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    Research progress of seed dormancy and germination regulation
    SONG Song-Quan, TANG Cui-Fang, LEI Hua-Ping, JIANG Xiao-Cheng, WANG Wei-Qing, CHENG Hong-Yan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (1): 1-15.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34012
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    Dormancy enables plant seeds to time germination until environmental conditions become favorable for seedling survival and growth. The dormancy characteristics of seeds are of important ecological adaptive significance and notable agricultural value. Phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) are the key factors for seed dormancy and germination. Mature seeds in dormancy state contain high levels of ABA and low levels of GA. ABA induces and maintains seed dormancy, while GA antagonizes ABA and promotes seed germination. DELAY OF GERMINATION-1 (DOG1) is a major regulator of seed dormancy and had a synergistic effect with ABA to delay germination. DOG1 enhances ABA signal transduction by combining with PP2C ABA hypersensitive germination (AHG1/AHG3), and inhibits the action of AHG1 to increase ABA sensitivity and impose seed dormancy. Imprinted genes are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms before and after fertilization, and are closely related to the establishment and release of seed dormancy. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the regulation of seed dormancy. In the present paper, we reviewed the effects of phytohormones ABA and GA on seed dormancy and germination, the action mechanism regulating seed dormancy by DOG1, and the epigenetic regulation of seed dormancy and germination. In addition, we also propose some scientific issues that need to be further investigated in this field to provide some information for understanding the molecular mechanism of seed dormancy and germination, breeding in anti-preharvest sprouting in crop plants, and promoting the germination of dormant seeds.

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    Function and application of calcium in plant growth and development
    WANG Yu, GAO Geng-Dong, GE Meng-Meng, CHANG Ying, TAN Jing, GE Xian-Hong, WANG Jing, WANG Bo, ZHOU Guang-Sheng, FU Ting-Dong
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (4): 793-807.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34145
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    Calcium is one of the essential elements in crops. It is widely present in roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, and is of great significance for the growth and development of crops. Calcium is a difficult element to redistribute, and its absorption and transport are subject to transpiration. Therefore, crops often experience physiological calcium deficiency, which weakens their stress resistance and reduces both yield and quality. Calcium in crops has dual functions. It not only participates in the formation of cell walls and membranes but also plays a role in responding to various environmental stimuli and internal growth and development signals as an intracellular second messenger. The absorption and transportation of calcium in cells are essential for maintaining intracellular calcium homeostasis and ensuring calcium signal transduction. In recent years, the function and application of calcium in crops have been extensively studied. In this study, we describe the distribution, absorption, transportation, and demand of calcium in crops, introduce the symptoms and causes of calcium deficiency in crops, review the nutritional structure functions of calcium, the second messenger function and the mechanism of calcium signal generation, transmission, and decoding, and summarize the role of calcium in crop growth and development, including its effects on yield, quality, and stress resistance. Meanwhile, the future research direction is proposed.

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    Research progress on the intensification of agroecosystem functions through legume-based crop rotation
    LIU Chun-Yan, ZHANG Li-Ying, ZHOU Jie, XU Yi, YANG Ya-Dong, ZENG Zhao-Hai, ZANG Hua-Dong
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (8): 1885-1895.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34195
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    Although intensive agriculture plays a crucial role in ensuring global food security, the conflict between its environmental costs and sustainable development is becoming increasingly prominent. Legume inclusion into agroecosystem is vital for improving soil health, enhancing agroecosystem stability, and achieving resource utilization efficiency. This paper provides a systematic summary of the main effects of the legume-based rotation on crop production and soil function as follows: 1) Legume enhance soil nitrogen (N) content through biological N fixation, high-quality rhizosphere exudates input, and straw incorporation, resulting in positive legacy effects. This, in turn, benefits the subsequent crop yields, particularly in agroecosystems with low soil fertility. 2) Although the biological N fixation of legumes poses the risk of increasing CO2 emissions, it can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by reducing N fertilization in the rotation. 3) The low C/N ratio and high N content of legume straw promote soil microbial activity and microbial residue accumulation, thereby improving soil carbon sequestration efficiency. However, the limited amount of straw for legumes restricts C sequestration. 4) Legumes can improve water and fertilizer utilization efficiency of subsequent crops, and optimizing the root depth between legume and subsequent crop can enhance the overall efficiency of water and fertilizer usage in the rotation. In conclusion, the inclusion of legumes in crop rotation can achieve a reduction in N fertilizer usage and an increase in yield. However, the effects of soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission reduction are influenced by various factors such as crop type, fertilizer input, soil, and climate conditions. Exploring the coupling mechanisms between the effects of legumes on subsequent crop yield and belowground ecological functions is of great significance. Developing field management technologies for legume-based crop rotation and designing new ecological and efficient cropping systems suitable for various regions in China will facilitate the construction and implementation of legume-based rotations, contributing to agricultural green development.

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    Research progress on genetic basis and QTL mapping of oil content in peanut seed
    ZHANG Yue, WANG Zhi-Hui, HUAI Dong-Xin, LIU Nian, JIANG Hui-Fang, LIAO Bo-Shou, LEI Yong
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (3): 529-542.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34083
    Abstract1114)   HTML135)    PDF(pc) (590KB)(699)       Save

    Peanut is an important oilseed crop in China, and oil content is an important quality trait and breeding target of peanut. One percentage point increase in peanut oil content is equivalent to an increase of two percentage points in yield, and oil processing profit can be increased by seven percentage points. This study outlined four predominant methods for phenotyping peanut oil content. The genetic characteristics of oil content in peanut were quantitative traits under polygenic control, that were affected by additive and dominant effects, and influenced by G×E interaction. There were 124 QTL reported for oil content, with 36 major effect loci by (phenotypic variation explained) more than 10%. Eight major effect QTL on A03, A05, and A08 can be consistently identified. A consistent genetic map of oil content in peanut was constructed, with a hotspot region on the 33.59-50.24 Mb of A08. In addition, the research progress of lipid synthesis and the regulatory mechanisms of associated genes was detailed. This review aspires to provide theoretical guidance for the genetic improvement of oil content and the breeding of high oil varieties of peanut.

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    Genetic analysis of seed coat and flower color based on a soybean nested association mapping population
    SONG Jian, XIONG Ya-Jun, CHEN Yi-Jie, XU Rui-Xin, LIU Kang-Lin, GUO Qing-Yuan, HONG Hui-Long, GAO Hua-Wei, GU Yong-Zhe, ZHANG Li-Juan, GUO Yong, YAN Zhe, LIU Zhang-Xiong, GUAN Rong-Xia, LI Ying-Hui, WANG Xiao-Bo, GUO Bing-Fu, SUN Ru-Jian, YAN Long, WANG Hao-Rang, JI Yue-Mei, CHANG Ru-Zhen, WANG Jun, QIU Li-Juan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (3): 556-575.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34094
    Abstract1008)   HTML53)    PDF(pc) (12248KB)(334)       Save

    Nested Association Mapping (NAM) population is widely applied in genetic study and breeding practice in many crops. A NAM panel was constructed by crossing of 35 parental lines with the common maternal lines (Zhongdou 41) based on previous evaluation of soybean germplasm. Principle component analysis and clustering analysis showed that clear genetic structure was observed between subpanel of RIL populations. Genetic analysis was performed on flower color and seed coat color in NAM subpanel with significant difference between paternal and maternal parents, and we found that qFC13-1 was significantly associated with flower color, which coincided with the W1 locus. Twelve loci identified were significantly correlated with seed coat color, among which nine loci were co-located by more than three methods, and the other three loci were co-located by two methods, including four reported loci and eight novel loci. In conclusion, NAM population was suitable for genetic analysis of soybean, which provided material basis for genetic interpretation and breeding practice for complex traits in soybean.

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    Knockout of GmBADH1 gene using CRISPR/Cas9 technique to reduce salt tolerance in soybean
    SHI Yu-Xin, LIU Xin-Yue, SUN Jian-Qiang, LI Xiao-Fei, GUO Xiao-Yang, ZHOU Ya, QIU Li-Juan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (1): 100-109.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34056
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    Functional identification of salt-tolerant genes is crucial for the improvement of soybean varieties and the development and utilization of saline-alkali land. Under salt stress, crops reduce the effect of salt damage on crop yield by synthesizing and accumulating betaine as osmotic protective agent. BADH gene is been proved to regulate plant response to stress in many plants, but the regulation mechanism in soybean is not clear. In this study, GmBADH1 gene was cloned, and qRT-PCR showed that the gene was expressed stems and leaves, especially in roots. The expression vector constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 system was transferred into soybean variety JACK by Agrobacterium-mediated soybean genetic transformation technology, and three targeted mutations that could regulate the salt tolerance of soybean were produced. They all occurred in the coding region, which had three difference of deletion 19 bp, insertion 1 bp, and insertion 9 bp to replace 2 bp. The first two, premature termination codons, resulting in truncated BADH1 protein, the latter occurred frameshift mutation. The mutant homozygous plants were treated with salt at the emergence stage and seedling stage, respectively. The results showed that the salt tolerance of the mutant homozygous plants was significantly lower than that of the wild type at seedling stage, and there was no significant difference compared with the wild type at seeding stage, which indicating that GmBADH1 gene may mainly regulate the salt tolerance of seedling stage. This study provides a basis for further excavation of soybean salt-tolerant genes and cultivation of soybean salt-tolerant varieties.

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    Genetic analysis of elite stripe rust resistance genes of founder parent Zhou 8425B in its derived varieties
    LI Yu-Jia, XU Hao, YU Shi-Nan, TANG Jian-Wei, LI Qiao-Yun, GAO Yan, ZHENG Ji-Zhou, DONG Chun-Hao, YUAN Yu-Hao, ZHENG Tian-Cun, YIN Gui-Hong
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (1): 16-31.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.31013
    Abstract994)   HTML60)    PDF(pc) (4495KB)(365)       Save

    Zhou 8425B is a widely used dwarf large panicle and disease-resistant and stress-resistant Wheat Founder Parent in the wheat production areas of the Yellow-Huaihe-Haihe Rivers regions. The analysis of stripe rust resistance of derived varieties and the genetic transmission information of stripe rust resistance gene carried by Zhou 8425B is of great value for wheat new variety breeding. In this study, we used a highly toxic race of stripe rust, Tiaozhong 34 (CYR34), to identify the resistance of 222 collected Zhou 8425B derived varieties to stripe rust at seedling stage. The hybrid strain mainly CYR34 was used to identify the resistance to stripe rust at adult stage of the derived varieties. Subsequently, molecular markers closely linked to the stripe rust resistance genes (YrZH84, YrZH84.2, Yr30, YrZH22, and Yr9 carried by Zhou 8425B) were used for genotype detection of the derived varieties. The results showed that Zhou 8425B was highly resistant to stripe rust stripe rust at seedling stage and adult stage to the current virulent dominant race CYR34. Among the 222 derivative varieties of Zhou 8425B, 14 of them, including Changmai 9, Jiyanmai 10, Bainong 4199, Saidemai 7, and Zhengmai 103, etc., showed stable disease resistance in two years, accounting for 6.3%; 52 derivative varieties, include Zhoumai 11, Zhoumai 22, Zhoumai 26, Zhoumai 36, Lantian 36, Cunmai 16 and Zhengpinmai 8, etc., had stable disease resistance during the whole growth period, accounting for 23.4%. Many derivative varieties of Zhou 8425B were mainly derived from six offspring, including Zhoumai 11, Zhoumai 12, Zhoumai 13, Zhoumai 15, Zhoumai 16, and Zhoumai 17. In the first generation, Zhoumai 16 and Zhoumai 13 directly derived more varieties because of their good agronomic characters, while Zhoumai 15 and Zhoumai 17 derived fewer varieties. Zhoumai 12 and Zhoumai 13 bred the second generation, Zhoumai 22, and then derived 45 sub-generations, and Zhoumai 11 bred Aikang 58, and then derived 54 sub-generations. The excellent stripe rust resistance gene of Zhou 8425B was continuously separated and polymerized in the process of genetic breeding. The frequencies of YrZH84, YrZH84.2, YrZH22, Yr30, and Yr9 in the derived offspring were 34.7%, 14.9%, 41.9%, 66.2%, and 67.1%, respectively. Among the derivative varieties carrying only one disease resistance gene, the average severity of YrZH84 was the lowest (14.4%). Among the derived varieties that aggregate two disease resistance genes, the average severity of carrying YrZH84+YrZH22 was the lowest (20.0%); among the derived varieties that aggregate three disease resistance genes, the average severity of carrying YrZH84+YrZH22+Yr9 was the lowest (17.2%). Among the derived varieties that aggregate four disease resistance genes, the average severity of carrying YrZH84+YrZH22+Yr30+Yr9 was 16.9%, and the average severity of carrying YrZH84.2+YrZH22+Yr30+Yr9 was 38.4%. At seedling stage, derived varieties that carried the YrZH84 resistance gene or a combination of genes containing YrZH84 during the entire growth period had better disease resistance. These results provide the information of stripe rust gene for the continuous improvement and utilization of the Founder Parent Zhou 8425B in China, identify the new derived germplasm with high resistance and high yield to the highly virulent physiological race CYR34, which providing a reference for the genetic breeding of wheat resistance to stripe rust in China.

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    Genetic analysis of high yield and yield stability characteristics of new wheat variety Xinong 877
    MENG Xiang-Yu, DIAO Deng-Chao, LIU Ya-Rui, LI Yun-Li, SUN Yu-Chen, WU Wei, ZHAO Wen, WANG Yu, WU Jian-Hui, LI Chun-Lian, ZENG Qing-Dong, HAN De-Jun, ZHENG Wei-Jun
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2025, 51 (5): 1261-1276.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2025.41064
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    Xinong 877 is a newly developed wheat variety bred by Northwest A&F University, characterized by wide adaptability, high yield, and yield stability. This study aims to elucidate the genetic basis of Xinong 877’s high yield, adaptability, and comprehensive resistance, thereby providing theoretical foundations and methodological guidance for the breeding of new wheat varieties. Field experiments were conducted to analyze the grain filling characteristics and photosynthetic traits of Xinong 877, along with several high-yielding wheat varieties from the Huanghuai wheat region. A combined approach utilizing a 16K SNP background chip and a 0.1K SNP functional chip was employed to thoroughly dissect the genetic foundation of Xinong 877 and identify the genetic effects of key chromosomal regions. The results showed that, Xinong 877 exhibited superior grain filling characteristics, including an extended grain filling duration, optimal allocation across various grain filling stages, and a high grain filling rate. Additionally, its flag leaves possessed elevated chlorophyll content and enhanced photosynthetic capacity. In regional trials, the average thousand-grain weight was 48.60 g, and in field trials, it reached 50.05 g, both surpassing the control variety Zhoumai 36 and demonstrating good stability. These traits establish a foundation for realizing high yield potential. In multi-location regional trials, Xinong 877 achieved an average stability coefficient of 89.15, significantly higher than that of Zhoumai 36. Regarding genetic composition, Xinong 805a, as the female parent, contributed 80.23 percent of the genetic makeup to Xinong 877, the highest among the three parent lines. Additionally, Xinong 877 incorporated multiple superior genes/QTLs from its parents, including stripe rust resistance loci QYrqin.nwafu-6BS, QYrsn.nwafu-1BL, QYrxn.nwafu-1BL, Yr29, and Yr78; fusarium head blight resistance loci QFhb.caas-5AL and QFhb.hbaas-5AL; leaf rust resistance loci Lr13 and Lr68; as well as yield-related loci such as grain weight genes TaT6P and TaGS5-A1, and grain size gene QGl-4A. Xinong 877 exhibits significant yield potential and wide adaptability in field production. There are notable differences in the genetic contributions from the parent lines, with Xinong 805a providing the highest genetic contribution. The aggregation of multiple key genes/QTLs related to important traits in Xinong 877 offers valuable genetic resources and theoretical support for the development of high-yield, broadly adaptable wheat varieties in the Huanghuai wheat region.

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    Construction of evaluation method for tolerance to high-temperature and screening of heat-tolerant germplasm resources of bud stage in soybean
    LI Jia-Jia, LONG Qun, ZHU Shang-Shang, SHAN Ya-Jing, WU Mei-Yan, LU Yun, ZHI Xian-Guan, LIAO Wei, CHEN Hao-Ran, ZHAO Zhen-Bang, MIAO Long, GAO Hui-Hui, LI Ying-Hui, WANG Xiao-Bo, QIU Li-Juan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2023, 49 (11): 2863-2875.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2023.34025
    Abstract952)   HTML68)    PDF(pc) (530KB)(2518)       Save

    The frequent occurrence of extreme high temperature (HT) events causes continuous heat damage to soybean production, which seriously damages the yield components and quality traits. The seeds are sensitive to the changes of the external environment at germination stage. The rising temperature and the accompanying drought will affect the emergence of soybean seeds. The establishment of a set of scientific evaluation methods for HT tolerance at bud stage can provide a theoretical basis for the early identification of soybean, the breeding of HT tolerance germplasm, and the study of tolerance mechanism. In this study, 385 germplasm resources varieties were selected as the experimental materials, which creating a HT environment by artificial climate incubator and subjected to HT-stress for 3 d (40℃, 16 h light /8 h darkness) at bud stage of soybean. Compared with the control (25℃, 16 h light /8 h darkness), the hypocotyl length of soybean bud stage was significantly decreased 10.9% under HT stress (P < 0.05). The indices of fresh root weight, dry root weight, and root-shoot ratio increased by 13.10%, 22.20%, and 16.90%, respectively (P<0.01). The results showed that HT-stress significantly affected the surface and underground biomass distribution of bud stage in soybean. Meanwhile, the principal component analysis for the coefficient of HT-tolerance for each trait converted 11 indexes into two principal component factors. The comprehensive evaluation value (H-value) of soybean response to HT-stress was obtained by the standardized analysis of membership function, and cluster analysis was conducted for the tested varieties based on H-value. Ultimately, 385 germplasm resources were divided into 5 grades for the HT-tolerance at bud stage in soybean [namely: Grade I (tolerance), Grade II (strong tolerance), Grade III (medium), Grade IV (strong sensitive), and Grade V (sensitive type)] and four HT-resistant varieties based on the specific performance (H245, H070, H268, and H216) were initially selected combined with the actual heat resistance performance. After the stepwise regression analysis of each index, a predictive model for the comprehensive evaluation of HT tolerance (H-value) at bud stage of soybean was established: H = 0.191 + 0.017X1 - 0.007X2 + 0.013X7 + 0.027X8 - 0.009X10 (R2=0.9752). Five indexes main including hypocotyl length (X1), main root length (X2), hypocotyl dry weight (X7), root fresh weight (X8), and simplified vigor index (X10) were screened out as the evaluation indexes for HT tolerance at bud stage in soybean.

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    Physicochemical properties of wheat starch and the molecular mechanisms of its synthesis
    KANG Guo-Zhang, WANG Yong-Hua, GUO Tian-Cai
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (11): 2665-2673.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.41020
    Abstract946)   HTML53)    PDF(pc) (681KB)(618)       Save

    Starch is the most important component of wheat grain, determining grain weight and significantly influencing the quality of noodles and steamed buns, the primary cooking pasta products in China. Therefore, it is crucial to deeply explore the physicochemical properties of wheat starch and the molecular mechanisms underlying its synthesis. In common wheat, amylose and amylopectin constitute 17%-34% and 66%-83% of the total starch content, respectively. These two components exist in two particle shapes: A-type ( > 9.8 μm) and B-type ( < 9.8 μm). Their physicochemical properties (content, amylose/amylopectin ratio, swelling, gelatinization, etc.) significantly affect the processing quality of cooked pasta products such as noodles and steamed buns. The wheat genome contains 26 genes that encode subunits or isoenzymes of starch synthesis enzymes, with their expression levels being heavily regulated at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels. This review examines the physicochemical properties of wheat starch, the relationships between these properties and the processing quality of noodles and steamed buns, the functional genes involved in starch synthesis, and their regulatory factors at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and translational levels. Finally, future research directions for wheat starch are discussed.

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    Mining maize flowering traits related candidate genes based on GWAS and WGCNA data
    QIAN Fu, ZHANG Zhan-Qin, CHEN Shu-Bin, DING Yong-Fu, SANG Zhi-Qin, LI Wei-Hua
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2023, 49 (12): 3261-3276.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2023.33010
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    The flowering time is one of the important traits in maize. It is of great significance to analyze the genetic basis and to mine the key core genes in flowering for maize varieties with wide adaptability. A natural population consisting of 580 maize inbred lines were planted for three years, to determine the three flowering traits (including days to anthesis, days to silking, and anthesis silking interval). Genome-wide association analysis was conducted using 31,826 SNPs distributed throughout the whole genome. Combined with transcriptome data of 14 different developmental stages of inbred line B73, weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to select tissue specific modules and key genes related to maize flowering time. A total of 14 SNPs for four flower traits under multiple environments and 10 potential candidate genes were mined by GWAS, WGCNA was used to mine 17 potential candidate genes in flowering time, three candidate genes were jointly mined by both approaches. Zm00001d052180 encodes a MADS box transcription factor 19, Zm00001d016814 encodes the NAC transcription factor 133, Zm00001d048082 encodes MADS box transcription factor 8, mainly involved in regulating inflorescence growth and development, which has certain research value and significance. These results provide a reference for the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms of flowering time related traits in maize.

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    Advances in heat-stress responses at sexual reproduction stage in plants
    CHEN Sai-Hua, ZHONG Wei-Jie, XUE Ming
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2023, 49 (12): 3143-3153.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2023.32020
    Abstract881)   HTML109)    PDF(pc) (4257KB)(607)       Save

    The occurrence of extreme hot weather poses a threat to crop production. Heat stress suffered at reproductive stage in crops is always correlated with crop yield losses, and thus the underlying molecular mechanisms are of great significance in crop thermotolerance improvement. However, relevant studies are mainly focused on Arabidopsis and less is known in crops. From the perspective of plants, here, we reviewed the heat-stress responses at reproductive stage, including meiosis process, tapetum degradation, microspore development, pollen-tube germination, and fertilization, as well as seed development. Based on these advances, we proposed feasible strategies for thermotolerance improvement, which will pave a way for the breeding of heat-tolerant crop varieties.

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    Identification of candidate genes implicated in low-nitrogen-stress tolerance based on RNA-Seq in sorghum
    WANG Rui, ZHANG Fu-Yao, ZHAN Peng-Jie, CHU Jian-Qiang, JIN Min-Shan, ZHAO Wei-Jun, CHENG Qing-Jun
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (3): 669-685.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34055
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    The objective of this study is to explore gene differential expression between different sorghum materials under low nitrogen stress conditions and to provide the references for probing into the breeding of low-nitrogen-tolerant sorghum varieties and the molecular mechanism of low-nitrogen-stress tolerance in sorghum. Two low-nitrogen-tolerant sorghum varieties (BSX44 and BTx378) were selected as experimental materials, and both of them were subjected to normal-growth treatment and low-nitrogen-stress treatment respectively before the gene expression of sorghum was detected at seedling stage, heading stage and flowering stage via RNA-Seq technology. The biological functions and metabolic pathways of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by bioinformatics to screen genes that may be involved in the low-nitrogen regulation, and to understand the possible molecular pathways for nitrogen efficient materials in the process of nitrogen absorption and utilization. The results showed that: For BTx378 and BSX44, under normal-growth and low-nitrogen-stress treatments, 937 and 787 DEGs were detected at the seedling stage, 1305 and 935 at the heading stage, and 1402 and 963 at the flowering stage, for BTx378 and BSX44 respectively. Then the converged DEGs at the three stages were identified, and it was found that 246 genes were differentially expressed in the two low-nitrogen-tolerant sorghum varieties at the seedling stage, 371 at the heading stage, and 306 at the flowering stage. Furthermore, a total of 28 genes were consistently detected as DEGs at all three stages in the two low-nitrogen tolerant varieties, among which 5 genes were up-regulated and 23 genes were down-regulated. The KEGG analysis of the 28 common DEGs showed that they were mainly enriched in nitrogen metabolism, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis. This suggested that regulation of the genes in these pathways mainly affects the low nitrogen stress tolerance in sorghum.

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    Function analysis of different Cas9 promoters on the efficiency of CRISPR/ Cas9 system in soybean
    NIU Zhi-Yuan, QIN Chao, LIU Jun, WANG Hai-Ze, LI Hong-Yu
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2023, 49 (12): 3227-3238.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2023.24285
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    The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been widely used in plants and animals as an efficient gene editing system. Several Cas9 promoters, such as RPS5A and YAO, have been reported to improve the efficiency of gene editing in CRISPR/Cas9 system. In soybean, the influence of different Cas9 promoters on the efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system has not been elucidated. In this study, six efficient promoters with known functions (p35S, pGmRPS5Ab, pGmRPS5Ac, pAtRPS5A, pGmYAO, and pZmUbiquitin) and one endogenous soybean promoter with unknown function (pGmHE) were selected to construct the CRISPR/Cas9 knockout vectors. The editing efficiency of the Cas9 promoters on the endogenous soybean genes GmSPA1a and GmEID1 was tested by Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated hair roots system, which indicated that soybean endogenous promoter pGmRPS5Ab had the highest editing efficiency. The editing efficiency of pAtRPS5A, p35S, and pZmUbiquitin were higher than that of pGmYAO and pGmRPS5Ac. Further analysis of the sequencing maps of target sites showed that the high peak maps accounted for 64.0% and 58.6% in the sequencing maps of pGmRPS5Ab and pAtRPS5A promoters, respectively, while in the sequencing maps of p35S-driven hair roots, the low peak accounted for a higher proportion (63.3%). These above results indicated that pGmRP5SAb and pAtRPS5A promoters not only had high editing efficiency, but also had better editing effect, and were more conducive to the isolation of homozygous mutants in the next generation. In conclusion, this study provide the reference for the construction of efficient soybean CRISPR/Cas9 vectors and help to improve the efficiency of soybean gene editing.

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    Development, genetic deciphering, and breeding utilization of dwarf lines in foxtail millet
    DIAO Xian-Min, WANG Li-Wei, ZHI Hui, ZHANG Jun, LI Shun-Guo, CHENG Ru-Hong
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (2): 265-279.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34131
    Abstract855)   HTML58)    PDF(pc) (4944KB)(876)       Save

    Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is an important cereal crop in northern China’s arid and semiarid dry land agriculture, which has recently been proposed as a novel model for functional genomics. Breeding dwarf varieties is the development trend of foxtail millet industry. To date, more than 70 foxtail millet dwarf lines have been developed and reported worldwide. According to morphological characteristics, foxtail millet dwarf lines can be divided into two types: compact type with erect leaves and conventional type with droopy leaves. Gibberellins (GA) sensitivity assay indicated that four materials were not sensitive to GA and the others were sensitive. Genetic analyses detected that most of the dwarf phenotype lines were controlled by recessive genes, but the height phenotype of Ai 88 was controlled by multi-dwarf-gene. So far, 79 QTL related with plant height regulation were detected by natural population GWAS or linkage analysis. Among seven genes or QTL fine mapped in foxtail millet, the semi-dominant dwarfism gene SiD1 in 84113 was the only one cloned and functionally characterized. In the history of breeding dwarf foxtail millet variety, Ai 88 was a backbone line, which had been utilized to develop 139 cultivars with reducing plant height to meet the requirement of logging resistance and mechanized harvest. In this study, we reviewed systematically the research progress of dwarfing gene in foxtail millet, sorted out the dwarfing genes that had been located and cloned, discussed the problems in the research of dwarfing genetics and breeding, and prospected the future development in foxtail.

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    Relative expression profiles of genes response to salt stress and constructions of gene co-expression networks in Brassica napus L.
    YANG Chuang, WANG Ling, QUAN Cheng-Tao, YU Liang-Qian, DAI Cheng, GUO Liang, FU Ting-Dong, MA Chao-Zhi
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (1): 237-250.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34076
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    Brassica napus L. is an important oil crop. Salt stress is one of the major environmental conditions affecting the growth and development of B. napus, which may lead to yield reduction, quality deterioration, and even the death of B. napus. In this study, the B. napus semi-winter cultivar ZS11 was used as the experimental material to perform transcriptome sequencing on the leaf and root tissues with salt stress treatment (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h). The measured 90 RNA-seq data provided the high-resolution time dynamic transcriptional expression spectrum of rapeseed tissues responding to salt stress was obtained. Correlation analysis showed that the samples exhibited significant clustering differences in early response and late response before and after 1 h salt stress treatment. Using DESeq2 for differential gene analysis, we identified 20,462 and 29,334 differential genes for the response of root and leaf tissues, respectively, indicating that the overall response of leaf tissue in rapeseed was more severe than the root. Furthermore, WGCNA was used to construct gene co-expression networks for the salt stress response in root and leaf tissues, respectively, and tan and yellow modules were significantly related to the early response to salt stress, and green and red modules were significantly related to the late response to salt stress. GO enrichment analysis was then performed, and 41 and 26 core transcription factors responding to salt stress at the early and late stages, respectively, were selected from these networks. Functional annotation showed that the known Arabidopsis homologous genes involved in salt stress responses at different stages existed in all four modules, and core genes, such as BnWRKY46 and BnWRKY57, had abundant SNPs variation and haplotypes in 505 salt stress-treated rape population variation data, suggesting that these core transcription factors might be key candidate genes for rape salt stress response. This study provides a reliable data reference and candidate gene resources for improving salt tolerance in B. napus.

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    Assessment of the cultivation suitability and suitable regions of Gastrodia elata under climate change in China
    HAO Jia-Le, ZHAO Jiong-Chao, ZHAO Ming-Yu, WANG Yi-Xuan, LU Jie, SHI Xiao-Yu, GAO Zhen-Zhen, CHU Qing-Quan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (4): 1004-1014.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34098
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    Climate change affects species growth areas by altering the suitability of their habitats. As a rare and endangered medical plant in China, the evaluation of the suitable distribution area and the impact of climate change on the suitability of Gastrodia elata can provide important information for the production layout of Gastrodia elata. In this study, the MaxEnt model was used to simulate the spatial distribution and changes of the suitability and suitable area for Gastrodia elata cultivation from 1961 to 2020, based on geographic distribution and environmental data. Results showed that the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of Gastrodia elata were solar radiation from May to July, precipitation in October and November, the minimum temperature in the coldest month, and vegetation type. The high suitable areas for Gastrodia elata cultivation in China were mainly distributed in the southwestern region around the Sichuan Basin. 1961 to 2020, the suitability for Gastrodia elata cultivation had shown a fluctuating increasing trend, with the area of improved suitability accounting for 9.10% of the total land area of China, mainly concentrated in Southwest China, the parts of central and eastern China, and Shaanxi province. The overall decrease in solar radiation from May to July over the past 60 years was the main reason for the increased suitability of asparagus cultivation. This study provided a scientific basis for the production and artificial cultivation site selection of Gastrodia elata in China, which provided reference significance for formulating strategies to respond to future climate change.

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    Development of an optimal core SNP loci set for maize variety genuineness identification
    TIAN Hong-Li, YANG Yang, FAN Ya-Ming, YI Hong-Mei, WANG Rui, JIN Shi-Qiao, JIN Fang, ZHANG Yun-Long, LIU Ya-Wei, WANG Feng-Ge, ZHAO Jiu-Ran
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (5): 1115-1123.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.33052
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    Variety genuineness is an important indicator for seed quality monitoring. In order to establish accurate, reliable, fast, simple, high-throughput, and low-cost maize variety genuineness identification technology, we evaluated and determined a set of high discriminative power core SNP loci set including 96 SNPs based on SNP fingerprint data of 5816 maize hybrids and 3274 inbred lines using the genetic algorithm and variety recognition rate. All 96 SNPs were located in the intra-gene region, generally distributed evenly on 10 pairs of chromosomes. The evaluation results using the above hybrid and inbred line data showed that 96 SNPs set had high polymorphism and variety discrimination power. The average values of PIC, MAF, and DP were 0.36, 0.40, 0.60, and 0.36, 0.39, 0.48 for hybrids and inbred lines, respectively. The variety discrimination power for hybrids and inbred lines reached 99.14% and 99.24%, respectively. Pairwise comparison between varieties showed that 99.99% of the comparisons had at least three differential loci. About 96.74% of hybrids and 95.67% of inbred lines mostly had the 30-65 and 30-60 differential loci between varieties, respectively. Compared with the 40 SSRs genotype dataset using 221 hybrids, the 96-SNPs set had high consistency in the identification results of the two marker sets. In summary, the optimal core SNPs set reported in this study had the advantage of the minimum number of loci, the highest discrimination power, the strongest differentiation platforms, and the automatic genotyping. It is expected that the extensive application of this core SNP loci set will be widely used in maize variety genuineness monitor and seed quality control for maintaining seed market order, so as to defend the breeders’ rights and protecting interests of farmers.

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    Functional analysis of OsFLZ13, the gene encoding a small peptide zinc finger protein in rice
    ZHANG Li-Jie, ZHOU Hai-Yu, MUHAMMAD Zeshan, MUNSIF Ali Shad, YANG Ming-Chong, LI Bo, HAN Shi-Jian, ZHANG Cui-Cui, HU Li-Hua, WANG Ling-Qiang
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (3): 543-555.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.32023
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    FCS-like zinc finger (FLZ) is a protein associated with plant growth and stress. At present, there are few reports on FLZ gene family analysis and functional studies in rice. In this study, TBtools were used to blast rice genome, and a total of 29 OsFLZ genes were identified. Their gene location, gene structure, motif and promoter sequences were analyzed. The relative expression level of FLZ genes in rice from CREP database showed that, OsFLZ13, a member of this family, was predominantly expressed in anthers before flowering. β-D-glucuronidase (GUS) staining assays exhibited that OsFLZ13 began to express at stage 9 and gradually peaked at stage 14 of stamen development before flowering. Furthermore, two independent mutant lines, namely Osflz13-1 and Osflz13-2, were obtained with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system. Compared with the 94% seed-setting rate of wild type Zhonghua 11, the setting rates of Osflz13-1 and Osflz13-2 were reduced to 44% and 36%, respectively. This study throws light on the evolution of FLZ in planta and indicates the roles of OsFLZ13 in anthers development and pollen fertility, which will be beneficial further studies of its functions. Additionally, it provides a reference for exploring the function of the FLZ family and highlights its potential value for the utilization in male sterility systems in rice.

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    Mapping of QTL for ear-related traits and prediction of key candidate genes in maize
    ZHENG Xue-Qing, WANG Xing-Rong, ZHANG Yan-Jun, GONG Dian-Ming, QIU Fa-Zhan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (6): 1435-1450.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.33061
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    Maize ear related traits are directly related to yield, and the analysis of their genetic basis is of great significance for guiding maize genetic improvement. In this study, the phenotypic characteristics of eight traits were identified in 168 high generation backcross recombinant inbred lines (AB-RILs) in six environments over three years. QTLs for eight traits were mapped with 11,407 SNP markers generated by 10 K liquid chip in maize. A total of 32 QTL related to eight ear traits were identified in this study, including five environmentally consistent QTLs and three pleiotropic QTL. Further, we used the genotypic and phenotypic data of 507 maize inbred lines to analyze the candidate regions of major QTL and identified 19 candidate genes that might be related to ear shape. We finally speculated four genes as candidate genes based on the analysis of evolution and expression of the genes. These results provide the important marker information for the genetic improvement of ear traits in maize breeding and offered guidance for the cloning of genes related to ear traits.

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    Mapping and cloning of plant height gene PHR1 in maize
    YANG Chen-Xi, ZHOU Wen-Qi, ZHOU Xiang-Yan, LIU Zhong-Xiang, ZHOU Yu-Qian, LIU Jie-Shan, YANG Yan-Zhong, HE Hai-Jun, WANG Xiao-Juan, LIAN Xiao-Rong, LI Yong-Sheng
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (1): 55-66.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.33011
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    Plant height is an important index for the ideal maize breeding, which not only affects the mechanical harvest of maize, but also closely relates to the lodging resistance and the biological yield of maize. In this study, a plant height reducing mutant-1 (phr-1) was obtained by using low-dose fast neutron (4.19 Gy) irradiation to mutate the maize inbred line KWS39 at the low ear position. Phenotypic traits were investigated and analyzed in the field, and candidate genes were identified by mining and functional annotation of genes in the target region based on the B73 reference genome using the extreme trait pool sequencing analysis (BSA-seq) and the method of target region recombination exchange identification with F2 segregation population of phr-1×B73. These results indicated that there might be a variation site in Bin1.06 interval on chromosome 1, and the target region was precisely located between two markers, Umc1122 and Umc1583a, with a 600 kb interval by using the large segregation population and polymorphic markers. Brachytic2 (BR2), encoding a sugar protein regulating the polar transport of auxin in maize stems, is a known gene controlling plant height in this region. The sequencing of candidate genes revealed that phr-1 was a new allelic mutation of br2-1, with a 165 bp insertion in the fourth exon of the BR2 gene resulting in the amino acid at position 547 changing to a stop codon and premature protein translation termination. The mutation site and variation mode of phr-1 were completely different from those of br2-1 single base mutation site. The allelic hybridization experiment confirmed that the PHR1 candidate gene is a new allelic mutation of the BR2 gene. This study provides new germplasm resources for maize BR2 gene in plant height genetic improvement.

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    QTL mapping and GWAS analysis of coleoptile length in bread wheat
    HAO Qian-Lin, YANG Ting-Zhi, LYU Xin-Ru, QIN Hui-Min, WANG Ya-Lin, JIA Chen-Fei, XIA Xian-Chun, MA Wu-Jun, XU Deng-An
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (3): 590-602.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.31034
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    Under drought conditions, the emergence rate of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be improved by proper deep sowing. The maximum sowing depth of wheat is determined by the length of the coleoptile, so it is very important to cultivate wheat varieties with long coleoptile. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population consisting of 275 lines derived from the cross of Doumai and Shi 4185, and 186 natural population materials were used as the experimental materials. Genotyping results of 90K SNP chip were used to identify QTL for wheat coleoptile length in three different environments. The results showed that two stable QTL sites were identified by inclusive composite interval mapping in the RIL population. The two QTL located on Chromosome 4BS (30.17-40.59 Mb) and 6BL (700.08-703.53 Mb), respectively, and explained 26.29%-28.46% and 4.16%- 4.36% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. A total of 36 stable QTL were identified in the genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the mixed linear model. They were located on Chromosome 1A (3), 1B (3), 1D (2), 2A (1), 3A (2), 3B (2), 4B (11), 5A (1), 5B (3), 6B (4), 7A (2), and 7B (2), respectively. Seven significant association loci were repeatedly detected in the three environments, three of which overlapped or were adjacent to reported loci, and the other four loci were presumed to be new loci. They were located on Chromosomes 1A (499.03 Mb), 3A (73.06 Mb), 4B (648.74-648.87 Mb), and 7A (36.31 Mb), respectively. Five candidate genes (TraesCS1A03G0748300, Rht1, TraesCS4B03G0110000, TraesCS4B03G0112200, and TraesCS7A03G0146600) were predicted. A major QTL locus on Chromosome 4BS (30.17-40.59 Mb) was identified in both RIL and natural populations, and the candidate gene Rht1 at this locus had been shown to reduce the length of wheat coleoptile. The results of this study lay a foundation for the identification of genes controlling the length of coleoptile in wheat and the maker-assisted selection breeding.

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    Effects of salinity stress on grain-filling characteristics and yield of rice
    WEI Huan-He, ZHANG Xiang, ZHU Wang, GENG Xiao-Yu, MA Wei-Yi, ZUO Bo-Yuan, MENG Tian-Yao, GAO Ping-Lei, CHEN Ying-Long, XU Ke, DAI Qi-Gen
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (3): 734-746.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.32021
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    To investigate the effect of salinity stress on grain-filling and yield of rice, the conventional japonica rice Nanjing 9108 and Huaidao 5 which were widely planted in saline alkali soil of Jiangsu province were used as the experimental materials. The treatments including the control (CK, 0 salt concentration), medium-salinity (medium-salinity, MS, 0.15% salt concentration), and high salt (high salinity, 0.3% salt concentration) were set. The results showed that, compared with the CK: (1) MS and HS both significantly reduced rice grain yield by 26.3% and 57.7% (average of the two cultivars), respectively. The number of panicles, spikelets per panicle, filled-grain percentage, and 1000-grain weight were all significantly decreased under salinity stress. (2) Salinity stress significantly reduced rice panicle length, the number of superior and inferior grains per panicle, filled-grain percentage, and 1000-grain weight. The decreases in filled-grain percentage and 1000-grain weight of superior grains per panicle under salinity stress were lower than those of inferior grains. (3) Salinity stress significantly reduced the dry matter weight of plants at heading and maturity stages, and the dry matter accumulation from heading to maturity, while increased the harvest index. The net photosynthetic rate and SPAD value at 15 and 30 days after heading of rice leaves under salinity stress were significantly lower than CK. (4) Salinity stress reduced the maximum and mean grain-filling rates of grains during grain-filling period, while the time to achieve the maximum grain-filling rate and effective grain-filling duration of grains increased. Salinity stress increased the days at the first, middle, and late stages during grain-filling period for superior and inferior grains, while the mean grain-filling rate and grain filling amount significantly decreased at the first, middle, and late stages during grain-filling period. The decrease in grain filling amount of superior grains at the first, middle, and late stages during grain-filling period was lower than that of inferior grains. (5) Salinity stress significantly decreased activities of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), starch synthases (SSS), granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS), and starch branching enzymes (SBE), and the decrease was greater in inferior grains than superior grains. In conclusion, the grain-filling days for superior and inferior grains increased under salinity stress, but the decrease in grain filling rate and activities of key enzymes involved in starch synthesis was greater, resulting in a significant deterioration in grain filling traits and a significant decrease in grain weight and yield. The inhibitory effects of salinity stress on grain-filling rate and grain filling amount of inferior grains were higher than those of superior grains.

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    Whole genome identification and analysis of GRFs transcription factor family in wheat and its ancestral species
    WANG Tian-Ning, FENG Ya-Lan, JU Ji-Hao, WU Yi, ZHANG Jun, MA Chao
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (4): 897-813.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.31046
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    Growth-regulating factors (GRFs) play important roles in plant growth, stress response, and hormone signal transduction. Systematic analysis of the distribution, structure, evolution, and expression characteristics of the GRF transcription factor family members in the genome of wheat and its ancestral species is of great significance for in-depth research on the biological functions of GRF family and the evolution of wheat. In this study, bioinformatics methods were used to identify the whole genome of GRF members from five species (Triticum urartu, Aegilops speltoides, Aegilops tauschii, Triticum turgidum, and Triticum aestivum), and their physical and chemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, promoter cis-regulatory element, and expression characteristics were also analyzed. The results showed that there were 15, 12, 19, 29, and 53 GRF members in Triticum urartu, Aegilops speltoides, Aegilops tauschii, Triticum turgidum, and Triticum aestivum, respectively. Through interspecific colinearity analysis, we found that 18 and 29 members of TtGRFs were colinear with TuGRFs and AesGRFs, and 36 and 37 members of TaGRFs were colinear with TtGRFs and AetGRFs, respectively. The prediction of promoter cis-regulatory element found that GRF gene had basic transcription elements and some binding elements with growth, development, and stress response. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that most GRF genes up-regulated under exogenous IAA, GA, and drought stress, but down-regulated under high temperature stress, indicating that members of the GRF family exerted a crucial influence in hormone response and stress. Phylogenetic analysis evidenced that there was a conserved and complex evolutionary relationship between the GRF members of wheat and its ancestral species. The above results provide a theoretical basis for the evolution and functional research of the GRF transcription factor family.

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    Functional identification of maize transcription factor ZmMYB12 to enhance drought resistance and low phosphorus tolerance in plants
    WANG Li-Ping, WANG Xiao-Yu, FU Jing-Ye, WANG Qiang
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (1): 76-88.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.33007
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    Maize usually suffers from various abiotic stresses such as drought, high temperature, high salt, and deficiency of nutrient elements during growth and development period, which will eventually lead to the decline of yield and quality, resulting in serious agricultural yield reduction. MYB transcription factors are widely distributed in plants and involved in the whole process of plant growth and development and environmental response. Therefore, the screening and identification of MYB transcription factors conferring stress resistance can provide the theoretical basis and technical support for genetic improvement in maize. In this study, a R2R3-MYB family transcription factor gene, ZmMYB12, was cloned from maize materials under drought treatment. This gene showed inducible expression in response to drought, ABA, and PEG treatments. Maize plants with virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) of ZmMYB12 had higher sensitivity to drought and accumulated more reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as smaller roots. The survival rate of ZmMYB12 silencing plants was lower after re-watering than the wild type plants (WT), indicating that ZmMYB12 was a positive regulator of drought response. Overexpression of ZmMYB12 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in less ROS accumulation and more lateral roots than WT, thus elevating drought resistance. After low phosphorus stress, ZmMYB12 overexpression Arabidopsis had more lateral roots and stronger root system, as well as higher contents of chlorophyll and anthocyanin. The content of inorganic phosphorus in ZmMYB12 overexpression Arabidopsis was also higher than WT. In conclusion, this study indicates that ZmMYB12 positively regulates drought response and increases the uptake and utilization of phosphorus in plants, providing an elite gene for maize breeding to increase abiotic resistance.

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    Breeding objectives and strategies for maize in the Huang-Huai-Hai Region
    CHEN Yong-Qiang, WANG Ya-Fei, XIE Hui-Ling, ZHANG Zhan-Hui, HEI Hong-Chao, PENG Qiang, YANG Xue-Li, HE Ge-Ming, TANG Ji-Hua
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (12): 2917-2924.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.43026
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    The Huang-Huai-Hai region, the second largest maize-producing area in China, is situated in a transitional zone between the subtropical and north temperate climates. This region is characterized by a unique double cropping system of winter wheat-summer maize, which presents specific challenges for maize cultivation. The distinct ecological conditions and cropping system necessitate maize varieties with enhanced comprehensive resistance and adaptability. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the current production status and the primary issues facing maize cultivation in the Huang-Huai-Hai region. It identifies key breeding objectives, including “high yield, suitability for mechanized harvesting, early maturity, tolerance to high planting density, resilience to environmental stresses, and resistance to major diseases and pests.” Based on these objectives, the paper proposes several breeding strategies: “reducing heterosis to increase planting density, improving kernel bulk density and single-ear seed yield, incorporating multiple resistance genes to enhance disease resistance, strengthening lodging resistance by increasing the number of brace roots, and promoting earlier anther dehiscence and pollen release to avoid high temperatures.” Additionally, the paper emphasizes the importance of identifying and utilizing superior genes, advancing the development of new core germplasm resources, and establishing modern molecular breeding systems, such as genome editing and genome-wide selection. It also advocates for the creation of an innovative collaboration model among research institutes, universities, and seed enterprises to accelerate germplasm innovation, improve maize breeding efficiency, and enhance the breeding and promotion of the entire industry chain. The ultimate goal is to develop superior new maize varieties that will effectively support agricultural production in the Huang-Huai-Hai region.

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    Genotype-independent transformation technique development and application in maize
    YANG Ya-Wen, ZHU Dong-Jie, PAN Hong, ZHANG Yun-Tao, XIA Meng-Yin, HAN Bao-Zhu, JIN Min-Liang, LI Meng-Jiao, DONG Lu-Peng, YANG Ning, ZHOU Ying, XU Jie-Ting, YAN Jian-Bing
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (11): 2674-2683.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.43014
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    The genetic transformation of maize inbred lines via Agrobacterium tumefaciens is highly genotype-dependent. The morphogenetic genes Baby boom (Bbm) and Wuschel2 (Wus2) significantly enhance transformation efficiency and expand the range of amenable inbred lines. However, achieving transgenic seedlings remain challenging for many maize inbred lines, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that mixing the target vector with Bbm and Wus2 in a 10:1 ratio facilitates the generation of somatic embryos in most inbred lines. Transient transfection efficiency and the timing of selection are critical factors influencing the formation of somatic embryos and subsequent seedling development. By optimizing infection conditions and delaying selection, we established an efficient and rapid genetic transformation system that is not restricted by genotype. Using this system, we conducted genetic transformation on 131 inbred lines, resulting in successful transgenic plants in 104 of these lines.

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    Mechanism of loding residence and drought tolerance of OsCNGC10 gene in rice
    ZHU Zhong-Lin, WEN Yue, ZHOU Qi, WU Yan-Fei, DU Xue-Zhu, SHENG Feng
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (5): 1351-1360.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.32027
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    Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels are ligand-gated cationic channels that exist in animals and plants, which are an important part of eukaryotic signaling cascades. In this study, OsCNGC10 (cyclic nucleotide-gated channel) gene in rice was used, and the overexpression vector pU1301-CNGC10-Flag and the double-target knockout vector pRGEB32-CRISPR/cas9-cngc10 were constructed. The knockout and overexpression materials were obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. Homozygous plants oscngc10-2 and OE-CNGC10-6 were isolated from T2 generation. The analysis of stem characteristics and lodging resistance of transgenic plants showed that oscngc10-2 had enhanced stem strength and lodging resistance. Stem cell wall sections and tissue composition analysis showed that oscngc10-2 increased lodging resistance due to the increase of stem wall thickness, parenchyma cell abundance, and lignin content. The knockout of OsCNGC10 increased the lignin content and the abundance of stem-cell wall parenchyma cells. The overexpression of OsCNGC10 reduced stem wall thickness, lignin content, and cell abundance in stem cell wall, while the knockdown of OsCNGC10 increased lignin content and increased the abundance of thin-walled cells in stem cell wall, suggesting that OsCNGC10 was associated with the composition of stem cell wall and negatively regulated lodging resistance in rice. T2 generation field experiment indicated that compared with the wild type, oscngc10-2 significantly increased plant height, the effective panicle length, panicle number, seed setting rate, 1000-grain weight, and yield per plant. The results of drought stress at seedling stage showed that malondialdehyde (MDA) content accumulated rapidly in OsCNGC10 defective plants under drought stress and insufficient free proline (Pro) was formed, while the free Pro content in OsCNGC10 plants was significantly increased. Moreover, the MDA accumulation rate was relatively slow, which preliminarily indicated that OsCNGC10 positively regulated the drought resistance at seedling stage. The results of this study indicated that OsCNGC10 might have a potential function in lodging resistance and drought resistance in rice, which providing a theoretical basis and new germplasm resources for the breeding lodging resistance and high yield of new rice varieties.

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    Transcriptomic analysis of differences in the starch content of different potatoes
    ZHAO Na, LIU Yu-Xi, ZHANG Chao-Shu, SHI Ying
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (6): 1503-1513.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34172
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    Starch is one of the most important quality characteristics of potatoes, which is widely used in the food, medical, petrochemical and other industries. The demand for starchy potato varieties in the market is increasing year by year. To explore the characteristics and key genes of starch accumulation and regulation of potato tuber, in this study, transcriptome profiling of creeping stems (a), pre-tuber expansion (b), mid-tuber expansion (c), late tuber expansion (d), and mature stage (e) of high and low starch potato cultivars DXY and DS1 were conducted by RNA sequencing analysis, and a total of 9494 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at five stages. Binding function annotation revealed that the differential genes were mainly enriched in molecular functions such as binding and catalytic activity. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that the differential genes were mainly enriched in carbohydrate-related metabolic pathways, and 137 DEGs were associated with starch and sucrose metabolism. Nine key genes regulating starch synthesis were examined, and the relative expression level of the sucrose synthase gene PGSC0003DMG400013547 was higher during growth period of DXY than that at any stage. The relative expression level of the fructokinase gene PGSC0003DMG400026916 was significantly higher in DXY than in DS1 during the a and b periods. The relative expression level of amylase gene PGSC0003DMG400009891, PGSC0003DMG400001549, and glucan endo-1,3-β-glucosidase gene PGSC0003DMG400024642, PGSC0003DMG400003181 in DS1 was significantly higher than that in DXY with starch-rich cultivars during the c and e periods. The described gene might be a key regulatory gene for starch synthesis and accumulation. This study provides a clue for the investigation of the regulatory mechanism of tuber starch metabolism in different potato cultivars.

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    Identification and screening of salt tolerance of cotton germplasm resources at germination stage
    LI Hang, LIU Li, HUANG Qian, LIU Wen-Hao, SI Ai-Jun, KONG Xian-Hui, WANG Xu-Wen, ZHAO Fu-Xiang, MEI Yong-Jun, YU Yu
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (5): 1147-1157.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34148
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    Seed germination stage is sensitive to salt. The determination of cotton seed germination under different salt concentration stress is one of the important bases for screening cotton salt-tolerant germplasm. In this study, 629 cotton germplasm resources were treated with 0 mmol L-1 and 150 mmol L-1 NaCl, and the salt tolerance coefficients of 6 traits such as fresh weight and germination potential were analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences in each trait under salt stress compared with the control. Principal component analysis and membership function analysis were used to comprehensively evaluate the salt tolerance of cotton germplasm. Cluster analysis was carried out on the comprehensive evaluation value (D-value), and 629 germplasm resources were divided into 5 categories according to the D-value: 188 medium salt-tolerant materials, 376 salt-tolerant materials, 36 high salt-tolerant materials, 28 salt-sensitive materials, 1 high salt-sensitive material. A prediction model for salt tolerance evaluation of cotton at germination stage was established by stepwise regression analysis: D = 0.277RFW + 0.29RGP + 0.189RPL + 0.387RGR-0.32 (R2 =0.992). Four indexes of fresh weight, hypocotyl length, germination potential, and germination rate were selected as the indexes of salt tolerance identification in cotton germination stage. In this study, a set of accurate and efficient salt tolerance identification system was established, and 4 high salt-tolerant materials and 1 high salt-sensitive material were screened, which providing the reference for the study of salt tolerance mechanism and the cultivation of new salt tolerant varieties in cotton.

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    Identification, evaluation and screening of salt-tolerant of soybean germplasm resources at seedling stage
    SUN Xian-Jun, HU Zheng, JIANG Xue-Min, WANG Shi-Jia, CHEN Xiang-Qian, ZHANG Hui-Yuan, ZHANG Hui, JIANG Qi-Yan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (9): 2179-2186.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.44030
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    Soil salinization has a significant impact on soybean quality and yield. Therefore, it is crucial to screen salt-tolerant soybean resources for the comprehensive utilization of salinized land. To establish a method for identifying and evaluating salt tolerance in soybean at the seedling stage, we conducted experiments using fresh water and 10 equal-differential gradients of NaCl solutions ranging from 0.9% to 1.8%. These solutions were applied to vermiculite culture medium when the soybean plants reached the stage of two emerged leaves. Results indicated that the 1.2% salinity treatment for 16 days demonstrated the highest interquartile range of salt-tolerant grading among various soybean germplasm resources, thus considered the optimal condition for evaluating salt tolerance in soybean seedlings. A total of 504 soybean germplasm resources from diverse geographic regions at home and abroad were subjected to evaluation using the soybean salt-tolerant evaluation system. Among them, 46, 146, 157, 79, and 76 soybean germplasm resources received salt-tolerant gradings of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The soybean resources with salt-tolerant grading 1 were further analyzed using the GmSALT3 gene molecular marker. The amplification results of 40 soybean resources (80.96%) were consistent with the GmSALT3 gene molecular marker. To analyze the change in salt stress concentration in the culture medium during the identification of soybean seedlings, a regression equation was established between soil salt content (Y, %) and electrical conductivity (X, mS cm-1): Y=0.278X-0.0618, with a prediction accuracy above 95%. The variation trend of salt content in the culture medium was measured from the beginning of salt treatment until the end of the investigation, and it was found to be maintained at approximately 13 mS cm-1. This study not only provides a technical system for large-scale identification of salt-tolerant soybean seedlings but also serves as a foundation for breeding new soybean salt-tolerant germplasm resources.

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    Function analysis of an AP2/ERF transcription factor GhTINY2 in cotton negatively regulating salt tolerance
    XIAO Sheng-Hua, LU Yan, LI An-Zi, QIN Yao-Bin, LIAO Ming-Jing, BI Zhao-Fu, ZHUO Gan-Feng, ZHU Yong-Hong, ZHU Long-Fu
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (1): 126-137.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34045
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    Cotton is a relatively salt-tolerant crop, but high salt stress leads to a significant decline in cotton yield and fiber quality. Mining the genes involved in salt-tolerance and illuminating the molecular mechanisms that underlie this resistance is of great importance in cotton breeding programs. Here, we identified an AP2/ERF transcription factor GhTINY2 in the transcriptome database from cotton treated with salt, and the relative expression level of GhTINY2 was reduced by salt. Subsequently, the salt-resistant phenotype and physiological indicators of the GhTINY2-overexpression Arabidopsis were analyzed. The results revealed that the GhTINY2-overexpression Arabidopsis had a significant decrease in seed germination rate, the content of proline, soluble sugar, and chlorophyll under salt stress, leading to more severe leaf wilting compared with WT. RNA-seq data from GhTINY2-transgenic Arabidopsis revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in a series of biological processes, including chlorophyll metabolism and response to stimulus, and the relative expression level of these DEGs significantly was down-regulated. Moreover, the silence of GhTINY2 in cotton through Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay showed that TRV:GhTINY2 had a significant increase in chlorophyll and proline content, leading to improved salt tolerance compare with TRV:00. In conclusion, these findings suggest that GhTINY2 was an important gene in cotton that negatively regulated salt stress resistance, and it was expected to create salt-tolerant cotton materials using GhTINY2 gene by modern genetic engineering technology in the future.

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    Cloning, expression, and functional analysis of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) TaSPX1 gene in low nitrogen stress tolerance
    ZHANG Bao-Hua, LIU Jia-Jing, TIAN Xiao, TIAN Xu-Zhao, DONG Kuo, WU Yu-Jie, XIAO Kai, LI Xiao-Juan
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (3): 576-589.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.31025
    Abstract732)   HTML73)    PDF(pc) (6556KB)(707)       Save

    The SPX gene family includes four subgroups: SPX, SPX-EXS, SPX-MFS, and SPX-RING, which play an important role in phosphate signal response, but so far, little is known about the functions of this family in wheat. Previously, we identified a gene TaSPX1 (GenBank No. Ak332300), belonged to SPX subfamily from wheat (Triticum aestivum). Subcellular localization analysis showed that it targeted onto nucleus. Phylogenetic tree of TaSPX1 and its homologous proteins from the wheat, Arabidopsis, and rice SPX families showed that it was closely related to OsSPX1, a member of rice SPX subfamily. The relative expression level of TaSPX1 significantly increased under low nitrogen (low-N) stress when investigated by RT-qPCR. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) overexpression lines were generated. Using the culture methods of Murashige & Skoog (MS) hydroponic solution, the phenotype of WT and OE under low-N stress treatment was investigated. We found that the plants of OE3 and OE4, two OE lines overexpressing TaSPX1, displayed increased growth vigor and leaf area, together with the enhanced plant fresh weight and root weight, and elevated photosynthetic parameters including photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr), along with the increased contents of nitrogen, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and chlorophyll content upon low-N stress with respect to WT. Studies on transport and assimilation related parameters showed that under low-N stress, the relative expression level of some related genes and the activities of nitrogen assimilation-related enzymes were increased. Assays on the SOD, POD, and CAT, the enzymes functional as cellular protector, revealed the higher activities of them in OE plants than those in WT. On the contrary, MDA content was decreased. Further RT-qPCR analysis indicated the expression levels of several protection enzymes mentioned above were higher in OE plants than those of WT under low-N stress. Therefore, TaSPX1 played an important role in mediating plant resistance to low-N stress by improving photosynthetic parameters, enhancing nitrogen absorption and transport, and strengthening the protective enzyme system. The results enrich new understanding on the function of wheat SPX family members involved in abiotic stress, and provide a theoretical basis for genetic improvement of crops against low-N stress.

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    Transcriptomics profile of transgenic OsPHR2 wheat under different phosphorus stress
    LI Yan, FANG Yu-Hui, WANG Yong-Xia, PENG Chao-Jun, HUA Xia, QI Xue-Li, HU Lin, XU Wei-Gang
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (2): 340-353.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.31020
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    The PHR gene is the core transcription factor in the phosphorus signaling regulatory system, responsible for initiating the adaptive response of downstream parts to phosphorus starvation. At the early stage, the transgenic OsPHR2 wheat pure lines with high phosphorus efficiency were obtained, but the molecular mechanism of OsPHR2 improving the phosphorus absorption and utilization efficiency of wheat is still unclear. In order to reveal the molecular mechanism of OsPHR2 improving the phosphorus uptake and utilization efficiency in wheat, transgenic OsPHR2 wheat pure line with high phosphorus efficiency earlier as the experimental material in this study. Transgenic OsPHR2 wheat and the control were treated with low phosphorus stress when they grew to 4 leaves and 1 heart in hydroponics experiment. Transgenic OsPHR2 wheat and control under low phosphorus stress for 0, 6, 24, and 72 h were used for transcriptomes analysis by RNA-seq. The differentially expression genes (DEGs) in roots and leaves of transgenic wheat and control were analyzed. There were 22 common DEGs in the roots of transgenic wheat and control under low phosphorus stress for 0, 6, 24, and 72 h, and there were nine common DEGs in the leaves under four treatments. The functional and pathway enrichments of differentially expressed genes in roots and leaves were also performed by GO and KEGG analysis. The result showed that the number of DEGs in the root of transgenic wheat and control was the highest under low phosphorus stress for 0 h, followed by 6 h. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that DEGs were mainly clustered into biological processes such as glucose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and molecular functions such as nutrient storage activity, ATPase activity, etc. The number of DEGs in the leaves of transgenic wheat and the control was the highest under low phosphorus stress for 72 h. DEGs were mainly clustered into biological processes such as glucose metabolism, organic acid biosynthesis, as well as molecular functions related to glycosyltransferase activity and cellulose synthase activity. Compared with the control, the key enzyme genes of the defense system such as heme peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase in the root of the transgenic line OsT5-28, as well as the trisphosphate transporter family genes in the leaf were up-regulated before and after low phosphorus stresses. The response of transgenic OsPHR2 wheat to low phosphorus stress was different from that of the control. Transgenic wheat had stronger phosphorus absorption and utilization ability than the control under low phosphorus stress, mainly because OsPHR2 regulated the relative expression level of related genes in wheat.

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    Genome-wide association analysis of morphological traits of flag leaf in wheat
    WANG Rui, REN Yi, CHENG Yu-Kun, WANG Wei, ZHANG Zhi-Hui, GENG Hong-Wei
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2023, 49 (11): 2886-2901.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2023.21085
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    The flag leaf of wheat is the primary functional leaf for photosynthesis and contributes significantly to yield. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the genetic process of flag leaf morphology and identify the candidate genes for flag leaf morphology-related features. We combined 90K SNP gene chips and 300 wheat varieties (lines) for genome-wide association analysis of flag leaf length, width, and area under normal irrigation (NI), and drought stress (DS) conditions in five environments. The results showed that flag leaf length, width, and area exhibited significant differences between the two moisture treatments and displayed rich phenotypic variation with the coefficients of variation ranging from 0.07-0.23 in different environments (P<0.05). Moreover, genome-wide association study (GWAS) revealed that a total of 37 stable genetic loci were significantly associated with flag leaf length, width, and area. These loci were distributed on chromosomes 1D, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3D, 4A, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B, with individual SNP loci explaining 3.70%-9.05% of the genetic variation, including 22 stable genetic loci detected under normal irrigation and 15 stable genetic loci detected under drought stress. Eight stable genetic loci at the same time detected under both water treatments were discovered on chromosomes 2B, 3A, 5A, 6A, 7A, and 7B, while the five stable genetic loci related by several traits were simultaneously detected on chromosomes 2B, 3A, 6A, and 7A. By analyzing haplotypes at markers with stable inheritance and high contribution, it was found that the Kukri_c1406_275 (R2=9.05%) marker was significantly associated with flag leaf length, with three haplotypes of FLL-Hap1, FLL-Hap2, and FLL-Hap3, and the wsnp_bq170165A_Ta_1_1 (R2=7.88%) marker was also detected in three haplotypes, FLA-Hap1, FLA-Hap2, and FLA-Hap3. In combination with phenotypic analysis, the flag leaf length of 300 winter wheat varieties (lines) containing FLL-Hap1 (77.78% frequency of occurrence) or FLL-Hap2 (18.89%) haplotypes was significantly higher than that of FLL-Hap3 (3.33%) haplotypes. The flag leaf area was significantly higher in haplotypes containing FLA-Hap1 (48.19%) than in haplotypes containing FLA-Hap2 (30.80%) or FLA-Hap3 (21.01%) (P<0.05). Different haplotypes were distributed differently in different winter wheat varieties (lines). Haplotype FLL-Hap1 was more frequently distributed in foreign varieties (lines), while haplotypes FLL-Hap2 and FLL-Hap3 were more frequently distributed in the northern winter wheat region and the southwestern winter wheat region, respectively. Haplotypes FLA-Hap1 and FLA-Hap2 were more frequently distributed in the southwestern winter wheat region and the northern winter wheat region, respectively, while haplotypes FLA-Hap3 were no more frequently distributed in all winter wheat regions. Searching for stable genetic loci under both water treatments yielded and screening of five candidate genes associated with flag leaf morphology, which could be used as the important genes for flag leaf-related traits.

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    Transcriptome analysis of tobacco in response to cadmium stress
    ZHANG Hui, ZHANG Xin-Yu, YUAN Xu, CHEN Wei-Da, YANG Ting
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (4): 944-956.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.34141
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    With the development of industrialization process in society, the problem of cadmium (Cd) pollution in soil is increasing. However, Nicotiana tabacum has a strong Cd enrichment capacity in leaves, which seriously affects its economic value. To investigate the mechanism by which tobacco responds to Cd stress, tobacco leaves were harvested from the culture solution with Cd concentrations of 0 μmol L-1 and 500 μmol L-1 for subsequent transcriptome sequencing. In this study, a total of 76.94 Gb clean data was obtained, with Q30 base percentage exceeding 95.43%. The results showed that 7735 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened under Cd stress conditions, including 4833 up-regulated genes and 2902 down-regulated genes. The reliability of transcriptome data was verified by qRT-PCR analysis to detect the expression patterns of candidate gene. Gene ontology (GO) annotation as well as Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed on differentially expressed transcripts. GO functional enrichment revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly distributed in metabolic processes, response to stimulus, cellular anatomical entity, catalytic activity, and transcription regulator activity. Meanwhile, KEGG analysis showed that the up-regulated differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in biosynthesis of amino acids, carbon metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and citrate cycle. Down-regulated differentially expressed genes were primarily enriched in photosynthesis, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, metabolic pathways, and plant hormone signal transduction. Further analysis of plant hormone signal transduction pathways revealed that there were eight plant hormone pathways involved in response to cadmium stress in tobacco, and the relative expression patterns of different hormone gene member were also different. Experimental results from plant hormone application on tobacco leaves demonstrated that the regulation of gibberellins, brassinosteroids, and jasmonic acid pathways played roles in tobacco’s response to cadmium stress. The experimental results of Arabidopsis hormone signal mutant showed that plants respond to cadmium stress by regulating ethylene, gibberellin, brassinosteroid, and jasmonic acid pathways. In conclusion, this study not only explores the regulatory network of tobacco resistance to Cd stress, but also lays a theoretical foundation for the genetic improvement of crop resistance.

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    Phenotypic identification and disease resistance mechanism analysis of rice lesion mutant lms1
    YU Yao, WANG Zi-Yao, ZHOU Si-Rui, LIU Peng-Cheng, YE Ya-Feng, MA Bo-Jun, LIU Bin-Mei, CHEN Xi-Feng
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (4): 857-870.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.32010
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    Lesion mimic mutants are important genetic materials for studying molecular mechanisms of plant cell death and disease resistance. Through radiation mutagenesis of a japonica rice cultivar ‘Wuyunjing 7’, a rare lesion mimic and disease-susceptible mutant lms1 was obtained. Compared to the wild type, the leaves of this mutant spontaneously appeared reddish-brown spots, and its plant height, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, and yield per plant decreased, but the weight of 1000-grain increased. In addition, the resistance of lms1 to rice bacterial blight decreased significantly, and tissue staining showed significant cell death and excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the mutant leaves. Genetic analysis showed that the phenotype of the lms1 mutant was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene, and the lms1 gene was finely located between two molecular markers, Indel7 and Indel8, on chromosome 9 of rice with a physical distance of 62 kb. PCR amplification and sequencing of candidate genes in the localization interval showed that a 654 bp sequence was inserted into the first exon of the OsLMP1 (Lesion Mimic Phenotype 1) gene, which encodes a ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase, resulting in premature termination of protein translation. The protein compositions of lms1 mutants and WT controls were analyzed by a proteomics technology, which identified a total of 19 differentially accumulated proteins (7 upregulated and 12 down-regulated), mainly involved in redox, chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, and other metabolic pathways. The above results provide a reference for further research on the function of the OsLMP1 gene and its molecular mechanism of regulating programmed cell death and disease resistance.

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    Screening candidate resistance genes to ear rot caused by Fusarium verticillioides in maize by combined GWAS and transcriptome analysis
    YE Liang, ZHU Ye-Lin, PEI Lin-Jing, ZHANG Si-Ying, ZUO Xue-Qian, LI Zheng-Zhen, LIU Fang, TAN Jing
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2024, 50 (9): 2279-2296.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2024.33049
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    Maize, as the largest grain crop in China, holds great significance for food security and agricultural stability, making it crucial to achieve high and stable yields. Ear rot, a fungal disease, poses a serious threat to global corn production, resulting in significant yield reduction and quality deterioration. This study focused on the dominant pathogen Fusarium verticillioides and aimed to identify resistance in 241 maize inbred lines from diverse sources through two years of artificial inoculation in the field. Additionally, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using 20,586 high-quality SNP markers to identify SNP loci significantly associated with ear rot resistance. Based on this research, one maize inbred line with high resistance and one with high susceptibility to F. verticillioides-induced ear rot were selected. The young kernels of these lines were subjected to RNA transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) at three different infection stages, and differentially expressied genes (DEGs) and enrichment analysis were conducted. The results of GWAS and RNA-seq were combined to identify candidate resistant genes. The main findings were as followed: (1) Four inbred lines resistant to F. verticillioides-induced ear rot were selected based on two years of field resistance identification. Maize germplasm with tropical consanguinity exhibited higher resistance. (2) A total of 26 SNP loci associated with ear rot resistance were detected through two years of GWAS analysis, with 18 loci located within previously identified QTL regions. (3) RNA-seq analysis revealed differential response genes between resistant and susceptible lines upon F. verticillioides infection. The resistant line exhibited a greater number of DEGs and up-regulated genes. In the co-enriched GO entries and KEGG pathways specific to the DEGs of resistant and susceptible lines, the proportion of DEGs enriched in the resistant line was significantly higher. Moreover, some entries and pathways related to plant defense against pathogens were specifically enriched in the resistant line. (4) Sixteen genes, detected by both GWAS and RNA-seq, were identified as candidate genes by screening those co-located with transcriptome DEGs within a range of 100 kb upstream and downstream of significant association loci. Based on protein function and relevant literature reports, six candidate genes related to ear rot resistance were predicted. In summary, this study identified four maize lines resistant to F. verticillioides-induced ear rot. Maize germplasm from tropical and subtropical regions holds promise for stress-tolerant variety breeding. The preliminary analysis of DEGs and related resistance mechanisms of maize in response to F. verticillioides infection was conducted. Furthermore, six candidate genes associated with ear rot resistance were identified through the integration of GWAS and RNA-seq. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the cloning and validation of maize ear rot resistance genes, as well as the breeding of resistant varieties.

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    Gene expression characteristics of TaNRT/TaNPF family in wheat cultivars with different nitrogen efficiency
    WANG Lu-Lu, YI Zi-Bo, WANG Hao-Zhe, NAI Fu-Rong, MA Xin-Ming, ZHANG Zhi-Yong, WANG Xiao-Chun
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2023, 49 (11): 2966-2977.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2023.21063
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    Nitrogen is one of the essential elements for wheat growth and development, and NO3--N is the main form of nitrogen that wheat obtains from soil. NRT/NPF genes family encode membrane transporters, which are mainly involved in NO3--N absorption, transport, and allocation in plants. In order to understand the relationship between NRT/NPF family and nitrogen utilization in wheat, the relative expression characteristic of TaNRT/TaNPF family in flag leaves of N-efficient wheat cultivars Zhoumai 27 (ZM27) and N-inefficient wheat cultivars Aikang 58 (AK58) at flowering stage were studied with the second-generation sequencing technology. The results showed that 386 genes of TaNRT/TaNPF family were identified in the second generation transcriptome database. Compared with AK58, there were 27, 16, and 23 differentially expressed genes in ZM27 in reducing (N120), normal (N225), and excessive (N330) nitrogen treatments. There were 16 (59.26%), 12 (75%), and 19 (82.61%) up-regulated genes in ZM27, respectively. Seven genes were down-regulated in ZM27 in reducing nitrogen treatment. The relative expression level of TaNPF8.1 was the highest and significantly up-regulated by 1.5 times in nitrogen excessive condition. In conclusion, the relative expression of TaNRT/TaNPF family genes was regulated by nitrogen application rate and cultivar. Wheat network database showed that the relative expression of TaNRT/TaNPF family had tissue specificity and chromosomal preference. The highest expression level of TaNPF8.1 in flag leaf was located on chromosome 3A, and the root specific expression TaNRT2.2 and TaNRT3.1 were mainly distributed on chromosome 6. The stem specific expression of TaNPF4.5 was mainly distributed on chromosome 2. The qRT-PCR of TaNRT/TaNPF genes were consistent with the results of the second-generation transcriptome and network data. Interaction analysis of TaNPF8.1, TaNPF4.5, and TaNRT3.1 revealed that NO3--N transport may also require the collaborative participation of transcription factor MYB, chlorophyll A-B binding protein, and chaperone protein. These findings laid a foundation for further studies on the relationship between TaNRT/TaNPF family expression and nitrogen uptake and utilization.

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    Spatio-temporal characteristics of water requirement of main crops in Xinjiang from 1960 to 2020
    HE Xu-Gang, MAMAT Sawut, XIA Zi-Yang, SHI Jun-Yin, HE Xiao-Ning, SHENG Yan-Fang, LI Rong-Peng
    Acta Agronomica Sinica    2023, 49 (12): 3352-3363.   DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2023.31007
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    Spatio-temporal analysis of crop water requirement and crop irrigation water requirement is crucial to the optimal allocation of water resources and the formulation of irrigation systems. The objective of this study is to understand the spatio-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of the water requirement during the growth period and irrigation water requirement of the main crops in Xinjiang, cotton, spring wheat, winter wheat, and corn. Based on the daily meteorological observation data from 1960 to 2020, the Penman-Monteith formula and the single crop coefficient method were adopted in this study, and Mann-Kendall (TFPW-MK) of Detrended Preset White (TFPW) was used to study the changing characteristics of water requirement of four crops. The temporal and spatial evolution trend of crop water requirement and irrigation water requirement were predicted by rescaled range (R/S) analysis. Using the principle of important covariate feature identification of the random forest model, the importance ranking of meteorological factors and crop water requirement was analyzed, and the causes of changes in crop water requirement were explored. The results show that: 1) the water requirement of major crops in Xinjiang had generally shown a trend of “increase first, then decrease and then increase” for 61 year. The order of crop water demand and irrigation water requirement from large to small was: cotton > corn > winter wheat > spring wheat. In terms of space, there was a spatial distribution of “Southern Xinjiang>Northern Xinjiang, Southeast>Northwest, East>Western”. The variation range of water requirement for major crops was: cotton 381.20-991.20 mm (mean 654.94 mm), corn 350.26-924.48 mm (mean 607.98 mm), spring wheat 361.96-709.69 mm (average 464.89 mm), winter wheat 266.47-753.62 mm (average 495.7 0 mm). The range of irrigation water requirement was: cotton 49.49-975.88 mm (average 563.19 mm), corn 52.47-910.85 mm (average 530.18 mm), spring wheat 42.58-701.29 mm (average 409.28 mm), winter wheat 21.94-741.77 mm (average 418.26 mm). Since the middle and late 1980s, irrigation water requirement decreased more than water requirement. 2) According to the TFPW-MK analysis, in the past 61 years, the water requirement of 12 stations mainly distributed in the northern edge of the Tarim Basin, including Shaya and Aksu, and Baekol in the eastern Xinjiang, showed an upward trend. The water requirement of 27 stations in Karamay in Xinjiang and Artux in southern Xinjiang gradually decreased; the rest of the stations fluctuated up and down. 3) In the prediction of future water demand using the R/S method, four crop water demand and irrigation water demand at Tacheng, Toli, Fuyun and Urumqi stations in northern Xinjiang, Baekol in eastern Xinjiang, and Shaya, Wuqia, Tazhong, Qiemo and Kalpin stations in southern Xinjiang will decrease in the future, while spring and winter wheat water demand at Hongliuhe, Baekol and Bayanbulak in eastern Xinjiang will show an increasing trend in the future. 4) During the crop growth period, wind speed and temperature were the most important factors affecting the water requirement of major crops in Xinjiang, while precipitation was the least important factor for the water requirement of major crops in Xinjiang. This research comprehensively provides decision-making and basis for the formulation of high-efficiency agricultural water use and irrigation measures in Xinjiang.

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Co-sponsored:
the Crop Science Society of China
the Institute of Crop Science, CAAS
China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.
Published: Science Press
Editor-in-chief: Wan Jian-min
Associate Editors-in-Chief:
Chen Xiao-ya Yang Jian-chang Zhang Xian-long Wang Jian-kang Xu Ming-liang Liu Chun-ming Wang Dao-wen Sun Chuan-qing Ding Yan-feng Jin Wei-wei Chu Cheng-cai Cheng Wei-hong
Director of the editorial department:
Yan Chun-ling
CN 11-1809/S
ISSN 0496-3490
Post subscription code: 82-336

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  • Started in 2013
  • Covered by SCIE
  • Open access in ScienceDirect

Editor in chief: Wan Jian-min
CN 10-1112/S
ISSN 2095-5421, 2214-5141(online)
Online published:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-crop-journal
Submission: https://www.editorialmanager.com/cj/
E-mail: cropjournal@caas.cn

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