The GRAS gene family in watermelons: identification, characterization and expression analysis of different tissues and root-knot nematode infestations.

The family of GRAS plant-specific transcription factor plays diverse roles in numerous biological processes. Despite the identification and characterization of GRAS genes family in dozens of plant species, until now, GRAS members in watermelon () have not been investigated comprehensively. In this study, using bioinformatic analysis, we identified 37 GRAS genes in the watermelon genome (ClGRAS).

Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in the Synthesis of Secondary Metabolites in Filamentous Fungi.

Filamentous fungi possess the capacity to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities and structures, such as lovastatin and swainsonine. With the advent of the post-genomic era, increasing amounts of cryptic or uncharacterized secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters are continually being discovered. However, owing to the longstanding lack of versatile, comparatively simple, and highly efficient genetic manipulation techniques, the broader exploration of industrially important secondary metabolites has been hampered thus far.