Overexpression of OsERF106MZ promotes parental root growth in rice seedlings by relieving the ABA-mediated inhibition of root growth under salinity stress conditions.

Background: Roots are essential for plant growth and have a variety of functions, such as anchoring the plant to the ground, absorbing water and nutrients from the soil, and sensing abiotic stresses, among others. OsERF106MZ is a salinity-induced gene that is expressed in germinating seeds and rice seedling roots. However, the roles of OsERF106MZ in root growth remain poorly understood.

Affects Mitotic Cycles of Female and Male Gametophytes in Arabidopsis.

During sexual reproduction in flowering plants, haploid spores are formed from meiosis of spore mother cells. The spores then undergo mitosis, develop into female and male gametophytes, and give rise to seeds after fertilization. We identified a female sterile mutant from EMS mutagenesis, and analyses of two T-DNA insertion mutants, and , and detected a partial female and male sterility.

CFM6 is an Essential CRM Protein Required for the Splicing of nad5 Transcript in Arabidopsis Mitochondria.

Plant chloroplast RNA splicing and ribosome maturation (CRM)-domain-containing proteins are capable of binding RNA to facilitate the splicing of group I or II introns in chloroplasts, but their functions in mitochondria are less clear. In the present study, Arabidopsis thaliana CFM6, a protein with a single CRM domain, was expressed in most plant tissues, particularly in flower tissues, and restricted to mitochondria. Mutation of CFM6 causes severe growth defects, including stunted growth, curled leaves, delayed embryogenesis and pollen development.

Overexpression of a Novel ERF-X-Type Transcription Factor, OsERF106MZ, Reduces Shoot Growth and Tolerance to Salinity Stress in Rice.

Transcription factors (TFs) such as ethylene-responsive factors (ERFs) are important for regulating plant growth, development, and responses to abiotic stress. Notably, more than half of the rice ERF-X group members, including ethylene-responsive factor 106 (OsERF106), are abiotic stress-responsive genes. However, their regulatory roles in abiotic stress responses remain poorly understood.

Construction of gene causal regulatory networks using microarray data with the coefficient of intrinsic dependence.

Background: In the past two decades, biologists have been able to identify the gene signatures associated with various phenotypes through the monitoring of gene expressions with high-throughput biotechnologies. These gene signatures have in turn been successfully applied to drug development, disease prevention, crop improvement, etc. However, ignoring the interactions among genes has weakened the predictive power of gene signatures in practical applications.

Studies of a rice sterile mutant sstl from the TRIM collection.

Background: Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the main crops in the world, and more than 3.9 billion people will consume rice by 2025. Sterility significantly affects rice production and leads to yield defects.

The function of OsbHLH068 is partially redundant with its homolog, AtbHLH112, in the regulation of the salt stress response but has opposite functions to control flowering in Arabidopsis.

The homologous genes OsbHLH068 and AtbHLH112 have partially redundant functions in the regulation of the salt stress response but opposite functions to control flowering in Arabidopsis. The transcription factor (TF) basic/Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) is important for plant growth, development, and stress responses. OsbHLH068, which is a homologous gene of AtbHLH112 that is up-regulated under drought and salt stresses, as indicated by previous microarray data analysis.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Shoots and Roots of TNG67 and TCN1 Rice Seedlings under Cold Stress and Following Subsequent Recovery: Insights into Metabolic Pathways, Phytohormones, and Transcription Factors.

Cold stress affects rice growth, quality and yield. The investigation of genome-wide gene expression is important for understanding cold stress tolerance in rice. We performed comparative transcriptome analysis of the shoots and roots of 2 rice seedlings (TNG67, cold-tolerant; and TCN1, cold-sensitive) in response to low temperatures and restoration of normal temperatures following cold exposure.

Three novel alleles of FLOURY ENDOSPERM2 (FLO2) confer dull grains with low amylose content in rice.

Rice is a major food source for much of the world, and expanding our knowledge of genes conferring specific rice grain attributes will benefit both farmer and consumer. Here we present novel dull grain mutants with a low amylose content (AC) derived from mutagenesis of Oryza sativa, ssp. japonica cv.

High-resolution genetic mapping and physical map construction for the fertility restorer Rfm1 locus in barley.

High-resolution genetic linkage mapping and BAC physical mapping narrowed the fertility restorer locus Rfm1 in barley to a sub-centimorgan genetic interval and a 208-kb physical interval. Rfm1 restores the fertility of msm1 and msm2 male-sterile cytoplasms in barley. The fertility restoration gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 6H (6HS), and we pursued a positional cloning of this gene.

Comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed rice actin depolymerizing factor gene family and heterologous overexpression of OsADF3 confers Arabidopsis Thaliana drought tolerance.

Background: Actin depolymerizing factors (ADFs) are small actin-binding proteins. Many higher-plant ADFs has been known to involve in plant growth, development and pathogen defense. However, in rice the temporal and spatial expression of OsADF gene family and their relationship with abiotic stresses tolerance is still unknown.

Simultaneous detection of eight genetically modified maize lines using a combination of event- and construct-specific multiplex-PCR technique.

To fulfill labeling and traceability requirement of genetically modified (GM) maize for trade and regulation, it is essential to develop an event-specific detection method for monitoring the presence of transgenes. In pursuit of this purpose, we systematically optimized and established a combined event- and construct-specific multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) technique for simultaneous detection of 8 GM maize lines. Altogether 9 sets of primers were designed, including six that were event-specific for Event176, Bt11, TC1507, NK603, MON863, and Mon810; two that were construct-specific for T25 and GA21, and one for an endogenous zein gene.

A novel function of abscisic acid in the regulation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) root growth and development.

Plant roots retain developmental plasticity and respond to environmental stresses or exogenous plant growth regulators by undergoing profound morphological and physiological alteration. In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous ABA on root growth and development in Taichung native 1 (TN1) rice. Exogenous application of 10 microM ABA leads to swelling, root hair formation and initiation of lateral root primodia in the tips of young, seminal rice roots.