RIP2 interacts with REL1 to control leaf architecture by modulating brassinosteroid signaling in rice.

KEY MESSAGE: RIP2 serves as a negative regulator of leaf inclination through the coordination of BR signaling in rice. Leaf angle is considered as an important morphological trait in rice. Appropriate leaf angle increases the efficiency of sunlight capture and maintains a high level of photosynthesis, ultimately improving crop yield. Our present study demonstrates that RIP2 encodes a RING finger E3 ligase protein that directly binds to ROLLED AND ERECT LEAF 1 (REL1), a key regulator of leaf morphogenesis. Further studies reveal that RIP2 is extensively involved in leaf inclination through the coordination of BR signaling. Repression of RIP2 led to altered phenotypes, including enlarged leaf inclination and fewer tillers. Conversely, rice overexpressing RIP2 exhibited erect leaves. The double mutant rel1 rip2 displayed phenotypes similar to those of rel1, characterized by rolled leaves. Transcriptome profiling of WT, rel1, rip2, and rel1 rip2 mutants revealed that BR and IAA signaling pathways were impaired in rip2. Moreover, rel1, rip2, and rel1 rip2 were insensitive to BR treatment. In summary, these findings demonstrate that RIP2 serves as a negative regulator of leaf inclination, and therefore, provides an approach for the optimization of an ideal plant type.

Study on relationship between bacterial diversity and quality of Huangjiu (Chinese Rice Wine) fermentation.

Huangjiu (Chinese rice wine) is brewed in an open environment, where bacteria play an important role during the fermentation process. In this study, bacterial community structure and composition changes in the fermented mash liquid of mechanized Huangjiu, well-fermented manual Huangjiu (wines of good qualities), and poorly fermented manual Huangjiu (wines of poor qualities: spoilage, high acidity, low alcohol content) in different fermentation stages from Guyuelongshan Shaoxing Huangjiu company were analyzed via metagenomic sequencing. And bacterial metabolic difference was analyzed via gene prediction of metabolic pathway enzymes. The results showed that the bacterial diversity degree was abundant, and the number of bacterial species in every sample was approximately 200-400. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) dominated the bacterial community of Huangjiu fermentation, and lactobacillus was predominant species in well-fermented Huangjiu while Lactobacillus brevis had an absolute dominance in spoilage Huangjiu. Further, gene prediction revealed that transformation of malate to pyruvate and lactate anabolism was more active in mash liquid of well-fermented manual Huangjiu, while acetate accumulation was stronger in mash liquid of poorly fermented manual Huangjiu, which explained acidity excess reason in poorly fermented Huangjiu at gene level.

[Identification of QTLs on substituted segments in single segment substitution lines of rice].

The quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for 21 traits of agronomy importance on ten substituted chromosomal segments were identified using single segment substitution lines (SSSLs) in rice, which were developed by the use of Taichung 65 as a recipient and zhai-ye-qing and dee-geo-woo-gen as donors respectively. Total length of the substituted segments in the SSSLs was 230.00 cM, which was 12.62% of rice genome. T-test was used to detect QTLs in the condition that the difference in phenotypes between a SSSL and the recipient parent (Taichung 65) was significant at the 0.1% level (P< or = 0.001). A total of 57 QTLs for 17 traits had been detected on the ten substituted segments, which were on chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 12 respectively. The additive effect percentages of the QTLs ranged from 1.10% to 89.73%. Among of 57 QTLs, fifteen QTLs had the additive effect percentage over 10%, thirty QTLs varied from 3% to 10% and other twelve QTLs were below 3%.