seedlings in the hydroponic culture. Q+K mixed linear model, in conjugation with the genotyping results by the 660K gene chip, was used to conduct genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) at radicle traits, followed by functional annotation and candidate gene mining of significant and repeatedly-detected association sites. At the six radicle growth traits, a continuous and normal or nearly normal distribution were observed, with coefficient of variation of 5.56%-22.10%. A total of 136 significant association sites were detected. They were distributed on the chromosomes except 7B, each of which could explain 5.10%-13.60% of phenotypic variation. Thirteen significant pleiotropic sites were identified from those 136 sites. Based on the annotation, 16 candidate genes that may be related to radicle growth were found, such as TraesCS4A01G023100TraesCS1B01G294400TraesCS4A01G006200. These genes were proposed to be involved in the formation of wheat radicle root system by regulating DNA topoisomerase, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2, phosphoinositide phosphatase family protein and so on. The results of this study provided a reference for the construction of wheat root regulation network, as well as the optimization of root architecture and function.
  • Research Articles
    RUAN Sunmei,ZHANG Pan,ZHANG Min,ZENG Qianchun,ZHANG Hui,LUO Qiong
    WRKY transcription factor is one of the most abundant transcription factors in higher plants, and play an important role in plant growth and development, senescence, abiotic and biological stress. O. granulata Oryza meyeriana subsp. Granulata), which serves as a closely related wild species of cultivated rice, represents the characteristics of shade tolerance, drought tolerance and high resistance to bacterial blight, becoming an important germplasm resources for cultivated rice improvement. In this study, using HMMER, Pfam, SMART, TBtools, NCBI software and website, 94 genes encoding WRKY transcription factors (OgWRKYs) were identified in O. granulata, which were unevenly distributed on 12 chromosomes. According to the number of WRKY domains and the characteristics of zinc finger structure, they were divided into groups Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ. Group II had the most members (52), which was similar to other species. In addition to the conserved WRKYGQK heptaeptides, six variants were identified, among which WRKYGHK, WRRYGQK, WRKYAKK and WRKYSQK were new variants reported for the first time in plants. According to conserved domain analysis, OgWRKY61, OgWRKY71 and OgWRKY77a may be associated with plant disease resistance.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that 14 OgWRKY transcription factors were enriched in plant-pathogen interaction pathways, and 10 of them were simultaneously enriched in MAPK signaling pathways. Further analysis of cis-acting elements suggested that OgWRKY30b, OgWRKY53, OgWRKY88, OgWRKY96 and OgWRKY111 might play important roles in response to biological and abiotic stresses in O. granulata. The results of qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of OgWRKY30b, OgWRKY53, OgWRKY88 and OgWRKY111 genes were induced by PXO99, while the expression of OgWRKY96 was inhibited by infection. The results of this study provided important reference for future mining of OgWRKYs genes in O. granulata.
  • Research Articles
    LI Hongyan,LI Yuexuan,LI Jun,WU Zinian,HUANG Fan,ZHU Ling,GUO Maowei,LI Zhiyong,XIN Xia
    A total of 143 germplasm resources of Agropyron genus, which were collected from 10 cities and regions in Inner Mongolia, China, were studied for phenotypic variations at 17 traits. Appraise were performed using the coefficient of variation, genetic diversity index, correlation, principal component, clustering and grey correlation analysis, and elite germplasm resources were identified. The results showed that the 17 phenotypic traits had great variation and rich genetic diversity. The coefficient of variation ranged from 11.47% to 93.92% , with an average of 42.80%. The coefficient of variation of leaf width was the highest, and the dispersion of seed length was the lowest. The genetic diversity index (H') ranged from 1.279 to 2.025, with an average of 1.721. The diversity index of glume length was the highest, and lowest for spikelet length. There were correlations among 17 phenotypic traits to varying degrees. The contribution rate of the first six principal component factors was 5.934%-20.885%, with the cumulative contribution rate of 69.866%. These germplasms were divided into three groups by cluster analysis. Cluster I had the best comprehensive traits, with prominent spikelet number and floret number, and high yield potential, including 27 accessions. Cluster II, containing 23 accessions, had general traits and higher seed traits. Cluster III was poor in general character with higher plant height, containing 93 accessions. By taking use of the grey correlation method to evaluate these germplasm, these traits including the 1000-grain weight, spikelet number, leaf tongue length, leaf width and leaf area could be deployed as indexes in germplasm evaluation. Elite germplasm resources showing coordinated comprehensive traits such as A.cristatum accessions 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 35, 43, as well as A.cristatum var.pluriflorum accessions 92, 136 and 142, can be used for genetic improvement and breeding of ice grass.
  • Research Articles
    SHEN Liang,ZHANG Piao,XU Rong,TAN Shixin,ZHU Jun,LI Xiaojin,LIU Yongping,CHEN Jun
    Cistanche salsa (C. A. Mey.) G. Beck is a parasitic herb of the genus Cistanche in the family Orobanchaceae, which has the largest number of host plant species identified. It is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in northwest China. To clarify the distribution of C. salsa resources and the identify host plants, 66 samples of C. salsa with parasitic roots were analyzed using DNA barcoding and morphological characters. The results indicated that C. salsa was widely distributed in regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia municipality, at the elevation ranging from 400 to 2000 meters. Specifically, the host plants in Yumin County, Tacheng City, Xinjiang Municipality including Seriphidium compactum (Fisch. ex DC.) PoljakovSeriphidium genus, Asteraceae) and Atriplex verrucifera Marsch. von Bieb. Atriplex genus, Amaranthaceae), the host plants in Tacheng County of Tacheng City including Kalidium cuspidatum Ung.-Sternb. (Kalidium genus, Amaranthaceae), A. verrucifera and Krascheninnikovia ceratoides (L.) Gueldenst. (Krascheninnikovia genus, Amaranthaceae), among which A. verrucifera was the dominanthost. The host plants in Habahe County, Altay City, Xinjiang Municipality including S. compactum Krascheninnikovia ewersmanniana (Stschegl. ex Losinsk.) Grubov (Krascheninnikovia genus, Amaranthaceae) and K. ceratoides, the host plants in Jimunai County of Altay City including K. ceratoides and S. compactum. In Yiwu County, Hami City, Xinjiang Municipality, Iljinia regelii (Bunge) Korovin (Iljinia genus, Amaranthaceae) served as the dominant host plant, and the host plants in Barkol County of Hami City including K. cuspidatum. Besides, Suaeda physophora Pall (Suaeda genus, Amaranthaceae) washost plant in the plantation of Jumisar of Changji City in Xinjiang Municipality. Kalidium gracile FenzlKalidium genus, Amaranthaceae) and Sympegma regelii Bunge (Sympegma genus, Amaranthaceae) were both host plants in Yanchi County of Ningxia Wuzhong region, with S. regelii being the dominanthost. And S. compactum is a new recorded host plantof C. salsa. Collectively, this study provided scientific basis for protection and breeding of C. salsa and its cultivated host plants in future.
  • Research Articles
    LI Yuxiao,WANG Lei,WANG Wei,LI Jun,WU Xuerui,ZHU Zirong,WANG Lin,WU Jiajun,TAN Meilian
    In order to evaluate salt tolerance in sunflower germplasm resources and identify elite accessions, the salt tolerance of 444 sunflower germplasm resources was evaluated under 250 mmol/L NaCl stress at germination and seedling stage, and also assessed under saline-alkali soil condition at the whole growth period.The salt tolerance analysis and evaluation was performed by observing a number of traits including the relative values(ratio of each indicator compared to the control treatment)of germination rate at germination stage,six indexes at seedling stage (survival rate,leaf area,plant height,SPAD value,etc.)and seven indexes at the whole growth period(plant height,sunflower diameter,seed setting rate,yield related traits,etc.) The correlation analysis results indicate that there was a highly significant positive correlation between each two indexes at seedling stage, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.518-0.790. The correlation between most of the seven indicators in the whole growth period reached a significant or extremely significant level. The analysis of principal component, membership function value, cluster and comprehensive salt tolerance evaluation were performed based on these relative indicator values, then 132 salt resistant materials at germination stage, 9 at seedling stage, and 41 at whole growth stage were identified. Six germplasm resources (ZX0365, ZX0389, ZX1391, ZX1394, ZX3089, ZX3094), which showed salt tolerance in the three periods, can be utilized for subsequent salt-tolerant gene mining and breeding. Correlation analysis of salt tolerance levels for 124 accessions at three stages (germination, seedling, and the whole growth period) indicated a highly significant correlation among the salt tolerance assessments at each stage. The salt tolerance assessments of the germination and seedling stages can provide effective references for selecting salt-tolerant materials when planting sunflower in saline-alkali soil.This study provided method and material basis for the selection of salt-tolerant sunflower varieties.
  • Review
    CUI Yumeng,HUANG He,DAI Silan
    Cineraria (Pericallis hybrida) is an ornamental plant with multiple anthocyanin metabolic pathways and has varieties showing rare flower color phenotypes such as blue and bicolor. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of these flower colors can provide valuable genetic resources in breeding of ornamental plants, particularly for the development of new blue flower varieties. Based on research experiences on cineraria, the authors summarized the research progress in the past 20 years on the unique anthocyanin structure, the regulatory pathways of anthocyanin biosynthesis, and the technical approaches used in flower color research. This review mainly introduces: (1) The pigment composition of different cineraria varieties and the polyacylation structure in blue varieties; (2) The genes involved in anthocyanin metabolism pathways such as polyacylation and acylation, and the function of transcription factors such as MYB and MADS-box in regulating flower color and spot formation; (3) The efficient genetic transformation system and viral-induced gene silencing system relevant to flower color research in cineraria, as well as progress in these areas. This article would like to provide references for future research on the flower color and molecular breeding of cineraria and other ornamental plants.
  • Review
    RAN Haoran,ZHANG Yu,CHEN Jiancun,YU Chao,ZHANG Qixiang,LUO Le
    The diverse array of variegated leaf plant species is characterized by a rich tapestry of chromatic patterns adorning their foliage. These distinctive markings not only confer aesthetic significance as a pivotal ornamental trait in plants, but also bear ecological and biological relevance such as facilitating reproductive processes, acting as a deterrent against natural adversaries, and adaptability to environmental fluctuations. This article provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the classification and formation of leaf variegation in ornamental plants. Based on distinctions in pigment accumulation and structural characteristics within leaf tissues, the microstructural categorization of variegation types is outlined, and the molecular mechanisms underlying leaf variegation formation are summarized. Alterations in structural genes and transcription factors that associate with pigment synthesis and metabolism, such as CHLH, DFR, CRD1, during leaf development, as well as mutations in genes that are related to organelle development and cell differentiation, including ZAT10 and VAR3, can directly or indirectly participate in leaf variegation formation by influencing differential pigment accumulation and altering leaf structure. While there have been numerous studies on the formation mechanisms of leaf variegation in ornamental plants, the genetic mechanisms underlying leaf variegation remain unclear. The reasons for differential gene expression in variegated leaf regions and the spatial distribution mechanisms of leaf variegation patterns are still areas requiring further investigation. Future research can involve the selection of model plants from variegated leaf species, building the pan-genome, integrating with multi-omics technologies such as pan-genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. This approach might enable exploring the origin of leaf variegation, uncovering the adaptive responses of variegated leaf plants to their environments, and deciphering the evolutionary mechanisms underlying important plant traits and environmental adaptation.
  • Research Articles
    WANG Changbiao,YIN Yurong,CHENG Ze,REN Yongkang,NIU Yuqi,LIU Jiang,HAN Bin,YANG Sheng,TANG Chaohui
    The type-B authentic response regulator (B-ARR) family members are positive regulators in cytokinin signal transduction, and play important roles in plant growth and development and resistance to abiotic stresses. However, there are few studies on the B-ARR gene family in wheat. In this study, 25 B-ARR gene family members were identified from wheat genome, and their physicochemical properties, gene structure, cis-acting elements and abiotic stress-induced expression patterns were analyzed by bioinformatics methods. The results showed that all B-ARR proteins were localized in the nucleus based on bioinformatics prediction, and their secondary structure was mainly consisting of α-helix and random crimp. B-ARR genes were not evenly distributed on wheat chromosomes, and the number of B-ARR genes was the highest on chromosome 7. In addition, multiple cis-acting regulatory elements related to growth and development, hormone response, and biological and abiotic stress have been identified in the promoter regions. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the relative expression of TaARRM-like9TaARRM-like10TaARRM-like12 and TaARRM-like13 were significantly up-regulated under abiotic stresses treatments, including drought, salt and low temperature. This study laid a foundation for further research on the role of B-ARR transcription factor in wheat development and abiotic stress response.
  • Research Articles
    RAO Qinglin,JIANG Min,LYU Jianwei,HU Tinghui,CHENG Liangqiang,WANG Jinhua,WANG Jun
    The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the quality traits of peanut germplasm resources from different sources and provide a theoretical basis for the rational exploration of fresh peanut germplasm resources. We utilized genetic diversity analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis , clustering analysis, and comprehensive score to analyze and assess the 11 quality traits of 287 peanut germplasm resources.The results showed that the coefficient of variation of 11 quality traits ranged from 1.286% to 19.506%, and the genetic diversity index ranged from 1.046 to 2.073. The results of correlation analysis showed that the oleic acid content has an extremely significant negative correlation with proteins content and an extremely significant positive correlation with sucrose content. A total of three principal component factors were extracted from the principal component analysis, and their cumulative contribution rate reached 71.467%. Cluster analysis divided the 287 materials into 3 groups.The first group has a higher content of fat and stearic acid,which contains 100 materials;the second group has a higher oleic acid content ,which contains 61 materials;and the third group has the characteristics of high protein content and low fat content,which contains 126 materials. By assigning weights of the contribution rate of the 3 principal components, we constructed a comprehensive scoring formula: F=0.588F1+0.277F2+0.135F3. According to this formula, we selected 51 materials with a comprehensive score greater than 1, including 3 materials with a score exceeding 5.This research provides valuable insights for future studies in peanut quality breeding.
  • Research Articles
    ZHANG Hua,LI Na,XING Xinzhu,SHAO Zhenqi,LI Xihuan,ZHANG Caiying
    Chitinase is a kind of glycosyl hydrolases (GH) which hydrolyzes the chitin and other polymers. Chitinase plays an important function in the plant growth and development, as well as in the resistant process to diverse stresses. However, the tissue expression patterns and responses to diverse stresses of chitinase genes in soybean are still unclear, which seriously limited its application in genetic improvement. In this study, the chitinase family genes were identified in the wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) and cultivated soybean (Glycine max(L.)Merr.), and the expression patterns were also analyzed. The results showed that 62 and 55 chitinase genes were identified in the wild soybean and cultivated soybean, which located on 17 and 18 chromosomes, respectively. The phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the chitinase genes were divided into five categories, with Class III and Class V belonging to the GH18 subfamily, while Class I, Class II and Class IV belonging to the GH19 subfamily. Further analysis found many cis-acting elements in the promoter regions of chitinase genes responding to various plant hormones and stresses.Further gene expression analyses in cultivated soybean showed that the chitinase genes presented differential expressions in different tissues and under different stress conditions. Among these genes, Gm.01G142400 and Gm.13G346700 were strongly induced in the leaves of resistant variety after soybean mosaic virus inoculation, Gm.03G254300 and Gm.20G164600 were induced in soybean roots after low phosphorus treatment, and Gm.08G259200 and Gm.19G245400 were induced in soybean nodules under low phosphorus condition. Gene expression analysis in wild soybean showed that the chitinase genes presented differential expressions in different tissues and after salt stress, among which Gs.02G002604 and Gs.02G002940 were highly induced in the leaves of tolerant variety after salt treatment. These results provide important references for further utilizing the chitinase genes in soybean genetic improvement.
  • Research Articles
    SUN Zhiguang,XU Tingting,LIU Yan,XING Yungao,XU Bo,CHI Ming,LI Jingfang,ZHOU Qun,WANG Derong,ZHANG Yafu,WANG Baoxiang,XU Dayong
    Grain traits have a direct impact on the yield and quality of rice. Therefore, understanding the genetic mechanism underlying these traits is crucial for improving rice yield and quality. In this study, Ludao and Guangbaixiangzhan (GBXZ), which exhibit significant differences in grain traits, were used as parent plants to create a segregating population. Using the 1 K mGPS rice SNP chip, the targeted population was genotyped and a high-density genetic map containing 770 Bin markers was constructed. Through QTL mapping analysis, a total of 17 QTLs related grain traits were detected, including 4 QTLs for grain length, 3 QTLs for grain width, 3 QTLs for grain thickness, 2 QTLs for length-to-width ratio of grain, and 5 QTLs for 1000-grain weight. The phenotypic variation explained by these QTLs ranged from 4.73% to 29.63% with the LOD values ranging from 2.55 to 42.44. Of these 17 QTLs, 9 QTLs were known loci related to grain size, and 8 QTLs might be newly identified. Among the 8 new QTLs, qGL6 was related to grain length, qGW5qGW10 and qGW12 were related to grain width, qGT10 was related to grain thickness, qGLWR5-2 was related to length-to-width ratio of grain, qTGW10 and qTGW11 were related to 1000-grain weight. Based on the gene annotation, Arabidopsis homologous gene comparison, spatiotemporal expression analysis, hormone response analysis, and sequence analysis of the candidate genes in the definite qGW5 region, a candidate gene Os05g0195101 encoding a CCCH-like zinc-finger protein for regulating rice grain width was finally screened. This study lays the foundation for further cloning of rice grain trait genes and analyzing the genetic regulation of grain traits.
  • Research Articles
    LU Min,SHI Pengfei,LIU Xuefeng,YAN Ting,HAI Long,ZHANG Hongwu,BO Wenhao,WANG Liying
    To understand the variation characteristics of fruit phenotypic traits of jujube resources in Inner Mongolia, China, and identify elite germplasm resources, this study deployed statistical analysis, variance analysis and correlation analysis to analyze the 10 jujube natural populations. The kernel value was comprehensively evaluated by hierarchical grey relational method. The results showed: (1) The average coefficient of 16 fruit traits was 17.96%, and muti-kernel content rate in stone has highest variation coefficient. The average range of fruit phenotypic traits variation among populations ranged from 10.69% to 31.01%, and the highest variation coefficient from Alxa Zuoqi-Tengger Eris population. (2) Correlation analysis showed that there were different degrees of correlation among the traits of the fruit, stone and kernel. Fruit transverse diameter and stone longitudinal diameter were positively correlated with longitude, fruit transverse diameter and stone longitudinal diameter were positively correlated with latitude, indicators mentioned above were negatively correlated with altitude. Single kernel content rate in stone was negatively correlated with the mean annual temperature. Kernel jujuboside A content and spinosin content have no significant correlation between latitude, longitude, average annual rainfall, and altitude. (3) The comprehensive evaluation model was established by hierarchy-gray correlation method. The evaluation results showed that the comprehensive quality for kernel-using from 10 jujube natural populations was: P8>P5>P1>P7>P2>P9>P4>P3>P6>P10. Among which, the population from Hangjinqi-Balagong have obvious advantages compared with other populations. This study provided a scientific basis for the protection and utilization of jujube resources and breeding of kernel varieties.
  • Research Articles
    SHEN Liang,PANG Qingyun,ZHANG Minghui,XU Rong,CHEN Jun,LIU Tongning,MA Qingwen,LIU Yongping
    Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum, belonging to the family Amaranthaceae, genus Haloxylon Bunge, serve as host plants for Cistanche deserticola. They are widely distributed in the arid zones of China. In this study, biological characteristics and agronomic traits of both species were mainly compared by field observation and molecular identification. The results showed that there were significant differences in phenotypic characters, agronomic traits and pollen structure. Notably, the fruit wing length and 1000-grain weight in H. ammodendron were significantly lowercompared to those of H. persicum, but the germination rate and germination potential were significantly highercompared to those of H. persicum. The pollen volume and surface particle structure of H. ammodendron were significantly smaller than those of H. persicum. Additionally, the pollen net of H. ammodendron exhibited a deep structure, while it was shallow and most of it protruding outwards in H. persicum pollens. The correlational analysis revealed significant positive correlations between the agronomic indexes of both H. ammodendron and H. persicum and climate factors such as temperature and humidity. Water and light are the primary limiting factors for the geographic distribution H. persicum in Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, while environmental adaptations of H. ammodendron were found to be stronger. H. ammodendron and H. persicum can be effectively identified by ITS barcode, and both of them can be parasitized by C. deserticola. However, the survival rate of C. deserticola were different. According to their biological characteristics, cultivating H. ammodendron is with priority in the production of cistanches herba. This study provided a scientific basis for the identification and conservation of Haloxylon, as well as the selection of optimal hosts for C. deserticola.
  • Review
    TENG Xinlei,HU Guowei,ZOU Rongxian,TAO Chubing,MENG Yu,XIAO Zheng,ZHAO Hongbo
    Flower fragrance is a significant ornamental feature of ornamental plants. As a worldwide woody flower, Rhododendron is famous because of rich colors and diverse patterns. Its floral fragrance is an important indicator of its quality. Studies have demonstrated that terpenoids, alcohols, esters, and ketones are the main components of rhododendron florets, and the release of these compounds is influenced by flower development, release site, and environmental conditions. Terpenoids are the most important floral components of Rhododendron, and terpenoid synthase gene is the main regulator in the metabolic pathway of floral substances. Through the genomics and metabolomics study, TPS family genes of Rhododendron ovatum were much more than those of other odorless Rhododendron plants. It is of great significance to study the floral composition and biosynthesis pathway in different species and varieties of Rhododendron for aromatic breeding and comprehensive utilization. This study reviewed the determination and analysis methods of floral composition of Rhododendron plants, the aroma components of Rhododendron species in subgenera, the synthesis and release law of aroma, and the biosynthetic pathway of aroma and key genes, which provided reference for the study of the genetic law of the synthesis and metabolism of main floral substances and breeding new varieties with obvious characteristic fragrance in Rhododendron.
  • Research Articles
    YAO Shien,WANG Yifan,WANG Ning,ZHOU Minghui,CHEN Yifei,ZHANG Manting,LI Jiaxin,GONG Wenjun,FANG Xiaolong,LI Meina
    Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a self-pollinating crop, and producing hybrids through artificial emasculation is time-consuming and expensive. Unlocking the function of the male sterility gene is a prerequisite for harnessing heterosis in soybean. Up to now, only a few loci of male sterility had been reported in soybean, and progress in molecular cloning and functional characterization of related genes lagged behind. Advances in biotechnology and soybean genetic transformation system enabled the possibility to employ reverse genetics methodology for studying the male sterility genes. The transcriptomic data indicated that the small G protein encoding gene GmARFA1a was regulated simultaneously by the male sterility gene MS1Male Sterile 1) and MS2. Data from the public library indicated that GmARFA1a expression was the highest in unopened soybean flowers, qRT-PCR data demonstrated that GmARFA1a was preferentially expressed in stamen before flowering. The pollen germination experiment and seed setting statistics found that the decrease of pollen viability of Gmarfa1a mutant resulted in the significant inhibition of seed setting Collectively, this study identified the GmARFA1a gene and uncovered its function on male fertility. It will not only enhance our understanding of the GmARFA1a and ARF gene families but also lay the foundation for further study the function of GmARFA1a genes and the utilization of heterosis in soybean.
  • Research Articles
    ZHOU Qun,ZHONG Yingying,DING Yinlong,CHEN Yimu,LI Kewei,LIU Jing
    Bougainvillea with long flowering period, large amount of flowers, strong resistance and various forms of application, has become the fastest growing woody flowers in southern China of sunrise flower industry. With the improvement of horticultural technology and the expansion of international germplasm exchanges, the number of Bougainvillea varieties is continuously increasing. However, the cases of homonym and synonym in Bougainvillea brought considerable difficulties to the collection and preservation of resources. Xiamen Botanical Garden, as the national Bougainvillea germplasm resource center, has initially built an information management system and service platform based on B/S model and using modern management information system, achieving efficient management of the germplasm resource bank. This paper introduces the platform architecture, database design, technology realization and platform function composition in detail. Through improving the efficiency of information management, we aim to promote the collection, protection, research, evaluation and application of germplasm resources of Bougainvillea. In addition, the design and development concept of the platform can also provide reference for the construction of information management systems and service platforms in other flower.
  • Research Articles
    WU Linhui,DONG Jiaqi,ZHENG Hao,QIU Dongliang,ZHANG Qiong,ZHONG Caihong
    In order to explore the molecular mechanism of the variation of kiwifruit from dioecious to monoecious, transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR verification on female and male flowers of the monoecious mutant of Mantianhong kiwifruit were carried out. The results of transcriptome differential expression gene identification showed that there were 337 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between female and male flowers, with 241 genes up-regulated and 96 genes down-regulated in male flowers. The GO and KEGG enrichment of DEGs showed that compared with female flowers, the up-regulated genes in male flowers were mainly involved in the metabolism of amino sugars and nucleotide sugars and the synthesis of secondary metabolites. The down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in secondary metabolite synthesis, carotenoid synthesis and other pathways. Through functional annotation analysis, 30 potential gender-related regulatory genes were identified, five of which were expressed in the secondary metabolite synthesis pathway. Seven DEGs were selected for qRT-PCR, and their expression levels in male and female flowers were in accordant with those in transcriptome data. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the creation of kiwifruit monoecious materials.
  • Research Articles
    CHENG Yibing,HUANG Qian,HAN Bin,CUI Di,QIU Xianjin,MA Xiaoding,HAN Longzhi
    In our laboratory, we created a chromosome fragment substitution line CSSL91, with high salinity-tolerance, using Dongxiang common wild rice and Nipponbare as parents. In this study, it was compared with Nipponbare and Pokkali, a strong salt-tolerant germplasm, and the results showed that the salt tolerance of CSSL91 was comparable to that of Pokkali. Using the F2:3 population constructed by CSSL91 and Nipponbare, the phenotypes were normally distributed with salt tolerance grade and seedling survival rate as indicators. QTL linkage location analysis showed that a total of five salinity tolerance-related QTLs were detected, which were distributed on chromosomes 4, 9, and 10, with the LOD values ranging from 2.95 to 3.97, and the phenotypic contribution rates ranging from 9.83% to 18.48%. Among that QTL-qST4 is the highest phenotypic contribution in the salt tolerance grade, which was located between DX-C4-1 and DX-S4-16 markers on chromosome 4. Simultaneously, the bulked segregation analysis (BSA) detected a QTL exceeding the threshold value in the interval of 0-5.0 Mb on chromosome 4, which was overlapped with QTL-qST4, indicating that QTL-qST4 was a reliable salinity tolerance locus; QTL-qST4-1 and QTL-qSSR4 based on salt tolerance grade and seedling survival, respectively, were both located between markers DX-C4-12 and DX-C4-13 on chromosome 4, with LOD values of 3.36 and 3.92, and phenotypic contributions of 13.97% and 9.49%, respectively. Two QTLs based on salt tolerance grades, QTL-qST9 and QTL-qST10, were located on chromosomes 9 and 10, respectively. QTL-qST4-1, QTL-qSSR4 and QTL-qST10 are the new QTLs with salinity tolerance in this study. The results of the present study will lay a foundation for the cloning of salinity tolerance-related genes and molecular markers to assist in the improvement of rice varieties in terms of salt tolerance.
  • Review
    LI Rong,CAO Meng,LI Yanyi,CHEN Jili,ZHANG Honglin,ZHU Yaoshun,LIU Juan,LIU Tao,XU Xiaoyu
    Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) belongs to the Thlaspi genus of the Cruciferae family, which is a dual-role herb plant with both medical and food usages. Pennycress has strong ecological adaptability and can accumulate abundant oil in the seed, hence displaying great values in the resource development and utilization. In recent years, with the rapid progress made in the modern life science research, advantages of pennycress were broadly investigated, a variety of fundamental and application researches have thus been conducted. In this respect, the domestic reports about pennycress in China were mainly focused on the extraction of functional active substances and their clinical effects, while the studies developed abroad preferred to explore its ecological value in the agricultural production cycle and the lipid metabolism regulatory mechanisms. Numerous researches have both indicated that pennycress not only possess great potentials in the biodiesel preparation and support the oil supplement, but also could serve as a favorable candidate in the novel medicine development. Meanwhile, being benefited from the publishing of the whole genome information of pennycress, it has become possible to carry out the molecular breeding improvement. For example, the genome editing technology was successfully applied to alter the pennycress seed fatty acid composition to achieve a more desirable trait to meet the edible oil demand, not to mention the mining of other useful functional genes within pennycress that may assist the crop production and stress resistance amelioration. Metabolic engineering of the pennycress lipid property in order to develop novel vegetable oil, or even heterologously produce high-value fatty acid (e.g. nervonic acid etc.) has shown great prospect as one of the pennycress development directions. This paper therefore summarized and envisaged the recent progresses of the resource development and utilization and the lipid metabolic engineering on pennycress, aiming to provide reference for the study, popularization and application of pennycress in China.
  • Research Articles
    XING Kaifeng,XIE Haoxing,ZHANG Lidong,ZHOU Jun,FENG Liyun,ZHANG Huaxuan,CHEN Shang,ZHAO Yao,RONG Jun,ZHANG Jian
    This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of fruit phenotypic traits in wild Camellia oleifera from various seed sources, as well as to provide a theoretical basis for selecting superior C. oleifera cultivars and improving genetic germplasm resources. Eight fruit phenotypic traits of C. oleifera were quantified and analyzed using various statistical methods, including analysis of variance, nested analysis of variance, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. This study investigated 218 well-developed C. oleifera specimens from 16 provenances across nine provinces(autonomous region), including Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Anhui, Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, and Guizhou. The results demonstrated that the mean values of the coefficients of variation for eight fruit phenotypic traits of 16 provenances ranged from 12.03% to 35.08%. Notably, the mean value of the coefficients of variation between provenances (42.83%) was found to be greater than the mean value of the coefficients of variation within provenances (23.99%). The mean value of the coefficients of variation of the phenotypic differentiation coefficient was 88.63%, indicating that there were abundant variation in phenotypic traits of different germplasm resources of wild C. oleifera fruits. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that there were significant positive correlations between fresh fruit weight, fruit height, fruit diameter, peel thickness, fresh seed weight, and the number of seeds per fruit. Conversely, there were significant negative correlations between peel thickness and fresh seed yield. The results of principal component analysis indicated that the cumulative contribution rate of the first three principal components was 90.773%, suggesting that the majority of the phenotypic traits of wild C. oleifera fruits could be adequately represented by the first three principal components. The first principal component primarily reflected the characteristics of fruit size, the second mainly reflected the characteristics of fruit seeding rate, and the third mainly reflected the characteristics of fruit shape. Cluster analysis revealed that the 16 provenances were divided into Ⅰ and Ⅱ classes at Euclidean distance 10, with further subdivision into subclasses at Euclidean distance 5. Class I is more convenient in terms of production and processing, while Class II is more advantageous in terms of yield and profitability. The phenotypic traits of wild C. oleifera fruits exhibited considerable diversity, and different groups of provenances could be selected as breeding materials according to breeding objectives.
  • Research Articles
    PAN Liyuan,WANG Yongjun,LI Haijun,HOU Fu,LI Jing,LI Lili,SUN Suyang
    Wheat pre-harvest sprouting significantly reduces yield production and flour quality. It has been gradually aggravated in recent years, and destabilize the safety of wheat production in China, particularly in the Huanghuai region. Identification of pre-harvest sprouting resistant germplasm and functional molecular markers are of importance to accelerate pre-harvest sprouting resistant breeding. In this study, 77 pre-harvest sprouting resistant germplasms observed from field experiments and 128 advanced breeding lines from a rotational population introduced with six resistant germplasms were used. These genotypes were tested for pre-harvest sprouting resistance using the whole-split germination and seed germination methods, as well as genotyped by functional markers Vp1B3Dorm-B1, and PM19. 49.35% (38 of 77) of germplasm resources showed intermediate resistance, and 57.90%(22) of them contained functional resistance alleles of Vp1Ba or(and) Dorm-B1b. The germplasm resources Xinong 172, Kalango, Huaimai 40 and Yunong 186 were detected carrying both two functional alleles. 36.72% (47) of the advanced breeding lines showed intermediate resistance, of which 87.23% contained resistance alleles and 17.02% (8) contained two functional alleles. Stacking resistance loci can increase the level of pre-harvest sprouting resistance. In the germplasm resources, the whole-split germination and seed germination decreased from 36.65% and 34.99% in non-resistant individuals, respectively, to 18.17 % and 23.87 % in individuals with two resistance loci. The same pattern has been observed in advanced lines. There was a significant difference in the number of resistant loci between advanced materials and others. Among them, 17.02% of the materials with medium resistance level contained two resistance loci, while only 4.94% of the other materials without medium resistance level contained two resistance loci. This study deployed molecular markers and phenotypic characterization techniques to identify pre-harvest sprouting resistance germplasm, followed by germplasm innovation using dwarf failing rotation selection, which provided a basis for future improvement of wheat spike germination resistance in the Huanghuai region in China.