Publications by authors named "Man-Wah Li"

Article Synopsis
  • *This process involves global DNA hypomethylation and alterations in histone modifications, which impact gene regulation.
  • *A DNA methyltransferase inhibitor can mimic the benefits of priming, indicating that reducing DNA methylation enhances salt tolerance in non-primed seedlings.
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Photoperiod is an environmental signal that varies predictably across the year. Therefore, the duration of sunlight available for photosynthesis and in turn the ability of plants to accumulate carbon resources also fluctuates across the year. To adapt to these variations in photoperiod, the metabolic daylength measurement (MDLM) system measures the photosynthetic period rather than the absolute photoperiod, translating it into seasonal gene expression changes linked to photoperiodic growth.

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The QTLs and candidate genes governing the multifoliolate phenotype were identified by combining linkage mapping with BSR-seq, revealing a possible interplay between genetics and the environment in soybean leaf development. Soybean, as a legume, is typified by trifoliolate leaves. Although multifoliolate leaves (compound leaves with more than three leaflets each) have been reported in soybean, including sporadic appearances in the first compound leaves in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population from a cross between cultivated soybean C08 and wild soybean W05 from this study, the genetic basis of this phenomenon is still unclear.

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The major crop, soybean, forms root nodules with symbiotic rhizobia, providing energy and carbon to the bacteria in exchange for bioavailable nitrogen. The relationship is host-specific and highly host-regulated to maximize energy efficiency. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) is greener than synthetic fertilizer for replenishing soil fertility, contributing to yield increase.

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Background: Climate change induces perturbation in the global water cycle, profoundly impacting water availability for agriculture and therefore global food security. Water stress encompasses both drought (i.e.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study focuses on using SNP markers to improve breeding and research in soybeans, addressing a gap in differentiating between wild and cultivated soybean populations.
  • - By analyzing data from over 3,000 soybean accessions, the researchers identified distinct SNP and insertion/deletion (InDel) markers that can help differentiate these populations and constructed a gene library of naturally occurring mutations.
  • - The findings can assist in evaluating soybean genetics related to important agronomic traits and enable faster identification of mutations in breeding processes, ultimately enhancing soybean cultivation.
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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of plant biological processes, including soybean nodulation. One miRNA, miR4407, was identified in soybean roots and nodules. However, the function of miR4407 in soybean is still unknown.

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Unlabelled: Current combined challenges of rising food demand, climate change and farmland degradation exert enormous pressure on agricultural production. Worldwide soil salinization, in particular, necessitates the development of salt-tolerant crops. Soybean, being a globally important produce, has its genetic resources increasingly examined to facilitate crop improvement based on functional genomics.

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The official debut of the reference genome of in 2000 [...

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Root hair length (RHL) is an important character that affects nutrient acquisition in plants. The regulatory network in soybean controlling RHL is yet to be fully understood. In this study, we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) regulating RHL.

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The growth and development of plants are the result of the interplay between the internal developmental programming and plant-environment interactions. Gene expression regulations in plants are made up of multi-level networks. In the past few years, many studies were carried out on co- and post-transcriptional RNA modifications, which, together with the RNA community, are collectively known as the "epitranscriptome.

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The genetic basis of soybean root system architecture (RSA) and the genetic relationship between shoot and RSA were revealed by integrating data from recombinant inbred population grafting and QTL mapping. Variations in root system architecture (RSA) affect the functions of roots and thus play vital roles in plant adaptations and agricultural productivity. The aim of this study was to unravel the genetic relationship between RSA traits and shoot-related traits in soybean.

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The capability of a plant to protect itself from stress-related damages is termed "adaptability" and the phenomenon of showing better performance in subsequent stress is termed "stress memory". While drought is one of the most serious disasters to result from climate change, the current understanding of drought stress priming in soybean is still inadequate for effective crop improvement. To fill this gap, in this study, the drought memory response was evaluated in cultivated soybean ().

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Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is an important component in the nitrogen cycle and is a potential solution for sustainable agriculture. It is the result of the interactions between the plant host, mostly restricted to legume species, and the rhizobial symbiont. From the first encounter between the host and the symbiont to eventual successful nitrogen fixation, there are delicate processes involved, such as nodule organogenesis, rhizobial infection thread progression, differentiation of the bacteroid, deregulation of the host defense systems, and reallocation of resources.

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Transcription activation is tightly associated with the openness of chromatin and allows direct contact between transcriptional regulators and their targeted DNA for gene expression. However, there are limited studies on the annotation of open chromatin regions (OCRs) in rice (Oryza sativa), especially those in reproductive organs. Here, we characterized OCRs in rice pistils and anthers with an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing.

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The Wildsoydb DataHub is an integrated interface for biologists and breeders to access soybean genomic resources easily, allowing them to fully utilize the results of genomic research.

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() is one of the most widely used horticultural flowers and is considered a potential model plant for the genetic investigation of ornamental traits. In this study, we optimized an efficient protocol for high efficiency preparation and transformation of protoplast. The transformation rate reached ~75% when a construct was used for the transformation.

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Legume crops are rich in nutritional value for human and livestock consumption. With global climate change, developing stress-resilient crops is crucial for ensuring global food security. Because of their nitrogen-fixing ability, legumes are also important for sustainable agriculture.

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Plants have been evolving for millions of years to survive in their fast-changing environments, by promoting beneficial interactions with other organisms or taking advantage of new conditions in the physical environment, while finding ways to repel pathogens and pests or tolerate unfavorable conditions [...

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Accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) are tightly associated with gene expressions in the genome. Conserved non-coding cis-regulatory elements, such as transcription factor binding motifs, are usually found in ACRs, indicating an essential regulatory role of ACRs in the plant genome architecture. However, there have been few studies on soybean ACRs, especially those focusing on specific tissues.

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