The characters of flower quality such as flower color, scent, shape, and blooming time are related directly to the commodity value of the plant. Functional research in flower-quality-related genes of ornamental flowers is important. We review the achievements in this area over the past 10 years in China to provide information for molecular design breeding.

Fruit ripening and senescence, 2 important stages in the fruit plant life cycle, are complex physiological processes regulated by various endogenous and exogenous factors and directly affect fruit quality and storage time. This review discusses the advances in exploring the molecular mechanisms of fruit ripening and senescence in recent studies as well as the regulating effects of exogenous signal molecules on ripening and senescence in fruit.

Cyanobacteria are unique prokaryotes performing plant-like photosynthesis and important organisms with valuable genes. We cloned Slr1515 from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The Slr1515 was introduced into rice (Oryza sativa L. subsp. japonica cv. ‘Zhonghua 11’) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and verified by PCR and immunoblot analysis. Transgenic rice seeds were selected by GFP reporter signals, then seedlings underwent phenotype analysis. Agronomic traits such as chlorophyll content and flag leaf length were better in transgenic plants carrying Slr1515 than non-transgenic plants. These observations provide preliminary information for improvement of rice performance.

Ethylene-responsive factors (ERFs) are a subfamily of the AP2/ERF transcription factor superfamily in plant, whose members play an important role in regulating gene expression in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. A soybean mRNA sequence encoding an ERF protein was cloned and designated GmERF5 from gene expression profiles of Jilin 32 immature embryo by use of RT-PCR. The GmERF5 consists of an ORF of 714 bp and encodes 237 amino acids (26.09 kDa) with an isoelectric point of 6.85. GmERF5 is grouped with Class IV ERF transcription factors and is related most closely to GhERF2. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that GmERF5 expressed highly in root. GmERF5 was upregulated when Jilin 32 was treated by drought, high salt, low temperature, ethylene, abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate. GmERF5 protein was localized in the nucleus by subcellular localization assay in onion epidermal cells. The regulation ability of GmERF5 was analyzed in tobacco leaves by transient expression. GmERF5 activation of a reporter gene indicated that GmERF5 had transcription activation activity. GmERF5 may be involved in soybean biotic and abiotic stress responses as a transcription factor.

Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) has been widely used in gene expression analysis because of its sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility. Application of suitable reference genes to normalize qRT-PCR data is critical in analyzing PCR results. We analyzed the expression patterns of 7 housekeeping genes, including TUA8, TUB6, ubiquitin, GAPDH, actin, 18S rRNA and EF1α, in various tissues of greenhouse-grown Populus trichocarpa and Zn-treated in vitro plantlets. The stability of housekeeping gene expression was analyzed with use of 3 software packages, including geNorm, Norm- Finder, and BestKeeper. The genes actin, ubiquitin, EF1α and 18S rRNA were suitable reference genes for efficient normalization of qRT-PCR data, whereas TUB6 and GAPDH were not suitable for analysis of greenhouse-grown plants and Zn-treated plantlets, respectively. These findings were confirmed by comparative profiling of 4 P. trichocarpa NAC genes. This study provides useful information for reference gene selection in qRT-PCR analysis of gene expression in P. trichocarpa. It is also helpful to elucidate the function of P. trichocarpa NAC genes.

The nodule inception gene Nin is related to early stages of root nodule formation in the model plant Lotus japonicus. Functionally, its homologs, Nin-like genes, are also involved in N metabolism. In this study, Nin-like gene data were retrieved from completely sequencing genomes of legume and non-legume plants for investigating phylogeny to trace the divergence of genes and proteins and build relationships between structural divergence and functional differentiation. We revealed novel Nin-like genes; previously resolved orthologous groups were recovered and their sister relationships resolved. Nin-like genes showed a diversity of structures, which supports the results of phylogenetic and functional studies; OsNLP5 from Oryza sativa was found to be intronless, which probably originated from a gene retroposition event. We found discrepancies in domain organizations and functional sites among NIN-like proteins, which indicates possible functional differentiation. 3-D structural analysis revealed the occurrence of significant conformational changes in GAF domains of NIN-like proteins from nodule legume plants, which could become the basis of recruitment as nodule inception genes. Our findings will contribute to the design of further experimental studies.

We present an improved protocol for the in situ measurement of water potential of plants with an L-51 leaf chamber combined with an HR-33T microvoltmeter. The protocol was verified with several plants grown in different environments. To facilitate the diffusion of vapour to the thermocouple junction of the L-51 leaf chamber, a swab wetted with a droplet of distilled water and attached with fine aluminium powder (10–15 μ in particle diameter) was used for removing the cuticle of plant leaves. For more accurate readout of data, a data acquisition and recording device and computer software were used to record and analyse the results. Results with this protocol were in good agreement with those obtained with a Schollander bomb. Details for determining cooling time during the measurement and sensor contamination as well as the method and prototol for cleaning the contaminated sensor are given with examples and illustrations. Error evaluation and measures to minimize those errors caused by abrupt temperature fluctuations, especially for field measurements, are also proposed. With the new protocol, the in situ measurement of plant water potential can yield faster, more accurate and reliable results, because the impact of cell sap from damaged cells on water potential is eliminated.

Paraffin sections of Pulsatilla koreana petiole explants were studied to illustrate the microstructure of the meristematic nodule and plant regeneration pathway. Meristematic nodules could be induced from petiole explants on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 3 mg⋅L^–1 zeatin with 0.5 mg⋅L^–1 indole acetic acid. After 42 days of culture the frequency of nodule induction was 82.5%, and 95% of nodules converted to adventitious shoots after 56 days culture. Globular structures were observed after 14 days’ induction. Prenodular structures of cambial origin appeared from the calluses and gave rise to nodules; shoot buds formed after 28 days’ of culture. Nodules kept giving rise to sub-nodules, from which arose an increasing number of shoot buds. Most apical meristem structures with leaf primordia were observed after 42 days’ culture. Meristemoid regions and cells were much smaller in callus-like tissue than in surrounding cells. Some parts of the sections showed epidermal or sub-epidermal cells, vascular cambium, and meristemoid cells, which were regularly or irregularly distributed on the callus-like tissue. These structures provide evidence that callus-like tissue plays an important role in Pulsatilla species for shoot or root differentiation.

This study provides the palynological literature for morphologic features of almost all pollen types of Euphorbiaceae, including 33 species in 21 genera. Size, shape and surface ornamentation of pollen types in subfamilies were analysed and compared. Pollen of each subfamily have distinctive morphological features that can be used for identification. Some genera (e.g., Mallotus, Alchornea, Phyllanthus) have unique pollen types, which can be identified to genus or even species level. This study provides classification of pollen types of Euphorbiaceae subfamilies and new references for the database.

Epigenesis is defined as heritable changes that can modulate gene expression without any changes in DNA sequence, including reversible modification of DNA and chromatin and post-transcriptional regulation. DNA methylation, histone modification and non-coding RNA regulation are the 3 pillars of epigenetics research. These epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in developmental regulation, the response to biotic and abiotic stress, and environmental adaption of plants. This review covers the research into epigenetic modifications in plants and impact on the developmental process of plants (e.g., plant height, flowering time, floral symmetry, fruit ripening) and the response of plants to environmental stresses.

The plant cuticle is the first protective barrier between plants and their environment, with the main function being protection against water loss. This important biological function and the mechanistic analysis of water permeability of cuticles will provide a new scientific basis for the development of modern agriculture and the application of biomimetic materials. This article summarizes studies of chemical composition and structure of various plant cuticles to reveal the relationships between biological characteristics of the cuticle and water permeability as well as possible models showing the water pathways across cuticular membranes. The prospects of the cuticle related to water permeability are discussed, as well as its applications.