Articles

Plant carotenoids: recent advances and future perspectives

Carotenoids are isoprenoid metabolites synthesized de novo in all photosynthetic organisms. Carotenoids are essential for plants with diverse functions in photosynthesis, photoprotection, pigmentation, phytohormo...

Authors: Tianhu Sun, Sombir Rao, Xuesong Zhou and Li Li

The metabolic changes that effect fruit quality during tomato fruit ripening

As the most valuable organ of tomato plants, fruit has attracted considerable attention which most focus on its quality formation during the ripening process. A considerable amount of research has reported tha...

Authors: Feng Zhu, Weiwei Wen, Yunjiang Cheng and Alisdair R. Fernie

Blossom-end rot: a century-old problem in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and other vegetables

Blossom-end rot (BER) is a devastating physiological disorder affecting vegetable production worldwide. Extensive research into the physiological aspects of the disorder has demonstrated that the underlying ca...

Authors: Yasin Topcu, Savithri U. Nambeesan and Esther van der Knaap

Isatis indigotica: from (ethno) botany, biochemistry to synthetic biology

Isatis indigotica Fort. (Chinese woad) is a species with an ancient and well-documented history as an indigo dye and medicinal plant. It is often confused with Isatis tinctoria L. (European woad), a medicinal pla...

Authors: Jingxian Feng, Doudou Huang, Yingbo Yang, Junfeng Chen, Shi Qiu, Zongyou Lv, Xueqi Ma, Yuanyu Li, Rongrong Li, Ying Xiao and Wansheng Chen

MG2C: a user-friendly online tool for drawing genetic maps

Genetic map is a linear arrangement of the relative positions of sites in the chromosome or genome based on the recombination frequency between genetic markers. It is the important basis for genetic analysis. ...

Authors: Jiangtao Chao, Zhiyuan Li, Yuhe Sun, Oluwaseun Olayemi Aluko, Xinru Wu, Qian Wang and Guanshan Liu

Gibberellin in tomato: metabolism, signaling and role in drought responses

The growth-promoting hormone gibberellin (GA) regulates numerous developmental processes throughout the plant life cycle. It also affects plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses. GA metabolism and signal...

Authors: Hagai Shohat, Natanella Illouz Eliaz and David Weiss

The PyPIF5-PymiR156a-PySPL9-PyMYB114/MYB10 module regulates light-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis in red pear

Some cultivars of pear (Pyrus L.) show attractive red fruit skin due to anthocyanin accumulation. This pigmentation can be affected by environmental conditions, especially light. To explore the light-induced regu...

Authors: Hainan Liu, Qun Shu, Kui Lin-Wang, Andrew C. Allan, Richard V. Espley, Jun Su, Maosong Pei and Jun Wu

The leaf senescence-promoting transcription factor AtNAP activates its direct target gene CYTOKININ OXIDASE 3 to facilitate senescence processes by degrading cytokinins

Cytokinins (CKs) are a class of adenine-derived plant hormones that plays pervasive roles in plant growth and development including cell division, morphogenesis, lateral bud outgrowth, leaf expansion and senes...

Authors: Youzhen Hu, Bin Liu, Huazhong Ren, Liping Chen, Christopher B. Watkins and Su-Sheng Gan

Regulation of rose petal dehydration tolerance and senescence by RhNAP transcription factor via the modulation of cytokinin catabolism

Petals and leaves share common evolutionary origins but have different phenotypic characteristics, such as the absence of stomata in the petals of most angiosperm species. Plant NAC transcription factor, NAP, ...

Authors: Jing Zou, Peitao Lü, Liwei Jiang, Kun Liu, Tao Zhang, Jin Chen, Yi Yao, Yusen Cui, Junping Gao and Changqing Zhang

A cucumber NAM domain transcription factor promotes pistil development in Arabidopsis

Authors: Jian Pan, Hai-Fan Wen, Wen-Hui Lin and Jun-Song Pan

Genetic characterization of melon accessions in the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System and construction of a melon core collection

Melon (C. melo L.) is an economically important vegetable crop cultivated worldwide. The melon collection in the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) is a valuable resource to conserve natural genetic dive...

Authors: Xin Wang, Kaori Ando, Shan Wu, Umesh K. Reddy, Prabin Tamang, Kan Bao, Sue A. Hammar, Rebecca Grumet, James D. McCreight and Zhangjun Fei

Genome-wide binding analysis of the tomato transcription factor SlDof1 reveals its regulatory impacts on fruit ripening

The DNA binding with one finger (Dof) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors involved in a variety of biological processes. However, little is known about their functions in fruit ripening, a flower...

Authors: Yuying Wang, Peiwen Wang, Weihao Wang, Lingxi Kong, Shiping Tian and Guozheng Qin

Tomato SlRUP is a negative regulator of UV-B photomorphogenesis

Authors: Chunli Zhang, Qianwen Zhang, Hongye Guo, Xiaohui Yu, Wenjing Liang, Yinhua Chen, Ruohe Yin and Li Lin

Molecular understanding of postharvest flower opening and senescence

Flowers are key organs in many ornamental plants, and various phases of flower development impact their economic value. The final stage of petal development is associated with flower senescence, which is an ir...

Authors: Xiaoming Sun, Meizhu Qin, Qin Yu, Ziwei Huang, Yue Xiao, Yang Li, Nan Ma and Junping Gao

Fruit size control by a zinc finger protein regulating pericarp cell size in tomato

Fruit size is largely defined by the number and size of cells in the fruit. Endoreduplication – a specialized cell cycle – is highly associated with cell expansion during tomato fruit growth. However, how endo...

Authors: Fangfang Zhao, Jiajing Zhang, Lin Weng, Meng Li, Quanhua Wang and Han Xiao

Leaf senescence: progression, regulation, and application

Leaf senescence, the last stage of leaf development, is a type of postmitotic senescence and is characterized by the functional transition from nutrient assimilation to nutrient remobilization which is essenti...

Authors: Yongfeng Guo, Guodong Ren, Kewei Zhang, Zhonghai Li, Ying Miao and Hongwei Guo

Multiple functions of the vacuole in plant growth and fruit quality

Vacuoles are organelles in plant cells that play pivotal roles in growth and developmental regulation. The main functions of vacuoles include maintaining cell acidity and turgor pressure, regulating the storag...

Authors: Yu-Tong Jiang, Lu-Han Yang, Ali Ferjani and Wen-Hui Lin

A domestication-associated gene, CsLH, encodes a phytochrome B protein that regulates hypocotyl elongation in cucumber

Authors: Bin Liu, Jinyang Weng, Dailu Guan, Yan Zhang, Qingliang Niu, Enrique López-Juez, Yunsong Lai, Jordi Garcia-Mas and Danfeng Huang

Molecular basis of pathogenesis of postharvest pathogenic Fungi and control strategy in fruits: progress and prospect

The disease caused by pathogenic fungi is the main cause of postharvest loss of fresh fruits. The formulation of disease control strategies greatly depends on the understanding of pathogenic mechanism of funga...

Authors: Zhan-Quan Zhang, Tong Chen, Bo-Qiang Li, Guo-Zheng Qin and Shi-Ping Tian

Horticulture in a molecular age

Authors: Su-Sheng Gan and Hong-Wei Xue