A rice mTERF protein V14 sustains photosynthesis establishment and temperature acclimation in early seedling leaves.

Background: Plant mitochondrial transcription termination factor (mTERF) family members play important roles in development and stress tolerance through regulation of organellar gene expression. However, their molecular functions have yet to be clearly defined.

Results: Here an mTERF gene V14 was identified by fine mapping using a conditional albino mutant v14 that displayed albinism only in the first two true leaves, which was confirmed by transgenic complementation tests.

Robust multi-type plasmid modifications based on isothermal in vitro recombination.

A robust strategy for multi-type plasmid modifications is developed based on the isothermal in vitro recombination technology, by which any combination of the sequence modifications can be efficiently achieved in plasmids at any desired position in a seamless manner. As an example, we showed that a plasmid modification with insertion of a GFP gene, deletion of a 623-bp fragment, and substitution of an ampicillin resistance gene by a kanamycin resistance gene was accomplished simultaneously by this method. Therefore, the isothermal in vitro recombination-based multi-type plasmid modification strategy is a useful approach for broad application prospects in molecular biology studies.

[Molecular mapping of the fertility restorer gene Rf-4 for WA cytoplasmic male sterility in rice].

The cytoplasmic male sterility for wild-abortive (CMS-WA) has been wildly used for hybrid rice breeding in China. The fertility restoration of CMS-WA is controlled mainly by two independent and dominant nuclear fertility restoring genes, Rf-3 and Rf-4. To map the Rf-4 gene with molecular markers, rice YAC clones of RGP, Japan were used to create new molecular marker.

[Construction, characterization and screening of a transformation-competent artificial chromosome (TAC) library of wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium translocation line with resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus].

A transformation-competent artificial chromosome (TAC) library was constructed from the genomic DNA of wheat-Th. intermidium translocation line HW642 that harbor the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resistance gene derived from Th. intermidium.