Genetic Architecture of Heterophylly: Single and Multi-Leaf Genome-Wide Association Mapping in .

Heterophylly is an adaptive strategy used by some plants in response to environmental changes. Due to the lack of representative plants with typical heteromorphic leaves, little is known about the genetic architecture of heterophylly in plants and the genes underlying its control. Here, we investigated the genetic characteristics underlying changes in leaf shape based on the model species, , which exhibits typical heterophylly.

Functional mapping of gravitropism and phototropism for a desert tree, .

: Plants have evolved the dual capacity for maximizing light assimilation through stem growth (phototropism) and maximizing water and nutrient absorption through root growth (gravitropism). Previous studies have revealed the physiological and molecular mechanisms of these two processes, but the genetic basis for how gravitropism and phototropism interact and coordinate with one another to determine plant growth remains poorly understood. : We designed a seed germination experiment using a full-sib F1 family of to simultaneously monitor the gravitropic growth of the radicle and the phototropic growth of the plumule throughout seedling ontogeny.

Selective thermotherapy of tumor by self-regulating photothermal conversion system.

One major challenge of photothermal therapy (PTT) is achieving thermal ablation of the tumor without damaging the normal cells and tissues. Here, we designed a self-regulating photothermal conversion system for selective thermotherapy based on self-assembling gold nanoparticles (S-AuNPs) and investigated the selectivity effect using a novel home-made in vitro selective photothermal transformation model and an in vivo skin damaging assessment model. In the in vitro selective photothermal transformation model, laser irradiation selectively increased the temperature of the internal microenvironment (pH 5.

Long-read genome assembly and genetic architecture of fruit shape in the bottle gourd.

The bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria, Cucurbitaceae) is an important horticultural crop exhibiting tremendous diversity in fruit shape. The genetic architecture of fruit shape variation in this species remains unknown. We assembled a long-read-based, high-quality reference genome (ZAAS_Lsic_2.

Preparation of mitochondria to measure superoxide flashes in angiosperm flowers.

Background: Mitochondria are the center of energy metabolism and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS production results in a burst of "superoxide flashes", which is always accompanied by depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Superoxide flashes have only been studied in the model plant using a complex method to isolate mitochondria.

Differential profiling analysis of miRNAs reveals a regulatory role in low N stress response of Populus.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential mineral element for plant growth processes, and its availability severely affects the productivity of plants, especially trees. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs approximately 21 nucleotides in length that play important roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. To identify Populus miRNAs and their functions in response to nutrition stress, high-throughput sequencing was performed using Populus tomentosa plantlets treated with or without low concentrations of N.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of heat-responsive and novel microRNAs in Populus tomentosa.

Plant microRNAs have a vital role in various abiotic stress responses by regulating gene expression. Heat stress is one of the most severe abiotic stresses, and affects plant growth and development, even leading to death. To identify heat-responsive miRNAs at the genome-wide level in Populus, Solexa sequencing was employed to sequence two libraries from Populus tomentosa, treated and untreated by heat stress.