Cucumber JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN 6 interaction with transcription factor MYB6 impairs waterlogging-triggered adventitious rooting.

Waterlogging is a serious abiotic stress that drastically decreases crop productivity by damaging the root system. Jasmonic acid (JA) inhibits waterlogging-induced adventitious root (AR) formation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). However, we still lack a profound mechanistic understanding of how JA governs AR formation under waterlogging stress. JAZ (JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN) proteins are responsible for repressing JA signaling in a transcriptional manner. In this study, we showed that overexpressing CsJAZ8 inhibited the formation of ARs triggered by waterlogging. Molecular analyses revealed that CsJAZ8 inhibited the activation of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor CsMYB6 via direct interaction. Additionally, silencing of CsMYB6 negatively impacted AR formation under waterlogging stress, as CsMYB6 could directly bind to the promoters of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase2 gene CsACO2 and gibberellin 20-oxidases gene CsGA20ox2, facilitating the transcription of these genes. The overexpression of CsACO2 and CsGA20ox2 led to increased levels of ethylene and gibberellin, which facilitated AR formation under waterlogging conditions. On the contrary, silencing these genes resulted in contrasting phenotypes of AR formation. These results highlight that the transcriptional cascade of CsJAZ8 and CsMYB6 plays a critical role in regulating hormonal-mediated cucumber waterlogging-triggered AR formation by inhibiting ethylene and gibberellin accumulation. We anticipate that our findings will provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that drive the emergence of AR in cucumber plants under waterlogging stress.

Reviving resilience: MEcPP-mediated ASK1-IMPα-9-TRP2 stress-responsive module.

Chloroplasts are not only critical photosynthesis sites in plants, but they also participate in plastidial retrograde signaling in response to developmental and environmental signals. MEcPP (2-C-Methyl-D-erythritol-2,4-cyclopyrophosphate) is an intermediary in the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in chloroplasts. It is a critical precursor for the synthesis of isoprenoids and terpenoid derivatives, which play crucial roles in plant growth and development, photosynthesis, reproduction, and defense against environmental constraints. Accumulation of MEcPP under stressful conditions triggers the expression of IMPα-9 and TPR2, contributing to the activation of abiotic stress-responsive genes. In this correspondence, we discuss plastidial retrograde signaling in support of a recently published paper in Molecular Plant (Zeng et al. 2024). We hope that it can shed more insight on the retrograde signaling cascade.

Surviving a Double-Edged Sword: Response of Horticultural Crops to Multiple Abiotic Stressors.

Climate change-induced weather events, such as extreme temperatures, prolonged drought spells, or flooding, pose an enormous risk to crop productivity. Studies on the implications of multiple stresses may vary from those on a single stress. Usually, these stresses coincide, amplifying the extent of collateral damage and contributing to significant financial losses. The breadth of investigations focusing on the response of horticultural crops to a single abiotic stress is immense. However, the tolerance mechanisms of horticultural crops to multiple abiotic stresses remain poorly understood. In this review, we described the most prevalent types of abiotic stresses that occur simultaneously and discussed them in in-depth detail regarding the physiological and molecular responses of horticultural crops. In particular, we discussed the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and metabolic responses of horticultural crops to multiple abiotic stresses. Strategies to breed multi-stress-resilient lines have been presented. Our manuscript presents an interesting amount of proposed knowledge that could be valuable in generating resilient genotypes for multiple stressors.

Smart reprograming of plants against salinity stress using modern biotechnological tools.

Climate change gives rise to numerous environmental stresses, including soil salinity. Salinity/salt stress is the second biggest abiotic factor affecting agricultural productivity worldwide by damaging numerous physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes. In particular, salinity affects plant growth, development, and productivity. Salinity responses include modulation of ion homeostasis, antioxidant defense system induction, and biosynthesis of numerous phytohormones and osmoprotectants to protect plants from osmotic stress by decreasing ion toxicity and augmented reactive oxygen species scavenging. As most crop plants are sensitive to salinity, improving salt tolerance is crucial in sustaining global agricultural productivity. In response to salinity, plants trigger stress-related genes, proteins, and the accumulation of metabolites to cope with the adverse consequence of salinity. Therefore, this review presents an overview of salinity stress in crop plants. We highlight advances in modern biotechnological tools, such as omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) approaches and different genome editing tools (ZFN, TALEN, and CRISPR/Cas system) for improving salinity tolerance in plants and accomplish the goal of "zero hunger," a worldwide sustainable development goal proposed by the FAO.

Exploring the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with CRISPR/Cas9 in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

BACKGROUNDS: The narrow genetic basis of cucumber makes breeding of this species difficult. CRISPR/Cas9 system is  characteristic of  simple design, low cost and  high efficiency, which has opened a new path for cucumber functional genetics and the development of cucumber mocular breeding. However, the immature genetic transformation system is the main limiting factor for applying this technology in cucumber. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, a Histochemical ß-glucuronidase (GUS) assay was used to analyze the effect of various parameters, including slight scratch of explants, pre-culture time, acetosyringone (AS) concentration, infection time in Agrobacterium solution, and co-culture period on the transformation efficiency. The results showed that the explants slightly scratched after cutting, pre-cultured for 1 day, Agrobacterium bacterial solution containing AS, and 20 min length of infection could significantly increase the GUS staining rate of explants. On this basis, two sequences with high specificity (sgRNA-1 and sgRNA-2) targeted different loci of gene CsGCN5 were designed. The corresponding vectors Cas9-sgRNA-1 and Cas9-sgRNA-2 were constructed and transformed using the above-optimized cucumber genetic transformation system, and three and two PCR positive lines were obtained from 210 and 207 explants, respectively. No sequence mutation at target loci of CsGCN5 was detected in the Cas9-sgRNA-1 transformed three PCR positive lines. However, one mutant line with targeted homozygous change was recognized from the Cas9-sgRNA-2 transformed two PCR positive lines. CONCLUSION: In this study, 2.4‰ of total explants had directed mutation in the CsGCN5 gene. The results in the present study would be beneficial to further optimize and improve the efficiency of the genetic transformation of cucumber.

The TAZ domain-containing proteins play important role in the heavy metals stress biology in plants.

TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding) zinc finger domains, also known as transcription adaptor putative zinc finger domains, that control diverse function in plant growth and development. Here, in the present study, we evaluated the role of the TAZ domain-containing gene in response to various heavy metals. Initially, we found a total of 3, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 7, 14, 6, 10, and 6 proteins containing TAZ domain in stiff brome, millet, sorghum, potato, pepper, maize, rice, apple, peach, pear, and tomato genome that could trigger the plant resistance against various heavy metals, respectively. Various in-silico approaches were applied such as duplication, phylogenetic analysis, and gene structure, to understand the basic features of the TAZ domain-containing genes in plants. Gene expression analyses were also performed under heavy metals (Cr, Zn, Ni, Cd, Co, Fe, Mn, and Pb). The results of quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that the TAZ gene family members were differentially expressed under different heavy metals. We further characterized the functions of the TAZ domain-containing gene under the heavy metal stresses by overexpressing the OsTAZ4 gene in Arabidopsis. The TAZ genes could promote plant resistance against various heavy metals by interacting with OsMYB34 and OsFHA9 transcription factors. The results will contribute to elucidate the relationship of TAZ proteins with heavy metals stresses and also ascertain the biological function in plant growth and development.

Correction to: CRISPR-Cas9 mediated targeted disruption of FAD2-2 microsomal omega-6 desaturase in soybean (Glycine max.L).

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Making 'Chemical Cocktails' - Evolution of Urban Geochemical Processes across the Periodic Table of Elements.

Urbanization contributes to the formation of novel elemental combinations and signatures in terrestrial and aquatic watersheds, also known as 'chemical cocktails.' The composition of chemical cocktails evolves across space and time due to: (1) elevated concentrations from anthropogenic sources, (2) accelerated weathering and corrosion of the built environment, (3) increased drainage density and intensification of urban water conveyance systems, and (4) enhanced rates of geochemical transformations due to changes in temperature, ionic strength, pH, and redox potentials. Characterizing chemical cocktails and underlying geochemical processes is necessary for: (1) tracking pollution sources using complex chemical mixtures instead of individual elements or compounds; (2) developing new strategies for co-managing groups of contaminants; (3) identifying proxies for predicting transport of chemical mixtures using continuous sensor data; and (4) determining whether interactive effects of chemical cocktails produce ecosystem-scale impacts greater than the sum of individual chemical stressors. First, we discuss some unique urban geochemical processes which form chemical cocktails, such as urban soil formation, human-accelerated weathering, urban acidification-alkalinization, and freshwater salinization syndrome. Second, we review and synthesize global patterns in concentrations of major ions, carbon and nutrients, and trace elements in urban streams across different world regions and make comparisons with reference conditions. In addition to our global analysis, we highlight examples from some watersheds in the Baltimore-Washington DC region, which show increased transport of major ions, trace metals, and nutrients across streams draining a well-defined land-use gradient. Urbanization increased the concentrations of multiple major and trace elements in streams draining human-dominated watersheds compared to reference conditions. Chemical cocktails of major and trace elements were formed over diurnal cycles coinciding with changes in streamflow, dissolved oxygen, pH, and other variables measured by high-frequency sensors. Some chemical cocktails of major and trace elements were also significantly related to specific conductance (p<0.05), which can be measured by sensors. Concentrations of major and trace elements increased, peaked, or decreased longitudinally along streams as watershed urbanization increased, which is consistent with distinct shifts in chemical mixtures upstream and downstream of other major cities in the world. Our global analysis of urban streams shows that concentrations of multiple elements along the Periodic Table significantly increase when compared with reference conditions. Furthermore, similar biogeochemical patterns and processes can be grouped among distinct mixtures of elements of major ions, dissolved organic matter, nutrients, and trace elements as chemical cocktails. Chemical cocktails form in urban waters over diurnal cycles, decades, and throughout drainage basins. We conclude our global review and synthesis by proposing strategies for monitoring and managing chemical cocktails using source control, ecosystem restoration, and green infrastructure. We discuss future research directions applying the watershed chemical cocktail approach to diagnose and manage environmental problems. Ultimately, a chemical cocktail approach targeting sources, transport, and transformations of different and distinct elemental combinations is necessary to more holistically monitor and manage the emerging impacts of chemical mixtures in the world's fresh waters.

CRISPR-Cas9 mediated targeted disruption of FAD2-2 microsomal omega-6 desaturase in soybean (Glycine max.L).

BACKGROUND: Recent innovation in the field of genome engineering encompasses numerous levels of plant genome engineering which attract the substantial excitement of plant biologist worldwide. RNA-guided CRISPR Cas9 system has appeared a promising tool in site-directed mutagenesis due to its innovative utilization in different branches of biology. CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease system have supersedes all previously existed strategies and their associated pitfalls encountered with site-specific mutagenesis. RESULTS: Here we demonstrated an efficient sequence specific integration/mutation of FAD2-2 gene in soybean using CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease system. A single guided RNA sequence was designed with the help of a number of bioinformatics tools aimed to target distinct sites of FAD2-2 loci in soybean. The binary vector (pCas9-AtU6-sgRNA) has been successfully transformed into soybean cotyledon using Agrobacterium tumafacien. Taken together our findings complies soybean transgenic mutants subjected to targeted mutation were surprisingly detected in our target gene. Furthermore, the detection of Cas9 gene, BAR gene, and NOS terminator were carried out respectively. Southern blot analysis confirmed the stable transformation of Cas9 gene into soybean. Real time expression with qRT-PCR and Sanger sequencing analysis confirmed the efficient CRISPR-Cas9/sgRNA induced mutation within the target sequence of FAD2-2 loci. The integration of FAD2-2 target region in the form of substitution, deletions and insertions were achieved with notably high frequency and rare off-target mutagenesis. CONCLUSION: High frequent mutation efficiency was recorded as 21% out of all transgenic soybean plants subjected to targeted mutagenesis. Furthermore, Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) indicates the entire fatty acid profiling obtained from the mutants seeds of soybean. A considerable modulation in oleic acid content up to (65.58%) whereas the least level of linoleic acid is (16.08%) were recorded. Based on these finding CRISPR-Cas9 system can possibly sum up recent development and future challenges in producing agronomically important crops.

Influence of Supplemental Protein on the Life Expectancy and Reproduction of the Chinese Citrus Fruit Fly, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Tetradacus minax) (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major citrus pest in China, whose artificial rearing technology of the adult is not well documented to date. In this study, we tried to determine if supplementing proteins to the adult diet could result in the enhancement of some fitness parameters of B. minax. Four feeds with varying protein source were provided as F0 (water), F1 (sucrose), F2 (sucrose + yeast), and F3 (sucrose + peptone). F0 and F1 being the control, F2 and F3 were protein food types. The results showed that adults fed by F2 and F3 lived longer with 40.1 d and 32.8 d, respectively, had reduced death rates (death peaks were delayed for 5.6 d and 4.1 d, respectively), increased mating frequencies (8.1 and 5.3 per females, 4.7 and 7.3 per males, respectively), and longer mating durations (with 42 d and 34 d). In addition, females recorded an increased adult ovary development, more egg load (with 94.8 and 77.3 brood eggs per ovary) and to greater oviposition rates of 63.2 eggs/female and 19.3 eggs/female. Based on our results, protein supplements enhanced B. minax survival, mating, and fecundity. This study does not only provide basic knowledge to implement artificial rearing of B. minax, but also deepens our understanding on its physiology that could be used to enhance the management of the pest.

The Multifunctional Role of Chitosan in Horticultural Crops; A Review.

Chitosan is a naturally occurring compound and is commercially produced from seafood shells. It has been utilized in the induction of the defense system in both pre and post-harvest fruits and vegetables against fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other abiotic stresses. In addition to that, chitosan effectively improves the physiological properties of plants and also enhances the shelf life of post-harvest produces. Moreover, chitosan treatment regulates several genes in plants, particularly the activation of plant defense signaling pathways. That includes the elicitation of phytoalexins and pathogenesis-related (PR) protein. Besides that, chitosan has been employed in soil as a plant nutrient and has shown great efficacy in combination with other industrial fertilizers without affecting the soil's beneficial microbes. Furthermore, it is helpful in reducing the fertilizer losses due to its coating ability, which is important in keeping the environmental pollution under check. Based on exhibiting such excellent properties, there is a striking interest in using chitosan biopolymers in agriculture systems. Therefore, our current review has been centered upon the multiple roles of chitosan in horticultural crops that could be useful in future crop improvement programs.

Melatonin and Its Effects on Plant Systems.

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a nontoxic biological molecule produced in a pineal gland of animals and different tissues of plants. It is an important secondary messenger molecule, playing a vital role in coping with various abiotic and biotic stresses. Melatonin serves as an antioxidant in postharvest technology and enhances the postharvest life of fruits and vegetables. The application of exogenous melatonin alleviated reactive oxygen species and cell damage induced by abiotic and biotic stresses by means of repairing mitochondria. Additionally, the regulation of stress-specific genes and the activation of pathogenesis-related protein and antioxidant enzymes genes under biotic and abiotic stress makes it a more versatile molecule. Besides that, the crosstalk with other phytohormones makes inroads to utilize melatonin against non-testified stress conditions, such as viruses and nematodes. Furthermore, different strategies have been discussed to induce endogenous melatonin activity in order to sustain a plant system. Our review highlighted the diverse roles of melatonin in a plant system, which could be useful in enhancing the environmental friendly crop production and ensure food safety.

Genome Identification of B-BOX Gene Family Members in Seven Rosaceae Species and Their Expression Analysis in Response to Flower Induction in Malus domestica.

BBX proteins play important roles in regulating plant growth and development including photomorphogenesis, photoperiodic regulation of flowering, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. At present, the genomes of seven Rosaceae fruit species have been fully sequenced. However, little is known about the BBX gene family and their evolutionary history in these Rosaceae species. Therefore, in this study total, 212 BBX genes were investigated from seven Rosaceae species (67 from Malus × domestica, 40 from Pyruscommunis, 22 from Rosa Chinesis, 20 from Prunuspersica, 21 from Fragariavesca, 22 from Prunusavium, and 20 from Rubusoccidentalis). The chemical properties, gene structures, and evolutionary relationships of the BBX genes were also studied. All the BBX genes were grouped into six subfamilies on the basis of their phylogenetic relationships and structural features. Analysis of gene structure, segmental and tandem duplication, gene phylogeny, and tissue-specific expression with the ArrayExpress database showed their diversification in function, quantity, and structure. The expression profiles of 19 MdBBX genes in different tissues were evaluated through qRT-PCR. These genes showed distinct transcription level among the tested tissues (bud, flower, fruit, stem, and leaf). Moreover, expression patterns of 19 MdBBX genes were examined during flowering induction time under flowering-related hormones and treatments (GA3, 6-BA, and sucrose). The expressions of the candidates BBX genes were affected and showed diverse expression profile. Furthermore, changes in response to these flowering-related hormones and treatment specifying their potential involvement in flowering induction. Based on these findings, BBX genes could be used as potential genetic markers for the growth and development of plants particularly in the area of functional analysis, and their involvement in flower induction in fruit plants.

microRNA regulates cytokinin induced parthenocarpy in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

Parthenocarpy is one of the most important agronomic traits for fruit yield in cucumbers. However, the precise gene regulation and the posttranscriptional mechanism are elusive. In the presented study, one parthenocarpic line DDX and non-parthenocarpic line ZK were applied to identify the microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in parthenocarpic fruit formation. The differential expressed miRNAs among parthenocarpic fruit of forchlorfenuron (CPPU) treated ZK (ZK-CPPU), pollinated ZK (ZK-P), non-pollinated DDX (DDX-NP) were compared with the non-parthenocarpic fruits of non-pollinated ZK (ZK-NP). It indicated 98 miRNAs exhibited differential expression were identified. Notably, a significant proportion of these miRNAs were enriched in the signal transduction pathway of plant hormones, as identified by the KEGG pathway analysis. qRT-PCR validation indicated that CsmiR156 family was upregulated in the ZK-NP while downregulated in ZK-CPPU, ZK-P, and DDX-NP at 1 day after anthesis. Meanwhile, the opposite trend was observed for CsmiR164a. In ZK-CPPU, ZK-P, and DDX-NP, CsmiRNA156 genes (CsSPL16 and CsARR9-like) were upregulated while CsmiRNA164a genes (CsNAC6, CsCUC1, and CsNAC100) were downregulated. The GUS and dual luciferase assay validated that CsmiR156a inhibited while CsmiR164a induced their target genes' transcription. This study presents novel insights into the involvement of CsmiR156a and CsmiR164a in the CK-mediated posttranscriptional regulation of cucumber parthenocarpy, which will aid future breeding programs.

RNA-seq-based comparative transcriptome analysis reveals the role of CsPrx73 in waterlogging-triggered adventitious root formation in cucumber.

Abiotic stressors like waterlogging are detrimental to cucumber development and growth. However, comprehension of the highly complex molecular mechanism underlying waterlogging can provide an opportunity to enhance cucumber tolerance under waterlogging stress. We examined the hypocotyl and stage-specific transcriptomes of the waterlogging-tolerant YZ026A and the waterlogging-sensitive YZ106A, which had different adventitious rooting ability under waterlogging. YZ026A performed better under waterlogging stress by altering its antioxidative machinery and demonstrated a greater superoxide ion (O 2-) scavenging ability. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that a high number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. By pairwise comparison and weighted gene co-expression network analysis analysis, 2616 DEGs were obtained which were categorized into 11 gene co-expression modules. Amongst the 11 modules, black was identified as the common module and yielded a novel key regulatory gene, CsPrx73. Transgenic cucumber plants overexpressing CsPrx73 enhance adventitious root (AR) formation under waterlogging conditions and increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. Silencing of CsPrx73 expression by virus-induced gene silencing adversely affects AR formation under the waterlogging condition. Our results also indicated that CsERF7-3, a waterlogging-responsive ERF transcription factor, can directly bind to the ATCTA-box motif in the CsPrx73 promoter to initiate its expression. Overexpression of CsERF7-3 enhanced CsPrx73 expression and AR formation. On the contrary, CsERF7-3-silenced plants decreased CsPrx73 expression and rooting ability. In conclusion , our study demonstrates a novel CsERF7-3-CsPrx73 module that allows cucumbers to adapt more efficiently to waterlogging stress by promoting AR production and ROS scavenging.

The apple MdGA2ox7 modulates the balance between growth and stress tolerance in an anthocyanin-dependent manner.

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is a widely cultivated fruit crop worldwide but often suffers from abiotic stresses such as salt and cold. Gibberellic acid (GA) plays a pivotal in controlling plant development, environmental adaptability, and secondary metabolism. The GA2-oxidase (GA2ox) is responsible for the deactivation of bioactive GA. In this study, seventeen GA2-oxidase genes were identified in the apple genome, and these members could be clustered into four clades based on phylogenetic relationships and conserved domain structures. MdGA2ox7 exhibited robust expression across various tissues, responded to cold and salt treatments, and was triggered in apple fruit peels via light-induced anthocyanin accumulation. Subcellular localization prediction and experiments confirmed that MdGA2ox7 was located in the cytoplasm. Overexpression of MdGA2ox7 in Arabidopsis caused a lower level of active GA and led to GA-deficient phenotypes, such as dwarfism and delayed flowering. MdGA2ox7 alleviated cold and salt stress damage in both Arabidopsis and apple in concert with melatonin (MT). Additionally, MdGA2ox7 enhanced anthocyanin biosynthesis in apple calli and activated genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis. These findings provide new insights into the functions of apple GA2ox in regulating development, stress tolerance, and secondary metabolism.

MdIPT1, an adenylate isopentenyltransferase coding gene from Malus domestica, is involved in branching and flowering regulation.

Flowering and shoot branching are significant agricultural traits for apple tree breeding. Cytokinin metabolism and signaling pathways play a crucial role in plant development. However, little is known about cytokinin biosynthetic molecular mechanism and function involved in apple flowering and branching. In this study, an adenylate isopentenyl transferase coding gene MdIPT1, homologous to AtIPT3/AtIPT5 in Arabidopsis thaliana, was identified. MdIPT1 was highly expressed in apple floral and axillary buds and was dramatically up-regulated during floral induction and axillary bud outgrowth. The promoter of MdIPT1 showed high activity in multiple tissues and responded to different hormone treatments. The MdIPT1-overexpressing Arabidopsis showed a multi-branching and early-flowering phenotype, with elevated endogenous cytokinin levels and altered expression of genes related to branching and flower formation. Overexpression of MdIPT1 confers the growth vigor of transgenic apple callus on a CKs-deficient medium. Our findings suggest that MdIPT1 is a positive regulator involved in branching and flowering. The data presented herein provide extensive research results on MdIPT1 and will contribute to molecular breeding for new apple varieties.

The BELL1-like homeobox gene MdBLH14 from apple controls flowering and plant height via repression of MdGA20ox3.

Apple growth and yield are largely dependent on plant height and flowering characteristics. The BELL1-like homeobox (BLH) transcription factors regulate extensive plant biological processes. However, the BLH-mediated regulation of plant height and flowering in apple remains elusive. In the current study, 19 members of the MdBLH family were identified in the apple genome. Segmental duplication and purifying selection are the main reasons for the evolution of the MdBLH genes. A BLH1-like gene, MdBLH14, was isolated and functionally characterized. The MdBLH14 was preferentially expressed in flower buds, and downregulated during the floral induction period. The subcellular localization in tobacco leaves indicated that MdBLH14 is a nuclear protein. Overexpression of MdBLH14 in Arabidopsis led to a significant dwarfing and late-flowering phenotype by hindering active GA accumulation. Additionally, MdKNOX19, another member of the TALE superfamily, physically interacts with MdBLH14 and synergistically inhibits the expression of MdGA20ox3. This is the first report on the function of the MdBLH14 from apple, and its mechanism involving plant flower induction and growth. The data presented here provide a theoretical basis for genetically breeding new apple varieties.

KNOTTED1-like homeobox (KNOX) transcription factors - Hubs in a plethora of networks: A review.

KNOX (KNOTTED1-like HOMEOBOX) belongs to a class of important homeobox genes, which encode the homeodomain proteins binding to the specific element of target genes, and widely participate in plant development. Advancements in genetics and molecular biology research generate a large amount of information about KNOX genes in model and non-model plants, and their functions in different developmental backgrounds are gradually becoming clear. In this review, we summarize the known and presumed functions of the KNOX gene in plants, focusing on horticultural plants and crops. The classification and structural characteristics, expression characteristics and regulation, interacting protein factors, functions, and mechanisms of KNOX genes are systematically described. Further, the current research gaps and perspectives were discussed. These comprehensive data can provide a reference for the directional improvement of agronomic traits through KNOX gene regulation.

miRNAs for crop improvement.

Climate change significantly impacts crop production by inducing several abiotic and biotic stresses. The increasing world population, and their food and industrial demands require focused efforts to improve crop plants to ensure sustainable food production. Among various modern biotechnological tools, microRNAs (miRNAs) are one of the fascinating tools available for crop improvement. miRNAs belong to a class of small non-coding RNAs playing crucial roles in numerous biological processes. miRNAs regulate gene expression by post-transcriptional target mRNA degradation or by translation repression. Plant miRNAs have essential roles in plant development and various biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. In this review, we provide propelling evidence from previous studies conducted around miRNAs and provide a one-stop review of progress made for breeding stress-smart future crop plants. Specifically, we provide a summary of reported miRNAs and their target genes for improvement of plant growth and development, and abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. We also highlight miRNA-mediated engineering for crop improvement and sequence-based technologies available for the identification of miRNAs associated with stress tolerance and plant developmental events.