Search Results (72)

Understanding how transcription factors regulate biomass accumulation and sucrose storage is essential for improving sugarcane productivity. In this study, we quantified transcription factor protein (TFP) abundance in sugarcane internodes across developmental stages and growth rates. These profiles were correlated with key biochemical traits, including lignin, glucan, hemicellulose, and sucrose content. From 7333 identified proteins, 205 were annotated as transcription factors spanning 22 families. By applying Pearson correlation followed by Partial Correlation with Information Theory (PCIT), we identified 46 high-confidence TFP-trait associations. Key regulators, such as ScMYB113, ScMADS15, and ScbZIP85, exhibited trait-specific roles, influencing sucrose storage and cell wall biosynthesis. Network topology revealed distinct transcriptional modules linked to biomass production, polysaccharide deposition, and intermediary metabolism. Notably, sucrose and lignin accumulation intensified after internode elongation ceased, highlighting shifts in transcriptional control during maturation. This study delivers the first protein-level regulatory map linking transcription factors to metabolic traits in sugarcane and provides a framework for targeting candidate regulators to enhance biomass quality and yield in bioenergy crops such as sugarcane. Full article

The R2R3-MYB transcription factor GAMYB plays crucial roles in plant growth and development, but the biological functions of SlGAMYB1 in tomato remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the roles of SlGAMYB1 by overexpressing a miR159-resistant version (35S:SlGAMYB1^m) in tomato. Transgenic plants exhibited a dwarf phenotype with reduced internode elongation, which was associated with decreased bioactive gibberellin (GA) levels due to transcriptional repression of SlGA3ox1 and activation of SlGA2ox1/2/4/5. Additionally, 35S:SlGAMYB1^m altered leaf morphology by inhibiting cell proliferation through downregulation of cell cycle genes, resulting in larger but fewer epidermal cells. Intriguingly, 35S:SlGAMYB1^m plants displayed increased floral organ number, a process likely mediated by the upregulation of SlWUS rather than GA signaling. These findings demonstrate that SlGAMYB1 regulates diverse aspects of tomato development through both GA-dependent and independent pathways, providing new insights into the functional diversification of GAMYB genes and potential strategies for genetic improvement of tomato architecture and yield. Full article

Wheat is an important global food crop. The peduncle significantly impacts the plant’s height, architecture, and yield, and understanding its genetic mechanisms is crucial not only for improving wheat’s architecture but also for enhancing its yield. In this study, we identified an elongated uppermost internode (eui) mutant in the EMS-induced progeny of Jinmai 90 (JM90). We conducted phenotypic identification, genetic analysis, and cytological observation combined with transcriptome and targeted hormone metabolism analysis and compared the differences between the eui mutant and the wild-type (WT). The results indicated that an incompletely dominant gene mutation caused the eui mutant to display significant elongation of the peduncle and an increase in the plant height. This was attributed to the considerable elongation of parenchyma cells, while no significant differences were noted in other internodes. These traits were accompanied by an increase in the spikelets per spike and grains per spike. Subsequently, transcriptome and targeted hormone metabolome sequencing were performed and identified 15,969 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 27 hormone-related differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs in MS1_VS_WS1 were significantly enriched in two pathways: those related to tryptophan metabolism and diterpenoid biosynthesis. Analysis indicated that the peduncle elongation caused by the eui mutant is primarily regulated by auxin. This study offers a foundation for the exploration and cloning of genes associated with the peduncle, establishing a theoretical basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms behind wheat peduncle elongation and for developing ideal plant types and breeding high-yield varieties. Full article

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), a commercially vital tropical crop, faces flowering instability due to photoperiod-sensitive flowering patterns, particularly under the cloudy, rainy climates of subtropical regions. To mitigate floral suppression during unfavorable light conditions, this study implemented a dual-modality strategy combining 16 h daily supplementary lighting (460 nm blue + 630 nm red spectrum) and foliar application of a high-phosphorus-containing nutrient, the Plant-Prod (nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium = 10:52:10) grown in field ‘Qinmi No. 9’. The treatment significantly stimulated lateral branch formation, internode elongation, flower retention, stage IV flower bud development, and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency. Physiological analyses revealed that the treatment increased the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), reduced the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), and enhanced stomatal conductance (Gs), indicating the improvement of carbon assimilation. Controlled seedling trials further confirmed these effects, with treated groups exhibiting accelerated lateral branching and stress resilience. This integrated approach, combining optimized supplemental lighting and precision phosphorus fertilization, offers a practical and scalable strategy to stabilize passion fruit yields in climate-variable regions, with immediate potential for commercial orchards and greenhouse production. Full article

The quality of potted ornamental plants depends on their architecture, which should be compact and branched. Among the techniques for controlling this architecture, LED lighting, by manipulating light quality, offers an effective means of regulating elongation and branching. In rose, the addition of far-red (FR) light stimulated branching but induced excessive stem elongation, i.e., internode elongation. However, some varieties remained insensitive to this effect, demonstrating phenotypic stability. This study investigated the underlying mechanisms of internode elongation in response to FR in two rose cultivars, ‘The Fairy’ (TF) and Knock Out^® Radrazz (KO), selected for their respective architectural plasticity and stability to FR. In TF, exposure to FR induced elongation of internodes, driven by cell division, with an increase in gibberellin A4 (GA4) level and a reduction in defense hormones (salicylic acid and jasmonic acid; JA). In contrast, in KO, exposure to FR did not induce internode elongation but caused cell elongation. This effect was accompanied by a reduction in cell number, modulated by hormonal changes (particularly GA4 and JA) and the inhibition of Block of cell proliferation 1, thereby limiting cell division. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying architectural stability might lead to developing strategies to produce compact, branched plants, regardless of environmental conditions. Full article

Sorghum is an essential crop for biofuel. Many glycosyltransferase (GT) families, including GT47, are involved in the production of both types of polysaccharides. However, a comprehensive study related to the GT47 gene family is needed. The glycosyltransferase (GT) 47 family helps in the synthesis of xylose, pectin, and xyloglucan and plays an essential role in the formation of the proper shape of the plant cell wall. In this study, we performed identification, phylogenetic tree, physiochemical properties, subcellular localization, protein–protein interaction network, detection of motif analysis, gene structure, secondary structure, functional domain, gene duplication, Cis-acting elements, sequence logos, and gene expression profiles based on RNA-sequence analyses in the GT47 gene family. As a result, we identified thirty-one members of the GT47 gene family. The phylogenetic analysis grouped them into three distinct clusters. According to their physiochemical properties, all GT47 proteins were hydrophilic, and their molecular weights ranged from 22.7 to 88.6 kDa. Three essential motifs were identified via motif and conserved domain analysis, emphasizing structural conservation. Subcellular localization was proposed for the various functional roles across cellular compartments. While gene structure analysis showed significant variation in introns–exons, promoter study verified susceptibility to phytohormones like ABA. RNA sequencing revealed that several GT47 genes were highly expressed in internodes, and this was linked to biomass accumulation, cell wall manufacturing, and stem elongation. Analysis of networks of protein–protein interactions and Cis-elements confirmed involvement in stress adaptation and growth regulation. These results contribute to a better understanding of the functional and evolutionary significance of the GT47 gene family in sorghum. Full article

Alterations in the light environment can significantly influence soybean morphology and yield formation; however, the effects and mechanisms of different light qualities on these aspects require further investigation. Consequently, we selected soybean cultivars with marked differences in light sensitivity as test materials, conducted experiments with red, blue, and green light qualities against a blue light background, and analyzed parameters related to leaf photosynthetic capacity, chlorophyll fluorescence, morphological characteristics, biomass, and yield variations following different light quality treatments. The results showed that following far-red light treatment, soybean plants exhibited significant shade avoidance syndrome, internode elongation, increased plant height, and a marked reduction in both root and leaf biomass, as well as total biomass. Furthermore, there was a substantial reduction in photosynthetic capacity. This indicated that far-red light exerts an inhibitory effect on soybean growth and yield formation. Red light has basically no regulatory effect on plant morphology and yield, while green light has a yield-increasing effect, but there was a cultivar effect. This study not only enhances our understanding of the mechanisms through which light quality regulates plant photosynthesis but also lays a scientific foundation for future crop light environment management and for the further exploration of light quality’s regulatory potential on crop growth. Full article

The cultivation of horticultural plants in controlled greenhouse environments is a pivotal practice in modern agriculture, offering the potential to enhance crop productivity and mitigate climate change effects. This study investigates the biomechanical properties and lignin content of various Capsicum annuum mutant lines—‘fragile-plant’ (frx), ‘tortuous internodi’ (tti), and ‘puffy-structured stem’ (pfi)—in comparison to a commercially established variety, ‘Garai Fehér’. We employed the acetyl bromide method to quantify lignin content and conducted three-point bending tests to assess rigidity in three distinct regions of the stem. Gene expression analysis of key lignin biosynthetic pathway genes (PAL, C4H, 4CL, CCoAOMT, CAD) was performed using qRT-PCR. The results revealed significant differences in lignin content and breaking force among the genotypes and stem regions. The tti mutants exhibited similar lignin content to the control but lower breaking strength, likely due to elongated internodes. The frx mutants showed uniformly reduced lignin content, correlating with their fragile stems. The pfi mutants displayed abnormally high lignin content in the top region yet demonstrated the lowest stem rigidity in every region. Overexpression of CAD and CCoAOMT was detected in the mutants in specific regions of the stem, suggesting alterations in lignin biosynthesis; however, we could not confirm the correlation between them. Our findings indicate that while lignin content generally correlates with stem rigidity, this trait is complex and influenced by more factors. Full article

Ethylene-insensitive 3/Ethylene-insensitive3-like proteins (EIN3/EIL) represent a group of transcription factors critical for the ethylene signaling transduction that manipulate downstream ethylene-responsive genes, thereby regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, the identification, evolution, and divergence of the EIL family remain to be studied in Sorghum bicolor. Here, we identified eight SbEILs, which were expanded due to whole-genome-duplication (WGD) events. Characterization of the protein sequences and expression atlas demonstrates that the WGD-duplicated SbEILs could become divergent due to the differential expression patterns, rather than domain and motif architectures. Comparative expression analysis was performed between the RNA-seq data sets of internodes from several sorghum cultivars to understand the potential roles of SbEIL members in internode elongation and maturation. Our results identified SbEIL3 and 7 (the latter as a homolog of OsEIL7/OsEIL1) to be the highly expressed SbEIL genes in sorghum internodes and revealed a potential functional link between SbEIL7 and internode maturation. The co-expression analysis and comparative expression analysis with ethylene-regulated gene sets found that SbEIL7 was co-regulated with a set of ubiquitin-related protein degradation genes, suggesting possible involvement of SbEIL7 in protein degradation and processing during the post-anthesis stages. Altogether, our findings lay a foundation for future functional studies of ethylene signaling-mediated gene regulation and improvement of sorghum internode development. Full article

Pearl millet is a major cereal crop that feeds more than 90 million people worldwide in arid and semi-arid regions. The stalk phenotypes of Poaceous grasses are critical for their productivity and stress tolerance; however, the molecular mechanisms governing stalk development in pearl millet remain to be deciphered. In this study, we spatiotemporally measured 19 transcriptomes for stalk internodes of four different early developmental stages. Data analysis of the transcriptomes defined four developmental zones on the stalks and identified 12 specific gene sets with specific expression patterns across the zones. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we found that two co-expression modules together with candidate genes were involved in stalk elongation and the thickening of pearl millet. Among the elongation-related candidate genes, we established by SELEX that a MYB-family transcription factor PMF7G02448 can bind to the promoters of three cell wall synthases genes (CesAs). In summary, these findings provide insights into stalk development and offer potential targets for future genetic improvement in pearl millet. Full article

Growth-regulating factor (GRF) is a plant-specific family of transcription factors crucial for meristem development and plant growth. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a cereal species widely used for food, feed and fuel. While sorghum stems are important biomass components, the regulation of stem development and the carbohydrate composition of the stem tissues remain largely unknown. Here, we identified 11 SbGRF-encoding genes and found the SbGRF expansion driven by whole-genome duplication events. By comparative analyses of GRFs between rice and sorghum, we demonstrated the divergence of whole-genome duplication (WGD)-derived OsGRFs and SbGRFs. A comparison of SbGRFs’ expression profiles supports that the WGD-duplicated OsGRFs and SbGRFs experienced distinct evolutionary trajectories, possibly leading to diverged functions. RNA-seq analysis of the internode tissues identified several SbGRFs involved in internode elongation, maturation and cell wall metabolism. We constructed co-expression networks with the RNA-seq data of sorghum internodes. Network analysis discovered that SbGRF1, 5 and 7 could be involved in the down-regulation of the biosynthesis of cell wall components, while SbGRF4, 6, 8 and 9 could be associated with the regulation of cell wall loosening, reassembly and/or starch biosynthesis. In summary, our genome-wide analysis of SbGRFs reveals the distinct evolutionary trajectories of WGD-derived SbGRF pairs. Importantly, expression analyses highlight previously unknown functions of several SbGRFs in internode elongation, maturation and the potential involvement in the metabolism of the cell wall and starch during post-anthesis stages. Full article

Livestock farming feed in the northern highlands of Peru is based on the association of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) ecotype cajamarquino–white clover (Trifolium repens L.) Ladino variety, which constantly varies in its agronomic characteristics and nutritional value due to management considerations and its association with the soil and the animal. The objective of this study was to evaluate yield, plant height, growth rate, tillering, tiller number, spikelets, basal diameter in ryegrass, elongation rate, internode length and decline points in clover over one year. Nutritive value was represented by crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDDM) and metabolisable energy (ME) at three cutting frequencies (30, 45 and 60 days). Better yield (5588 kg DM ha) and plant height (47.1 cm) were shown by the 60-day cutting frequency; however, there was no difference (p > 0.05) between the three cutting frequencies in annual yield. There were no differences between the number of tillers and basal diameter. Clover height, elongation rate and internode length were higher at 60 days. The highest CP concentration and the lowest NDF value (p < 0.05) were achieved by clover at 30 and 45 days. Producers should consider the results when deciding when to use this association in dairy cattle feeding. Full article

Plant height is an important grain yield-associated trait in maize. To date, few genes related to plant height have been characterized in maize. To better understand the genetic mechanisms of plant height in maize, we revealed the transcriptional changes of three dwarf mutants compared to the wild type. By ethyl methane sulfonate treatment of the wild-type maize cultivar PH6WC, we obtained three dwarfs—PH6WCdwarf1 (pd1), PH6WCdwarf2 (pd2), and PH6WCdwarf3 (pd3)—and their plant heights were reduced by 42%, 38%, and 24%, respectively. RNA-Seq data suggested that 1641 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) overlapped with each other among the three dwarfs at the seedling stage. Further analysis showed that the DEGs were divided into four groups with different expression patterns. Functional analysis revealed that these DEGs were commonly enriched in 47 GO terms mainly involved in cytokinesis, hormone, and energy metabolism pathways. Among them, An1, involved in the GA biosynthesis pathway, and mutations in An1 result in reduced plant height. EREB182 encodes ethylene-responsive element binding protein 2, which is critical for internode elongation. Microtubule-related genes Zmtub2, Zmtub3, Zmtub5, Zmtub6, and TUBG2 were commonly enriched among the three comparisons. Previous studies have shown that mutations in microtubule-associated genes cause the dwarf phenotype. However, nearly half of the common DEGs had no functional information, such as Zm00001d000107, Zm00001d000279, etc., implying their novel and specific functions in maize. Overall, this study identifies several potential plant height-related genes and contributes to linking genetic resources with maize breeding. Full article

The relationship between metabolic changes occurring in the developing internodes of sugarcane and the final yield and sugar characteristics is poorly understood due to the lack of integration between phenotypic and metabolic data. To address this issue, a study was conducted where sugarcane metabolism was modeled based on the measurement of cellular components in the top internodes, at two stages of crop development. The study also looked at the effects of Trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus^®) on growth inhibition. The metabolome was measured using GC-analysis, while LC-MS/MS was used to measure proteome changes in the developing internodes. These data were then integrated with the metabolic rates. Regardless of the growth rate, internode elongation was restricted to the top five internodes. In contrast, sucrose and lignin accumulation was sensitive to the growth rate. Crossover plots showed that sucrose accumulation only occurred once the cell wall synthesis had slowed down. These data suggest that sucrose accumulation controlled a reduction in sucrose breakdown for metabolic activity and a reduction in demand for carbon for cell wall polysaccharide synthesis. This study also found that nucleotide sugar metabolism appears to be a key regulator in regulating carbon flow during internode development. Full article

To ascertain the effect of low-light stress (80 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹) on cucumbers, we report on improving and breeding low-light-tolerant varieties by mining genes related to low-light tolerance. In this study, the quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of cucumber plant height and internode length under low-light stress was conducted using the F₂ population, employing specific-length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) and phenotypic analysis. A genetic map with a total length of 1114.29 c M was constructed from 1,076,599 SNPs, and 2233 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were distributed on seven linked groups, with an average map distance of 0.50 c M. Two QTLs related to plant height, CsPlH5.1 and CsPlH6.1, were detected on Chr.5 and Chr.6, with a cumulative contribution rate of 16.33%. The contribution rate (PVE), max LOD value, additive effect (ADD), and dominant effect (DOM) of CsPlH5.1 were 9.446%, 4.013, 1.005, and 0.563, respectively. CsPlH5.1 was located between 4,812,907 and 5,159,042 in the Gy14_V2.0 genome of cucumber, with a genetic distance of 0.32 Mb; the interval contained 41 candidate genes, and CsPlH6.1 was found to be located between Marker537985 (171.10 c M) and Marker537984 (171.55 c M), a range containing only one candidate gene. A total of 42 candidate genes related to photosynthesis, chloroplast development, abiotic stress, and plant growth were found in the location range associated with plant height. Simultaneously, a QTL (Csnd2_NdL6.1) for the second internode length was detected, and the max LOD, ADD, and DOM values were 5.689, 0.384, and −0.19, respectively. Csnd2_NdL6.1 was located between 29,572,188 and 29,604,215, with 0.03 Mb on Chr.6 including seven candidate genes. The molecular function of the CsGy6G032300 gene is involved with the binding of calcium ions, which may be related to the elongation and growth of plants; however, the population needs to be further expanded for acceptable localization verification. The results of this study provide a preliminary basis for the mining of essential genes of cucumber’s low-light tolerance and identifying low-light-tolerance genes. Full article