Plant Biotechnology Journal最新文献

{"title":"The N gene protects tomato plants from tomato brown rugose fruit virus infection","authors":"Jing Zhou, Andrea Gilliard, Jeffrey Tung, Savithramma P. Dinesh‐Kumar, Steven A. Whitham, Barbara Baker, Kai‐Shu Ling","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70237","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryThe tobamovirus tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) has recently emerged, causing significant damage to the tomato industry in various regions worldwide, including the US. ToBRFV evades the widely used <jats:italic>Tm‐2</jats:italic><jats:sup><jats:italic>2</jats:italic></jats:sup> resistance gene, which encodes a nucleotide‐binding leucine‐rich repeat (NLR) class immune receptor with an N‐terminal coiled‐coil (CC) domain that confers resistance to the tomato mosaic virus (ToMV). In this study, we tested a transgenic tomato line (tomato<jats:sup>NN</jats:sup>) expressing the <jats:italic>Nicotiana glutinosa N</jats:italic> gene, which encodes an NLR with a Toll‐Interleukin 1 homology domain (TIR) at the N‐terminus, for resistance to ToBRFV. Our results demonstrate that tomato<jats:sup>NN</jats:sup> is resistant to ToBRFV, evidenced by the necrotic local lesions observed on the inoculated leaves and the absence of symptoms on systemic leaves. This correlates with very low to non‐detectable virus levels in double antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent (DAS‐ELISA) and quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) assays. Furthermore, our findings reveal that tomato<jats:sup>NN</jats:sup> is resistant to ToBRFV at 22 °C, but not at 30 °C, showing that the temperature‐sensitive nature of <jats:italic>N</jats:italic>‐mediated resistance also extends to ToBRFV resistance in tomato. These results highlight the significant potential of using tomato<jats:sup>NN</jats:sup> to breed tomato cultivars resistant to ToBRFV, offering a new approach to managing the global pandemic caused by this emerging virus.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"92 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144547169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deletion of the gene encoding the magnesium chelatase I subunit resulted in a novel wheat leaf colour mutant","authors":"Fei Qi, Piyi Xing, Yinchu Sun, Yinguang Bao, Honggang Wang, Xingfeng Li","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14589","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14589","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryLeaf colour mutants are ideal germplasm resources for investigating the mechanisms of chlorophyll (Chl) synthesis, chloroplast development and photosynthesis. In this study, we obtained a yellow‐leaf mutant, designated SN288‐2. The variant presented a yellow‐leaf phenotype and halted the development of chloroplasts at the seedling stage, with reduced accumulation of Chl. The yellow‐leaf phenotype reverted to the normal phenotype in the wheat revival stage. In addition, the ratio of the crucial Chl precursors protoporphyrin IX (Proto IX) and Mg‐protoporphyrin IX (Mg‐Proto IX) was relatively high in yellow leaves. Bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA‐Seq) revealed that the aberrant phenotype was controlled by two recessive genes located on chromosomes 7A and 7D, designated <jats:italic>Y1‐7A</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Y2‐7D</jats:italic>, respectively. Subsequent research focused on <jats:italic>Y1‐7A</jats:italic>. We identified TraesCS7A03G1163900 as a viable candidate for <jats:italic>Y1‐7A</jats:italic>, encoding a major subunit of Mg‐chelatase that is essential for Chl synthesis. Whole‐genome resequencing and Sanger sequencing revealed a 5.3 kb deletion on the long arm of chromosome 7A in SN388‐2 that encompasses the entire <jats:italic>Y1‐7A</jats:italic> sequence. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT–PCR) revealed that the <jats:italic>Y1‐7A</jats:italic> gene was predominantly expressed in green tissues and that the encoded protein was localized within the chloroplast. Moreover, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed a gene module associated with leaf development and Chl content restoration. Consequently, these results provide a new theory regarding the regulation of Chl synthesis and chloroplast development. Overall, the loss of <jats:italic>Y1‐7A</jats:italic> impaired the function of Mg‐chelatase and blocked the conversion of Proto IX to Mg‐Proto IX.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144533231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deciphering the role of monoacylglycerol lipases (MAGL) under abiotic stress and lipid metabolism in soybean (Glycine max L.)","authors":"Virender Kumar, Rushil Mandlik, Surbhi Kumawat, Badal Mahakalkar, Nitika Rana, Yogesh Sharma, Nitika Rajora, Sreeja Sudhakaran, Sanskriti Vats, Rupesh Deshmukh, Henry T. Nguyen, Tilak Raj Sharma, Humira Sonah","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70088","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryMonoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is involved in the last step of triacylglycerol breakdown by hydrolysing the monoacylglycerol (MAG) to free fatty acid and glycerol. In the present study, 21 and 38 MAGL genes were identified in <jats:italic>Glycine max</jats:italic> (cultivated soybean) and <jats:italic>Glycine soja</jats:italic> (wild) genomes, respectively. Gene‐specific association performed using whole genome resequencing data by mixed linear model showed a significant association with total seed oil, linolenic, and oleic acid content. Subsequent haplotypic analysis revealed allelic variations for <jats:italic>MAGL</jats:italic> genes in soybean germplasm. Diversity analysis indicated a balancing selection of <jats:italic>MAGL</jats:italic> genes in cultivated soybean compared to wild soybean. Transient expression of three candidate MAGL proteins in <jats:italic>Nicotiana tabacum</jats:italic> leaves showed chloroplast‐specific localization, which is the site for fatty acid biosynthesis. An extensive transcriptomic evaluation revealed comparatively higher expression of five genes in soybean seeds, and nine genes showed higher expression under abiotic stress conditions like drought and heat. The quantitative real‐time PCR analysis of three candidate <jats:italic>MAGL</jats:italic> genes showed differential expression under arsenic and silicon supplementation. Gene co‐expression analysis showed the interaction of <jats:italic>MAGL</jats:italic> with <jats:italic>diacylglycerol acyltransferase</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>triacylglycerol</jats:italic>. In addition, confocal microscopy and fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of yeast expressing four <jats:italic>GmMAGL</jats:italic> genes showed altered lipid deposition, leading to smaller and more dispersed lipid droplets, suggesting its significant role in lipid metabolism. Manipulation of MAGL can be a pragmatic strategy to improve abiotic stress tolerance, likely by membrane lipid remodeling under environmental stress. Similarly, MAGL could be strategically utilized to enhance oil yield by regulating lipid metabolism.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144533225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and application of herbicide‐resistant 4‐hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) alleles via directed evolution","authors":"Bingbing Zhao, Yao Wang, Miaoyi Zhou, Xinxiang Liu, Hanshuai Li, Zi Shi, Yuhui Guo, Ting Li, Fengling Yang, Ronghuan Wang, Jiuran Zhao, Ya Liu","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70160","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144547168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rootstock of distant hybrid activates transcription factors of scion cultivar to promote growth and yield in walnut.","authors":"Baoxin Li,Yueying Liu,Pu Zhang,Xiaobo Song,Xinyu Wang,Zhimin Zheng,Dong Pei","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70207","url":null,"abstract":"Walnut (Juglans regia L.) is a significant commercial tree, valued both for its timber and nut production and it is extensively cultivated across the globe. We exploit heterografting by using cultivar-'Shangsong14' (Juglans regia; 'S14') as scion and hybrid elite-'Zhongningqi' (Juglans hindsii × Juglans regia; 'Q') as rootstock and self-grafting each other as both scion and rootstock to investigate the genetic effects of the rootstock. Heterografting induces vigour and yield in walnut scions through 15 years of continuous observation. Grafting experiment indicated that 'Q' as a rootstock caused a reduction of miR396a in scions (S14/Q) compared to self-grafting (S14/S14), while the transcript levels of JrGRF4b and JrGIF1a were upregulated in S14/Q compared with S14/S14. Moreover, we indicated that JrGRF4b might directly target and enhance JrGATA4 expression, further upregulating JrCycD4;1 and JrCycJ18 transcript abundance and affecting the proliferation of cambium cells. To examine the role of miR396a-JrGRF4b/JrGIF1a in growth vigour, we produced white birch transgenic lines that overexpressed miR396a, rJrGRF4b and JrGIF1a. Overexpression of rJrGRF4b and JrGIF1a enhanced plant vigour and cambium cell proliferation, while overexpression of miR396a had the opposite effect in white birch. Our findings suggest that Jr-miR396a was decreased in S14/Q compared to S14/S14, where mRNAs of JrGRF4b were released to enhance the JrGATA4 transcript level, strengthening cell proliferation in scions. The research revealed a novel molecular mechanism about rootstocks enhancing vigour in scions, which have the potential to accelerate breeding rootstocks for perennial woody species.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"78 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144521454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Generation and plant production of recombinant fluorescent immunoglobulin G as innovative immunodiagnostic reagents.","authors":"Ramona Sterpa,Marcello Catellani,Patrizia Melpignano,Thea Serra,Laura Anfossi,Cristina Capodicasa","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70235","url":null,"abstract":"Immunodiagnostic systems for on-site screening are increasingly in demand but require expensive reagents such as chemically modified antibodies. To obtain biomolecules as ready-to-use reagents for diagnostics, new recombinant fluorescent immunoglobulins G were generated by fusion of the heavy chain of a monoclonal antibody, 5H3, to two different fluorescent proteins: Green Fluorescent Protein (5H3GFP) and Cyan-excitable Orange Fluorescent Protein (5H3CyOFP1). The engineered antibodies were expressed by transient agroinfiltration in Nicotiana benthamiana plants, used as bioreactor sustainable, cost-effective and easy to scale up, with a yield of 80 and 35 mg/kg of purified 5H3GFP and 5H3CyOFP1, respectively. Both recombinant proteins retained the ability to recognize the antigen of the original mAb (aflatoxin M1, a contaminant of dairy products), while simultaneously being able to emit fluorescence in the green or orange light. To demonstrate their practical application in the diagnostic field, fluorescent antibodies were exploited to set up two fast screening systems for aflatoxin M1 detection: a lateral flow immunoassay and an OLED-based device. For both diagnostic systems, antigen-specific fluorescence signals as well as a first competitive assay were obtained. Although these assays will need a further implementation, our results demonstrate a concrete possibility to develop novel and fast analytical systems based on fluorescent recombinant antibodies produced in plants.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144521497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"miR156‐SPLs module regulates flowering and controls plant height by modulating gibberellin biosynthesis in citrus","authors":"Min Chen, Tian‐Liang Zhang, Wen‐Bo Zhang, Yong‐Zhen Wen, Zhong‐Xiang Ma, Zhen‐Ping Xi, Chun‐Gen Hu, Jin‐Zhi Zhang","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70238","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryPlant height and optimal flowering time are key determinants of crop yield and economic value. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing these traits, particularly in woody plants, remain unclear. In this study, overexpression of a citrus <jats:italic>microRNA156</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>miR156</jats:italic>) family member, <jats:italic>Ci‐miR156c</jats:italic>, resulted in significant phenotypic changes in citrus, including reduced plant height and delayed flowering. <jats:italic>miR156</jats:italic>‐mediated repression of <jats:italic>SQUAMOSA PROMOTER‐BINDING PROTEIN‐LIKE</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>SPL</jats:italic>) genes is a highly conserved regulatory mechanism in plants. Yeast one‐hybrid and dual‐luciferase assays, along with other related experiments, indicated that the <jats:italic>Ci‐miR156c‐CiSPL7</jats:italic> module targets the bZIP transcription factor (<jats:italic>CiFD</jats:italic>) to regulate citrus flowering. Additionally, the <jats:italic>Ci‐miR156c‐CiSPL6</jats:italic> module regulates plant height by targeting <jats:italic>GA 20‐oxidase 2</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>CiGA20ox2</jats:italic>), a key gibberellin biosynthesis gene. The <jats:italic>Ci‐miR156c‐CiSPL3</jats:italic> module also influences plant height by regulating the KNOX family gene (<jats:italic>CiKN6</jats:italic>), which further regulates <jats:italic>CiGA20ox2</jats:italic> expression. Overexpression of <jats:italic>CiKN6</jats:italic> in citrus induced dwarfism, whereas its suppression increased height in transgenic plants, reinforcing its role in plant height regulation. Exogenous gibberellin and its inhibitor treatment further confirmed that the <jats:italic>miR156</jats:italic>‐<jats:italic>SPLs</jats:italic> module regulates citrus plant height by inhibiting gibberellin biosynthesis. These findings highlight the role of the <jats:italic>miR156‐SPLs</jats:italic> module in controlling citrus flowering and plant height.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144515204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regulation of jasmonic acid signalling in tomato cold stress response: Insights into the MYB15‐LOXD and MYB15‐MYC2‐LOXD regulatory modules","authors":"Wenxin Li, Yongshuai Wen, Jiajia Quan, Meng Gao, Chunyu Shang, Xiaoyan Liu, Guoying Liu, Xiaohui Hu, Jianming Li","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70201","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryCold stress significantly affects the growth and productivity of tomatoes. Despite the known involvement of jasmonate (JA) in cold stress responses, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here, we observed that JA peaked 24 h after cold treatment. The expression of the <jats:italic>SlLOXD</jats:italic> gene, a key player in JA biosynthesis, also peaked at 24 h of cold exposure, and mutation in <jats:italic>SlLOXD</jats:italic> reduced JA content and cold tolerance. Downstream of JA signalling, the transcription factor SlMYC2 was implicated in enhancing cold resistance by directly binding to the <jats:italic>SlCBF1/2</jats:italic> promoters. Furthermore, the <jats:italic>SlMYC2</jats:italic>‐silenced plants and mutants exhibited increased sensitivity to cold damage. Additionally, SlMYB15 directly bound to the <jats:italic>SlLOXD</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>SlMYC2</jats:italic> promoters. Within 6 h of cold stress, SlMYB15 activated <jats:italic>SlLOXD</jats:italic> expression while repressing <jats:italic>SlMYC2</jats:italic> expression. Between 6 and 24 h, the expression level of <jats:italic>SlMYB15</jats:italic> decreased, thereby alleviating the repression of <jats:italic>SlMYC2</jats:italic> expression. SlMYC2 further enhanced JA signalling through the transcriptional activation of <jats:italic>SlLOXD</jats:italic>, thus improving cold tolerance in tomato plants. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamic regulation of the SlLOXD–SlMYC2 –CBF1/2 module by SlMYB15 and its critical role in tomato cold stress responses.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144515205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proposed EU NGT legislation in light of plant genetic variation","authors":"Alan H. Schulman, Frank Hartung, Marinus J.M. Smulders, Jens F. Sundström, Ralf Wilhelm, Odd Arne Rognli, Karin Metzlaff","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70228","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryThe European Commission (EC) proposal for New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) of July 2023 specifies that Category 1 NGT (NGT1) plants, which are considered equivalent to conventional plants, that is those obtainable by conventional plant breeding or mutagenesis, may differ from the recipient or parental plant by no more than 20 insertions, which cannot be longer than 20 bp; deletions can be no more than 20 but of any size. Here, we examine the proposed 20/20 NGT1 limit against the background of the theoretical considerations and older data used to frame it and in light of recent data from highly contiguous long‐read assemblies for reference genomes and pangenomes. We find that current genomic data indicate that natural variation in germplasm used by breeders is much greater than earlier understood and that both conventional breeding and mutagenesis can introduce genomic changes that are both more extensive in size and more frequent than the NGT Category 1 ‘20 insertions of maximum 20 bp’ limit would allow. Furthermore, natural variation also scales with genome size and complexity, a factor not considered in the EC proposal. We conclude that the proposed cut‐offs under which an NGT plant is considered equivalent to conventional plants do not align with what is observed in nature, conventional breeding and mutagenesis. Updating the 20/20 rule to broader limits would facilitate breeding for climate resilience, farming sustainability and nutritional security, while ensuring that NGT1 plants are equivalent to conventional ones.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144520673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of PpTHE1, a cell wall integrity sensor regulating the increased duration of harvest window in slow‐melting flesh peach, through the assembly of a chromosome‐level reference genome of Prunus persica","authors":"Junren Meng, Shihang Sun, Ang Li, Liang Niu, Akhi Badrunnesa, Lei Pan, Wenyi Duan, Guochao Cui, Zhiqiang Wang, Juan Xu, Wenfang Zeng","doi":"10.1111/pbi.70222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70222","url":null,"abstract":"SummarySlow‐melting flesh (SMF) in peaches offers many advantages, including easy transportation, maintaining flavour after ripening, an extended harvest window, and reduced losses caused by fruit softening. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. A high‐quality genome of the SMF cultivar Chunrui was sequenced, assembled and annotated. The assembled genome was 249.6 Mb in size and characterized by a contig N50 of 12.35 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 30.27 Mb. Analysis of a segregating population indicated that a single dominant gene or major gene controlled the SMF trait. This trait was mapped to chromosome 4, which had a total length of 1.39 Mb. Fine mapping and gene expression analyses identified the receptor protein kinase <jats:italic>THESEUS 1</jats:italic> (<jats:italic>PpTHE1</jats:italic>) as a candidate SMF gene. A Gypsy LTR‐retrotransposon inserted downstream of <jats:italic>PpTHE1</jats:italic> inhibited its expression. Functional analyses in peach and tomato fruits showed PpTHE1 played a positive role in maintaining fruit firmness. Screening of a yeast library using the kinase domain of PpTHE1 as the bait identified an ERF‐type transcription factor PpERF61 and pectinlyase PpPL15. Luciferase complementation imaging, bimolecular fluorescence complementation and co‐immunoprecipitation assays showed that PpTHE1 could interact with PpERF61 and PpPL15 <jats:italic>in planta</jats:italic>. Furthermore, our experimental data revealed that PpTHE1 significantly attenuates the DNA‐binding capacity of PpERF61 to its target genes. These findings reveal the regulatory mechanism underlying the SMF fruit quality trait and thus provide theoretical support for breeding programmes to develop high‐quality, storage‐tolerant peach genotypes.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144503516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}