Induced biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid in sweetpotato leaves confers the resistance against sweetpotato weevil attack.

Sweetpotato weevil is among the most harmful pests in some major sweetpotato growing areas with warm climates. To enable the future establishment of safe weevil-resistance strategies, anti-weevil metabolites from sweetpotato should be investigated. In the present study, we pretreated sweetpotato leaves with exogenous chlorogenic acid and then exposed them to sweetpotato weevils to evaluate this compound's anti-insect activity.

An AP2/ERF Gene, , from Pitaya () Positively Regulates Salt Tolerance.

Pitaya () is a high salt-tolerant fruit, and ethylene response factors (ERFs) play important roles in transcription-regulating abiotic tolerance. To clarify the function of in the salt tolerance of pitaya, was heterogeneously expressed in . HuERF1 had nuclear localization when was expressed in protoplasts and had transactivation activity when was expressed in yeast.

A Rice Autophagy Gene Is Involved in Nitrogen Remobilization and Control of Grain Quality.

Enhancing nitrogen (N) use efficiency is a potential way to reduce excessive nitrogen application and increase yield. Autophagy is a conserved degradation system in the evolution of eukaryotic cells and plays an important role in plant development and stress response. Autophagic cores have two conjugation pathways that attach the product of autophagy-related gene 8 (ATG8) to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and ATG5 to ATG12, respectively, which then help with vesicle elongation and enclosure.

Transcriptomic analysis of short-term heat stress response in Pinellia ternata provided novel insights into the improved thermotolerance by spermidine and melatonin.

Heat stress has been a major environmental factor limiting the growth and development of Pinellia ternata which is an important Chinese traditional medicine. It has been reported that spermidine (SPD) and melatonin (MLT) play pivotal roles in modulating heat stress response (HSR). However, the roles of SPD and MLT in HSR of P.

Obtusifoliol 14α-demethylase OsCYP51G1 is involved in phytosterol synthesis and affects pollen and seed development.

As structural components of biological membranes, phytosterols are essential not only for a variety of cellular functions but are also precursors for brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis. Plant CYP51 is the oldest and most conserved obtusifoliol 14α-demethylase in eukaryotes and is an essential component of the sterol biosynthesis pathway. However, little is known about rice (Oryza sativa L.

New insights into the evolution of host specificity of three species and the pathogenicity of involving the infection of Valencia orange ().

Unlabelled: Blue and green molds, the common phenotypes of post-harvest diseases in fruits, are mainly caused byfungal species, including and . We sequenced and assembled the genome of a strain, which contains 31,034,623 bp with 361 scaffolds and 627 contigs. The mechanisms underlying the evolution of host specificity among the analyzed species were associated with the expansion of protein families, genome restructuring, horizontal gene transfer, and positive selection pressure.

Detection of toxic methylenecyclopropylglycine and hypoglycin A in litchi aril of three Chinese cultivars.

As a subtropical fruit with high commercial values, litchi is also a source of methylenecyclcopropylglycine (MCPG) and hypoglycin A (HGA), which could cause hypoglycemia and fatal encephalopathy in human. In this work, a quantitative method was developed well to detect MCPG and HGA present in litchi aril of different cultivars. Method validation was evaluated well by linearity, recovery, precision and sensitivity.

Genome Sequencing of the Endangered Kingdonia uniflora (Circaeasteraceae, Ranunculales) Reveals Potential Mechanisms of Evolutionary Specialization.

Kingdonia uniflora, an alpine herb, has an extremely narrow distribution and represents a model for studying evolutionary mechanisms of species that have adapted to undisturbed environments for evolutionarily long periods of time. We assembled a 1,004.7-Mb draft genome (encoding 43,301 genes) of K.

Dynamic Expansion and Functional Evolutionary Profiles of Plant Conservative Gene Family SBP-Box in Twenty Two Flowering Plants and the Origin of miR156.

Conservative gene families in plants, which are closely related to innovations in flowering plants, have long and complex evolutionary histories. Here, we used the promoter-binding protein (SBP-box) gene family as an example to study conservative gene families in flowering plants. In total, 11 groups, including nine angiosperm-conservative groups and two monocot- and eudicot-specific groups, were identified.

Multielemental Stoichiometry in Plant Organs: A Case Study With the Alpine Herb Across Southwest China.

Multiple elements are required to be allocated to different organs to meet the demands for plant growth, reproduction, and maintenance. However, our knowledge remains limited on the stoichiometry in all plant organs in response to heterogeneous environments. Here, we present the systematic investigation of multielemental stoichiometry in organs of the alpine plant across different environmental conditions.

A molecular framework underlying the compound leaf pattern of Medicago truncatula.

Compound leaves show more complex patterns than simple leaves, and this is mainly because of a specific morphogenetic process (leaflet initiation and arrangement) that occurs during their development. How the relevant morphogenetic activity is established and modulated to form a proper pattern of leaflets is a central question. Here we show that the trifoliate leaf pattern of the model leguminous plant Medicago truncatula is controlled by the BEL1-like homeodomain protein PINNATE-LIKE PENTAFOLIATA1 (PINNA1).

The sucrose transporter MdSUT4.1 participates in the regulation of fruit sugar accumulation in apple.

Background: Sugar content is an important determinant of fruit sweetness, but details on the complex molecular mechanism underlying fruit sugar accumulation remain scarce. Here, we report the role of sucrose transporter (SUT) family in regulating fruit sugar accumulation in apple.

Results: Gene-tagged markers were developed to conduct candidate gene-based association study, and an SUT4 member MdSUT4.

Identification of EIL and ERF Genes Related to Fruit Ripening in Peach.

Peach () is a climacteric fruit with a relatively short shelf life due to its fast ripening or softening process. Here, we report the association of gene families encoding ethylene insensitive-3 like (EIL) and ethylene response factor (ERF) with fruit ripening in peach. In total, 3 and 12 PpERFs were highly expressed in fruit, with the majority showing a peak of expression at different stages.

Histone demethylase SlJMJ6 promotes fruit ripening by removing H3K27 methylation of ripening-related genes in tomato.

Fruit ripening is governed by a complex regulatory network. Reversible histone methylation and demethylation regulate chromatin structure and gene expression. However, little is known about the involvement of histone demethylases in regulating fruit ripening.

Oryza sativa FER-LIKE FE DEFICIENCY-INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR (OsFIT/OsbHLH156) interacts with OsIRO2 to regulate iron homeostasis.

Iron (Fe) is indispensable for the growth and development of plants. It is well known that FER-LIKE FE DEFICIENCY-INDUCED TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR (FIT) is a key regulator of Fe uptake in Arabidopsis. Here, we identify the Oryza sativa FIT (also known as OsbHLH156) as the interacting partner of IRON-RELATED BHLH TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR 2 (OsIRO2) that is critical for regulating Fe uptake.

Redox Regulation of the NOR Transcription Factor Is Involved in the Regulation of Fruit Ripening in Tomato.

Transcription factors (TFs) are important regulators of plant growth and development and responses to stresses. TFs themselves are also prone to multiple posttranslational modifications (PTMs). However, redox-mediated PTM of TFs in plants remains poorly understood.

Deciphering the Metabolic Pathways of Pitaya Peel after Postharvest Red Light Irradiation.

Red light irradiation can effectively prolong the shelf-life of many fruit. However, little is known about red light-induced metabolite and enzyme activities. In this study, pitaya fruit was treated with 100 Lux red light for 24 h.

Characterization of a PLDζ2 Homology Gene from Developing Castor Bean Endosperm.

Castor oil contains approximately 90% ricinoleic acid (RA) which is stored mainly in the form of tri-ricinoleic acid containing triacylglycerols (TAG). Ricinoleate is synthesized from oleate (18:1n-9) esterified to the sn-2 position of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) catalyzed by oleoyl-12-hydroxylase. PtdCho-derived diacylglycerol (DAG) is an important substrate pool for TAG synthesis, and the interconversion between PtdCho and DAG has been shown to play a critical role in channeling hydroxy fatty acids (HFA) to TAG.

The transcription factor VaNAC17 from grapevine (Vitis amurensis) enhances drought tolerance by modulating jasmonic acid biosynthesis in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Expression of VaNAC17 improved drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis by upregulating stress-responsive genes, modulating JA biosynthesis, and enhancing ROS scavenging. Water deficit severely affects the growth and development of plants such as grapevine (Vitis spp.).

Alternative Pathway to the Formation of -Cinnamic Acid Derived from l-Phenylalanine in Tea () Plants and Other Plants.

-Cinnamic acid (CA) is a precursor of many phenylpropanoid compounds, including catechins and aroma compounds, in tea (s) leaves and is derived from l-phenylalanine (l-Phe) deamination. We have discovered an alternative CA formation pathway from l-Phe via phenylpyruvic acid (PPA) and phenyllactic acid (PAA) in tea leaves through stable isotope-labeled precursor tracing and enzyme reaction evidence. Both PPA reductase genes () involved in the PPA-to-PAA pathway were isolated from tea leaves and functionally characterized and .

De novo genome assembly and Hi-C analysis reveal an association between chromatin architecture alterations and sex differentiation in the woody plant Jatropha curcas.

Background: Chromatin architecture is an essential factor regulating gene transcription in different cell types and developmental phases. However, studies on chromatin architecture in perennial woody plants and on the function of chromatin organization in sex determination have not been reported.

Results: Here, we produced a chromosome-scale de novo genome assembly of the woody plant Jatropha curcas with a total length of 379.

Functional Analysis Reveals the Regulatory Role of Encoding Tonoplast Sugar Transporter in Sugar Accumulation of Peach Fruit.

Sugar content is related to fruit sweetness, and the complex mechanisms underlying fruit sugar accumulation still remain elusive. Here, we report a peach gene encoding tonoplast sugar transporter that is located in the quantitative trait loci (QTL) interval on Chr5 controlling fruit sucrose content. One derived Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequence (dCAPS) marker was developed based on a nonsynonymous G/T variant in the third exon of .

Transformation of catechins into theaflavins by upregulation of CsPPO3 in preharvest tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves exposed to shading treatment.

Catechins and theaflavins are important metabolites contributing to tea function and quality. Catechins are known to transform into theaflavins during the tea manufacturing process, but the same transformation in preharvest tea leaves is unknown. Herein, we determined that shade treatment (dark), an agronomic practise widely used in tea cultivation, reduced the contents of most catechins, but increased the theaflavin contents, in preharvest tea leaves (cv.