Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of B. juncea reveals that BjuLKP2 functions in plant yellowing.

A stable Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system was constructed for B. juncea, and BjuLKP2 was overexpressed, leading to plant yellowing. A stable and efficient transformation system is necessary to verify gene functions in plants.

The SlGRAS9-SlZHD17 transcriptional cascade regulates chlorophyll and carbohydrate metabolism contributing to fruit quality traits in tomato.

Some essential components of fleshy fruits are dependent on photosynthetic activity and carbohydrate metabolism. Nevertheless, the regulatory mechanisms linking chlorophyll and carbohydrate metabolism remain partially understood. Here, we uncovered the role of SlGRAS9 and SlZHD17 transcription factors in controlling chlorophyll and carbohydrate accumulation in tomato fruit.

Identification of SRS transcription factor family in Solanum lycopersicum, and functional characterization of their responses to hormones and abiotic stresses.

The SHI RELATED SEQUENCE (SRS) family plays a vital role in the development of multiple plant organs such as floral meristem determinacy, organ morphogenesis, and signal transduction. Nevertheless, there is little understanding of the biological significance of tomato SRS family at this point. Our research identified eight SlSRS family members and classified them into three subfamilies based on phylogenetics, conserved motifs, and characteristic domain analysis.

RIN enhances plant disease resistance via root exudate-mediated assembly of disease-suppressive rhizosphere microbiota.

The RIPENING-INHIBITOR (RIN) transcriptional factor is a key regulator governing fruit ripening. While RIN also affects other physiological processes, its potential roles in triggering interactions with the rhizosphere microbiome and plant health are unknown. Here we show that RIN affects microbiome-mediated disease resistance via root exudation, leading to recruitment of microbiota that suppress the soil-borne, phytopathogenic Ralstonia solanacearum bacterium.

Investigations of the distant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer without local lymph node involvement: Real world data from a large database.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the presentations and survival outcomes of the distant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without lymph node involvement to obtain a clearer picture of this special subgroup of metastatic NSCLC.

Method: A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized Cox regression analysis was used to select the prognostic variables. A nomogram and corresponding risk-classifying systems were constructed.

SlMYB99-mediated auxin and abscisic acid antagonistically regulate ascorbic acids biosynthesis in tomato.

Ascorbic acid (AsA) is a water-soluble antioxidant that plays important roles in plant development and human health. Understanding the regulatory mechanism underlying AsA biosynthesis is imperative to the development of high AsA plants. In this study, we reveal that the auxin response factor SlARF4 transcriptionally inhibits SlMYB99, which subsequently modulates AsA accumulation via transcriptional activation of AsA biosynthesis genes GPP, GLDH, and DHAR.

Brt9SIDA/IDALs as peptide signals mediate diverse biological pathways in plants.

As signal molecules, plant peptides play key roles in intercellular communication during growth and development, as well as stress responses. The 14-amino-acid (aa) INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) peptide was originally identified to play an essential role in the floral organ abscission of Arabidopsis. It is synthesized from its precursor, a small protein containing 77-aa residues with an N-terminal signal peptide sequence.

The auxin-responsive transcription factor SlDOF9 regulates inflorescence and flower development in tomato.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying differentiation of inflorescence and flower meristems is essential towards enlarging our knowledge of reproductive organ formation and to open new prospects for improving yield traits. Here, we show that SlDOF9 is a new modulator of floral differentiation in tomato. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout strategy uncovered the role of SlDOF9 in controlling inflorescence meristem and floral meristem differentiation via the regulation of cell division genes and inflorescence architecture regulator LIN.

Control of fruit softening and Ascorbic acid accumulation by manipulation of SlIMP3 in tomato.

Postharvest deterioration is among the major challenges for the fruit industry. Regulation of the fruit softening rate is an effective strategy for extending shelf-life and reducing the economic losses due postharvest deterioration. The tomato myoinositol monophosphatase 3 gene SlIMP3, which showed highest expression level in fruit, was expressed and purified.

Interaction of two MADS-box genes leads to growth phenotype divergence of all-flesh type of tomatoes.

All-flesh tomato cultivars are devoid of locular gel and exhibit enhanced firmness and improved postharvest storage. Here, we show that SlMBP3 is a master regulator of locular tissue in tomato fruit and that a deletion at the gene locus underpins the All-flesh trait. Intriguingly, All-flesh varieties lack the deleterious phenotypes reported previously for SlMBP3 under-expressing lines and which preclude any potential commercial use.

Silencing Induces Facultative Parthenocarpy in Tomato.

Facultative parthenocarpy is of great practical value. However, the molecular mechanism underlying facultative parthenocarpy remains elusive. Transcriptional co-repressors (TPL) act as a central regulatory hub controlling all nine phytohormone pathways.

Histone posttranslational modifications rather than DNA methylation underlie gene reprogramming in pollination-dependent and pollination-independent fruit set in tomato.

Fruit formation comprises a series of developmental transitions among which the fruit set process is essential in determining crop yield. Yet, our understanding of the epigenetic landscape remodelling associated with the flower-to-fruit transition remains poor. We investigated the epigenetic and transcriptomic reprogramming underlying pollination-dependent and auxin-induced flower-to-fruit transitions in the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) using combined genomewide transcriptomic profiling, global ChIP-sequencing and whole genomic DNA bisulfite sequencing (WGBS).

The MADS-Box Gene SlMBP21 Regulates Sepal Size Mediated by Ethylene and Auxin in Tomato.

Normal organ size is achieved by successful co-ordination of cell proliferation and cell expansion, which are modulated by multiple factors such as ethylene and auxin. In our work, SlMBP21-RNAi (RNA interference) tomato exhibited longer sepals and improved fruit set. Histological analysis indicated that longer sepals were attributed to cell expansion.

Overexpression of the class D MADS-box gene Sl-AGL11 impacts fleshy tissue differentiation and structure in tomato fruits.

MADS-box transcription factors are key elements of the genetic networks controlling flower and fruit development. Among these, the class D clade gathers AGAMOUS-like genes which are involved in seed, ovule, and funiculus development. The tomato genome comprises two class D genes, Sl-AGL11 and Sl-MBP3, both displaying high expression levels in seeds and in central tissues of young fruits.