Identification of miRNAs Involved in Lipid Metabolism and Tuber Development in L.

Tiger nut ( L.) is recognized for its high oil and oleic acid content in underground tubers. However, the molecular mechanisms governing growth, development, and fatty acid accumulation in these tubers are not well understood.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals the molecular mechanism underlying seedling heterosis and its relationship with hybrid contemporary seeds DNA methylation in soybean.

Heterosis is widely used in crop production, but phenotypic dominance and its underlying causes in soybeans, a significant grain and oil crop, remain a crucial yet unexplored issue. Here, the phenotypes and transcriptome profiles of three inbred lines and their resulting F seedlings were analyzed. The results suggest that F seedlings with superior heterosis in leaf size and biomass exhibited a more extensive recompilation in their transcriptional network and activated a greater number of genes compared to the parental lines.

DNA hypomethylation-associated transcriptional rewiring enables resistance to heavy metal mercury (Hg) stress in rice.

Mercury (Hg) is an important hazardous pollutant that can cause phytotoxicity and harm human health through the food chain. Recently, rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been confirmed as a potential Hg bioaccumulator.

Various potentially toxic element tolerances in different rice genotypes correlate with distinct physiological responses and alterations in DNA methylation.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are harmful to plant growth and reduce crop productivity. In this work, we studied three rice genotypes (T-35, RZ-1, and RZ-2) to quantify the diverse PTE effects and tolerances by examining morphology, physiology, and DNA methylation patterns. Morphological results showed that T-35 exhibits the highest tolerance to all studied PTE stressors (Cu, Cd, Cr).

Genome-wide locus-specific DNA methylation repatterning may facilitate rapid evolution of mercury resistance in rice.

Background: Albeit a relatively stable epigenetic modification, DNA methylation in plants can be repatterned and play important roles in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, whether DNA methylation dynamics may contribute to cope with mercury (Hg) stress in plants remains to be fully investigated.

Objective: To probe the potential roles of DNA methylation dynamics in coping with Hg stress in rice.

SET DOMAIN GROUP 721 protein functions in saline-alkaline stress tolerance in the model rice variety Kitaake.

To isolate the genetic locus responsible for saline-alkaline stress tolerance, we developed a high-throughput activation tagging-based T-DNA insertion mutagenesis method using the model rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety Kitaake. One of the activation-tagged insertion lines, activation tagging 7 (AC7), showed increased tolerance to saline-alkaline stress.

JMJ17-WRKY40 and HY5-ABI5 modules regulate the expression of ABA-responsive genes in Arabidopsis.

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in the adaptation of young seedlings to environmental stresses. However, the role of epigenetic components and core transcriptional machineries in the effect of ABA on seed germination and seedling growth remain unclear. Here, we show that a histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) demethylase, JMJ17, regulates the expression of ABA-responsive genes during seed germination and seedling growth.

Chromatin Remodeling Protein ZmCHB101 Regulates Nitrate-Responsive Gene Expression in Maize.

Nitrate is the main source of nitrogen for plants and an essential component of fertilizers. Rapid transcriptional activation of genes encoding the high-affinity nitrate transport system (HATS) is an important strategy that plants use to cope with nitrogen deficiency. However, the specific transcriptional machineries involved in this process and the detailed transcriptional regulatory mechanism of the core HATS remain poorly understood.

Transgenerational memory of gene expression changes induced by heavy metal stress in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Background: Heavy metal toxicity has become a major threat to sustainable crop production worldwide. Thus, considerable interest has been placed on deciphering the mechanisms that allow plants to combat heavy metal stress. Strategies to deal with heavy metals are largely focused on detoxification, transport and/or sequestration.