High-quality genome assembly of Huazhan and Tianfeng, the parents of an elite rice hybrid Tian-you-hua-zhan.

High-quality rice reference genomes have accelerated the comprehensive identification of genome-wide variations and research on functional genomics and breeding. Tian-you-hua-zhan has been a leading hybrid in China over the past decade. Here, de novo genome assembly strategy optimization for the rice indica lines Huazhan (HZ) and Tianfeng (TF), including sequencing platforms, assembly pipelines and sequence depth, was carried out.

Karrikin Signaling Acts Parallel to and Additively with Strigolactone Signaling to Regulate Rice Mesocotyl Elongation in Darkness.

Seedling emergence in monocots depends mainly on mesocotyl elongation, requiring coordination between developmental signals and environmental stimuli. Strigolactones (SLs) and karrikins are butenolide compounds that regulate various developmental processes; both are able to negatively regulate rice () mesocotyl elongation in the dark. Here, we report that a karrikin signaling complex, DWARF14-LIKE (D14L)-DWARF3 (D3)- SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1 (OsSMAX1) mediates the regulation of rice mesocotyl elongation in the dark.

A genome-wide survey of copy number variations reveals an asymmetric evolution of duplicated genes in rice.

Background: Copy number variations (CNVs) are an important type of structural variations in the genome that usually affect gene expression levels by gene dosage effect. Understanding CNVs as part of genome evolution may provide insights into the genetic basis of important agricultural traits and contribute to the crop breeding in the future. While available methods to detect CNVs utilizing next-generation sequencing technology have helped shed light on prevalence and effects of CNVs, the complexity of crop genomes poses a major challenge and requires development of additional tools.

A Strigolactone Biosynthesis Gene Contributed to the Green Revolution in Rice.

Plant architecture is a complex agronomic trait and a major factor of crop yield, which is affected by several important hormones. Strigolactones (SLs) are identified as a new class hormoneinhibiting branching in many plant species and have been shown to be involved in various developmental processes. Genetical and chemical modulation of the SL pathway is recognized as a promising approach to modify plant architecture.

The newly identified heat-stress sensitive albino 1 gene affects chloroplast development in rice.

High temperature, a major abiotic stress, significantly affects the yield and quality of crops in many parts of the world. Components of the photosynthetic apparatus are highly susceptible to thermal damage. Although the responses to acute heat stress have been studied intensively, the mechanisms that regulate chloroplast development under heat stress remain obscure, especially in crop plants.

Activation of ABA Receptors Gene Is Positively Correlated with Cotton Drought Tolerance in Transgenic .

The sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) by its receptors, pyrabactin resistance-like proteins (PYLs), is considered a most important factor in activating the ABA signal pathway in response to abiotic stress. However, it is still unknown which PYL is the crucial ABA receptor mediating response to drought stress in cotton ( L.).

Functional Inactivation of Putative Photosynthetic Electron Acceptor Ferredoxin C2 (FdC2) Induces Delayed Heading Date and Decreased Photosynthetic Rate in Rice.

Ferredoxin (Fd) protein as unique electron acceptor, involved in a variety of fundamental metabolic and signaling processes, which is indispensable for plant growth. The molecular mechanisms of Fd such as regulation of electron partitioning, impact of photosynthetic rate and involvement in the carbon fixing remain elusive in rice. Here we reported a heading date delay and yellowish leaf 1 (hdy1) mutant derived from Japonica rice cultivar "Nipponbare" subjected to EMS treatment.

A Rare Allele of GS2 Enhances Grain Size and Grain Yield in Rice.

Grain size determines grain weight and affects grain quality. Several major quantitative trait loci (QTLs) regulating grain size have been cloned; however, our understanding of the underlying mechanism that regulates the size of rice grains remains fragmentary. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of a dominant QTL, grain size on chromosome 2 (GS2), which encodes Growth-Regulating Factor 4 (OsGRF4), a transcriptional regulator.