Plant Biotechnology Journal最新文献

{"title":"MFMGP: an integrated machine learning fusion model for genomic prediction","authors":"Chaopu Zhang, Qiqi Liang, Yuye Yu, Shaojuan Jin, Jinmei Huang, Zhongping Xu, Erbao Liu, Wensheng Wang, Fan Zhang, Fangzhou Liu, Yingyao Shi, Fenge Li, Zhikang Li, Shuangxia Jin, Min Li","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14532","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14532","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Genome-wide selection (GS) represents a contemporary methodology that harnesses a comprehensive array of molecular markers across the entire genome. However, challenges such as lack of informative molecular markers and selection of appropriate and efficient GS model(s) have confined most GS-based breeding efforts to the realm of laboratory simulations (Wang <i>et al</i>., <span>2023</span>). Compared to the conventional prediction models, the machine learning (ML) algorithm provides new insights for solving challenges such as big data analysis and high-performance parallel computing. GS using ML also has some limitations at the current stage such as limitations in model selection.</p>\u0000<p>Here, the MFMGP software is a fusion model that is based on a variety of ML training methods. The normalization fusion method with exponential decay weights involves assigning weights to the prediction results of each model and applying the exponential decay to these weights, so that more recent and/or more relevant model predictions have higher weights. Then, a weighted average of the model's prediction results is calculated to obtain the final fusion prediction by normalizing these weights (Figure 1a). The software of MFMGP for interactive GS analyses was made available at website: http://www.biohuaxing.com/#/MFMGP. To verify the prediction accuracy of the MFMGP model, we compared MFMGP with seven commonly used GS models. These included the classical GS model (GBLUP), four ML-based models (LightGBM, SVR, XGBoost and HGBoost) and two DL-based (DNNGP and DeepCCR) models.</p>\u0000<figure><picture>\u0000<source media=\"(min-width: 1650px)\" srcset=\"/cms/asset/96b5e04f-412c-4447-a23e-77f24ecd952c/pbi14532-fig-0001-m.jpg\"/><img alt=\"Details are in the caption following the image\" data-lg-src=\"/cms/asset/96b5e04f-412c-4447-a23e-77f24ecd952c/pbi14532-fig-0001-m.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/cms/asset/cde0d7f6-73bd-41fa-819c-73433ebc1c88/pbi14532-fig-0001-m.png\" title=\"Details are in the caption following the image\"/></picture><figcaption>\u0000<div><strong>Figure 1<span style=\"font-weight:normal\"></span></strong><div>Open in figure viewer<i aria-hidden=\"true\"></i><span>PowerPoint</span></div>\u0000</div>\u0000<div>Prediction accuracy of eight methods based on three crop datasets. (a) The design and algorithmic framework for Multiple Machine Learning Fusion Model for Genomics Prediction (MFMGP). (b) Phenotypic variation of the agronomic traits in rice. (c) Performance of eight methods in predicting 13 traits using rice 3KRP (<i>n</i> = 2110). The red arrow and text box indicate the proportion by which the MFMGP model can improve accuracy compared to the other seven models. (d) Performance of eight methods in predicting six traits using wheat dataset (<i>n</i> = 2000). (e) Performance of eight methods in predicting four traits using cotton dataset (<i>n</i> = 1245). Prediction accuracy of eight methods based on maize (<i>n</i> = 6210) (f) and pig datasets (<i>n</i> = 1490) (g). (h) The relationshi","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142962671","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 recent transposition patterns in plants through comparison of 811 genome assemblies","authors":"Yan Huang, Sunil Kumar Sahu, Xin Liu","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14570","url":null,"abstract":"Transposable elements (TEs) are significant drivers of genome evolution, yet their recent dynamics and impacts within and among species, as well as the roles of host genes and non-coding RNAs in the transposition process, remain elusive. With advancements in large-scale pan-genome sequencing and the development of open data sharing, large-scale comparative genomics studies have become feasible. Here, we performed complete <i>de novo</i> TE annotations and identified active TEs in 310 plant genome assemblies across 119 species and seven crop populations. Using 811 high-quality genomes, we detected 13 844 553 TE-induced structural variants (TE-SVs), providing unprecedented resolution in delineating recent TE activities. Our integrative analysis revealed a mutual evolutionary relationship between TEs and host genomes. On one hand, host genes and ncRNAs are involved in the transposition process, as evidenced by their colocalization and coactivation with TEs, and may play a role in chromatin regulation. On the other hand, TEs drive genetic innovation by promoting the duplication of host genes and inserting into regulatory regions. Moreover, genes influenced by active TEs are linked to plant growth, nutrient absorption, storage metabolism and environmental adaptation, aiding in crop domestication and adaptation. This TE dynamics atlas not only reveals evolutionary and functional features linked to transposition activity but also highlights the role of TEs in crop domestication and adaptation, paving the way for future exploration of TE-mediated genome evolution and crop improvement strategies.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"130 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142940439","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":"A cross-scale transfer learning framework: prediction of SOD activity from leaf microstructure to macroscopic hyperspectral imaging","authors":"Jie Hao, Yan Yan, Yao Zhang, Yiyang Zhang, Yune Cao, Longguo Wu","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14566","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14566","url":null,"abstract":"Superoxide dismutase (SOD) plays an important role to respond in the defence against damage when tomato leaves are under different types of adversity stresses. This work employed microhyperspectral imaging (MHSI) and visible near-infrared (Vis–NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technologies to predict tomato leaf SOD activity. The macroscopic model of SOD activity in tomato leaves was constructed using the convolutional neural network in conjunction with the long and short-term temporal memory (CNN-LSTM) technique. Using heterogeneous two-dimensional correlation spectra (H2D-COS), the sensitive macroscopic and microscopic absorption peaks connected to tomato leaves' SOD activity were made clear. The combination of CNN-LSTM algorithm and H2D-COS analysis was used to research transfer learning between microscopic and macroscopic models based on sensitive wavelengths. The results demonstrated that the CNN-LSTM model, which was based on the FD preprocessed spectra, had the best performance for the microscopic model, with R_C and R_P reaching 0.9311 and 0.9075, and RMSEC and RMSEP reaching 0.0109 U/mg and 0.0127 U/mg respectively. There were 10 macroscopic and 10 microscopic significant sensitivity peaks found. The transfer learning was carried out using sensitive wavelengths, and the model performed well with an R_P value of 0.7549 and an RMSEP of 0.0725 U/mg. The combined CNN algorithm and H2D-COS analysis demonstrated the viability of transfer learning across microscopic and macroscopic models for quantitative tomato leaf SOD prediction.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142937721","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":"An efficient allotriploid-mediated system of generating genomic introgression from Brassica oleracea to B. rapa","authors":"Aixia Gu, Xiaomin Li, Zengfeng Wang, Yanhua Wang, Shuxin Xuan, Wei Ma, Yiguo Hong, Yalei Zhao, Xueping Chen, Shuangxia Luo, Yuanming Liu, Shengyi Liu, Yuanyuan Zhang, Jianjun Zhao, Shuxing Shen","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14564","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14564","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Germplasm resources with rich genetic diversities are indispensable, but often fail short to need the demand for crop breeding (Snowdon &lt;i&gt;et al&lt;/i&gt;., &lt;span&gt;2015&lt;/span&gt;). Genomic introgression in hybrids of closely related species is considered to be an important source for genetic diversity enhancement, which is mainly through homoeologous exchanges (HEs) among homoeologous chromosomes (Zhou &lt;i&gt;et al&lt;/i&gt;., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;). However, the technical bottleneck in terms of the low introgression frequency of genome segments in interspecific hybrid offspring (Quezada-Martinez &lt;i&gt;et al&lt;/i&gt;., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;), has not been solved, even though the cross between diploid &lt;i&gt;B. rapa&lt;/i&gt; (A&lt;sub&gt;r&lt;/sub&gt;A&lt;sub&gt;r&lt;/sub&gt;) and &lt;i&gt;B. napus&lt;/i&gt; (A&lt;sub&gt;n&lt;/sub&gt;A&lt;sub&gt;n&lt;/sub&gt;C&lt;sub&gt;n&lt;/sub&gt;C&lt;sub&gt;n&lt;/sub&gt;) was reported to increase the recombination frequency between A&lt;sub&gt;n&lt;/sub&gt; and A&lt;sub&gt;r&lt;/sub&gt; (Boideau &lt;i&gt;et al&lt;/i&gt;., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;). On the other hand, how to elevate homoeologous chromosome recombination and genome introgression between two different species remains to be studied. Here we report an allotriploid-involved genetic system that can tremendously increase introgression frequency between two closely related species and thereby generate rich phenotypic variations, and a pipeline for genome-wide identification of introgressed segments.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000&lt;p&gt;The chromosomes of a diploid &lt;i&gt;Brassica rapa&lt;/i&gt; L. ssp. &lt;i&gt;pekinensis&lt;/i&gt; (Chinese cabbage) NDCCBr (AA, 2n = 20) were doubled by the colchicine treatment to create a tetraploid &lt;i&gt;B. rapa&lt;/i&gt; 9403Br (AAAA, 2n = 40) that was then hybridized with a diploid &lt;i&gt;B. oleracea&lt;/i&gt; L. var. &lt;i&gt;capitata&lt;/i&gt; (cabbage) 9501Bo (CC, 2n = 18) to produce allotriploid hybrids (AAC, 2n = 29) via ovary and ovule culture. Three allotriploids were subsequently backcrossed with another genotype diploid &lt;i&gt;B. rapa&lt;/i&gt; 01-4-11Br, then 12 resultant offsprings were randomly selected and selfed for two successive generations. Finally, microspores were isolated from these selfed progenies and cultured to generate homozygous &lt;i&gt;B. rapa&lt;/i&gt;–&lt;i&gt;B. oleracea&lt;/i&gt; introgression lines (Boideau &lt;i&gt;et al.,&lt;/i&gt; &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;) (Figure 1a). The introgression lines were diploid, showing normal meiotic behaviour (Figure S1a–h). The presence of &lt;i&gt;B. oleracea&lt;/i&gt; introgressed segments was confirmed by &lt;i&gt;B. oleracea&lt;/i&gt; genome-specific InDel markers compared to &lt;i&gt;B. rapa&lt;/i&gt; (Figures S1i and S2).&lt;/p&gt;\u0000&lt;figure&gt;&lt;picture&gt;\u0000&lt;source media=\"(min-width: 1650px)\" srcset=\"/cms/asset/cc899ee0-9798-4a19-8105-9dd37553abbd/pbi14564-fig-0001-m.jpg\"/&gt;&lt;img alt=\"Details are in the caption following the image\" data-lg-src=\"/cms/asset/cc899ee0-9798-4a19-8105-9dd37553abbd/pbi14564-fig-0001-m.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"/cms/asset/e00ea885-55aa-4767-8a95-10f8795d01e8/pbi14564-fig-0001-m.png\" title=\"Details are in the caption following the image\"/&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;\u0000&lt;div&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Figure 1&lt;span style=\"font-weight:normal\"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;div&gt;Open in figure viewer&lt;i aria-hidden=","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"82 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142937773","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":"Ethylene increases the NaHCO3 stress tolerance of grapevines partially via the VvERF1B-VvMYC2-VvPMA10 pathway","authors":"Guangqing Xiang, Zongbao Fan, Shuxia Lan, Dezheng Wei, Yazhe Gao, Hui Kang, Yuxin Yao","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14565","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14565","url":null,"abstract":"Here, we evaluated the role of ethylene in regulating the NaHCO₃ stress tolerance of grapevines and clarified the mechanism by which <i>VvERF1B</i> regulates the response to NaHCO₃ stress. The exogenous application of ACC and <i>VvACS3</i> overexpression in grapevines and grape calli revealed that ethylene increased NaHCO₃ stress tolerance, and this was accompanied by increased plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase (PMA) activity. The expression of <i>VvERF1B</i> was strongly induced by ACC, and overexpression of this gene in grapevines conferred increased NaHCO₃ stress tolerance and enhanced PMA activity and H⁺ and oxalate secretion. Additionally, the function of <i>VvERF1B</i> was also verified using mutant transgenic grape calli and overexpression in <i>Arabidopsis</i> plants. The expression of <i>VvPMA10</i> was strongly induced following the overexpression of <i>VvERF1B</i> in grapevine roots, and <i>VvPMA10</i> was shown to regulate PMA activity, oxalate and H⁺ secretion, and NaHCO₃ stress tolerance via its overexpression and mutation in grapevine roots, calli, and/or <i>Arabidopsis</i>. However, <i>VvPMA10</i> was not a direct target gene of VvERF1B but was directly transactivated by VvMYC2. The function of <i>VvMYC2</i> was shown to be similar to that of <i>VvPMA10</i> via its overexpression and mutation in grape calli. Additional experiments revealed that the interaction of VvERF1B with VvMYC2 increased its ability to activate <i>VvPMA10</i> expression and that VvMYC2 played a role in the VvERF1B-mediated pathway. Overall, the VvERF1B-VvMYC2-VvPMA pathway played a role in regulating ethylene-induced NaHCO₃ stress tolerance in grapevines, and this process contributed to increases in PMA activity and H⁺ and oxalate secretion.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"79 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142936543","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":"Comparative bioactivity analysis of latex and water extract of Euphorbia gaillardotii: chemical profile, antioxidant capacity, effects on water quality, in vitro antimicrobial-cytotoxic activities, and in silico molecular docking studies","authors":"Mehmet Tahir Husunet,&nbsp;Rumeysa Mese,&nbsp;Esra Sunduz Yigittekin,&nbsp;Hasan Basri Ila","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14525","DOIUrl":"10.1111/pbi.14525","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The genus <i>Euphorbia</i>, belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae, represents a significant ethnobotanical heritage due to the diverse bioactive properties exhibited. In this study, the phytochemical composition and biological activities of latex and aerial parts of the water extract of <i>Euphorbia gaillardotii</i> were investigated. Phytochemical analyses were performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques and total antioxidants, phenolics, sugars, organic acids, and aroma components were quantitatively determined. The effects of the test compounds on physicochemical parameters in aqueous media were evaluated by electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen concentration, and pH measurements. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeast strains using the disk diffusion method. The cytotoxic activity on the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line was measured spectrophotometrically using the Cell Counting Kit-8 proliferation/apoptosis detection kit. The results showed that <i>E. gaillardotii</i> latex and aerial parts water extract significantly affected the physicochemical parameters of aqueous media, especially at high concentrations. The test substances displayed antimicrobial activity, with the latex-impregnated disks demonstrating larger inhibition zones than the aerial parts extract. The results showed that both the latex and extract treatments exhibited concentration-dependent effects on MCF-7 cell viability (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, <i>in silico</i> docking analyses revealed a robust binding affinity of succinic acid, the most prevalent bioactive compound in the extract, towards the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) molecule, with a binding energy of −6.16 kcal/mol. This may be associated with the observed cytotoxicity. These results suggest that <i>E. gaillardotii</i> may be a valuable source for potential pharmacological applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"23 2","pages":"632-643"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/pbi.14525","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142936231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"VPI‐MD: a multi‐omics database for Verticillium–plant interaction","authors":"Shandang Shi, Fei Wang, Yinbi Cai, Rui Tang, Xin Zhou, Mengqian Long, Chao Jiang, Kailu Chen, Quanliang Xie, Shuangquan Xie, Zhuang Meng, Asigul Ismayil, Xiang Jin, Hongbin Li","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14555","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14555","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142936232","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":"Host‐induced gene silencing of Sporisorium scitamineum enhances resistance to smut in sugarcane","authors":"Haoming Wu, Jinfeng Qiu, Peiran Zhang, Shan Lu, Jiaorong Meng, Xuecheng Huang, Ru Li, Baoshan Chen","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14562","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14562","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142936234","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":"The regulatory module MdCPCL‐MdILR3L mediates the synthesis of ascorbic acid and anthocyanin in apple","authors":"Qi Zou, Tiantian Bao, Lei Yu, Haifeng Xu, Wenjun Liu, Zhiqiang Li, Yansong Zhu, Ran Chen, Xukai Hou, Zongying Zhang, Nan Wang, Xuesen Chen","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14567","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14567","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryApple (<jats:italic>Malus domestica</jats:italic> Borkh.) is one of the most economically valuable fruit crops globally and a key dietary source for various nutrients. However, the levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) and anthocyanin, essential micronutrients for human health, are extremely low in the pulp of commonly cultivated apple varieties. In the present study, the second‐generation hybrid strain of Xinjiang red‐fleshed apple (‘Zihong No. 1’ × ‘Gala’) was used as the test material. The results revealed that AsA content was significantly higher in red‐fleshed apple pulp than in non‐red‐fleshed varieties, and the expression of <jats:italic>MdGLDH</jats:italic>, a key gene in the D‐mannose/L‐galactose pathway, correlated strongly with AsA levels. Using the promoter of <jats:italic>MdGLDH</jats:italic> as bait, an R3‐type MYB transcription factor (TF), MdCPC‐like, was identified through yeast one‐hybrid screening. Further analysis revealed that the overexpression of <jats:italic>MdCPCL</jats:italic> increased the AsA and anthocyanin levels in both callus and fruits, whereas <jats:italic>MdCPCL</jats:italic> knockdown led to a reduction in their levels. Moreover, the interaction between MdCPCL and the bHLH TF MdILR3‐like was confirmed, forming the MdCPCL‐MdILR3L complex. This complex significantly enhanced the transcription of downstream target genes <jats:italic>MdGLDH</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>MdANS</jats:italic>, promoting the synthesis of AsA and anthocyanins. This study contributes to further enrich the anabolic pathways of AsA and anthocyanin in apples and provides a theoretical foundation for the quality breeding of red‐fleshed apple varieties.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"78 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142936233","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":"Natural variation in ZmNRT2.5 modulates husk leaf width and promotes seed protein content in maize","authors":"Qi Wang, Min Wang, Ai‐Ai Xia, Jin‐Yu Wang, Zi Wang, Tao Xu, De‐Tao Jia, Ming Lu, Wei‐Ming Tan, Jin‐Hong Luo, Yan He","doi":"10.1111/pbi.14559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14559","url":null,"abstract":"SummaryThe husk leaf of maize (<jats:italic>Zea mays</jats:italic>) encases the ear as a modified leaf and plays pivotal roles in protecting the ear from pathogen infection, translocating nutrition for grains and warranting grain yield. However, the natural genetic basis for variation in husk leaf width remains largely unexplored. Here, we performed a genome‐wide association study for maize husk leaf width and identified a 3‐bp InDel (insertion/deletion) in the coding region of the nitrate transporter gene <jats:italic>ZmNRT2.5</jats:italic>. This polymorphism altered the interaction strength of ZmNRT2.5 with another transporter, ZmNPF5, thereby contributing to variation in husk leaf width. We also isolated loss‐of‐function mutants in <jats:italic>ZmNRT2.5</jats:italic>, which exhibited a substantial decrease in husk leaf width relative to their controls. We demonstrate that ZmNRT2.5 facilitates the transport of nitrate from husk leaves to maize kernels in plants grown under low‐nitrogen conditions, contributing to the accumulation of proteins in maize seeds. Together, our findings uncovered a key gene controlling maize husk leaf width and nitrate transport from husk leaves to kernels. Identification of the <jats:italic>ZmNRT2.5</jats:italic> loci offers direct targets for improving the protein content of maize seeds via molecular‐assisted maize breeding.","PeriodicalId":221,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biotechnology Journal","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142928991","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}