aBIOTECH最新文献

Evolutionary experiments provide a unique lens through which to observe the impacts of natural selection on crop evolution, domestication, and adaptation through empirical evidence. Enabled by modern technologies—such as the development of large-scale, structured evolving populations, high-throughput phenotyping, and genomics-driven genetics studies—the transition from theoretical evolutionary biology to practical application is now possible for staple crops. The century-long Barley Composite Cross II (CCII) competition experiment has offered invaluable insights into understanding the genomic and phenotypic basis of natural and artificial selection driven by environmental adaptation during crop evolution and domestication. These experiments enable scientists to measure evolutionary dynamics, in real time, of genetic diversity, adaptation of fitness-associated traits, and the trade-offs inherent in selective processes. Beyond advancing our understanding of evolutionary biology and agricultural practices, these studies provide critical insights into addressing global challenges, from ensuring food security to fostering resilience in human societies.

Meeting the increasing demand for food and industrial products by the growing global population requires targeted efforts to improve crops, livestock, and microorganisms. Modern biotechnology, particularly genetic modification (GM) and genome-editing (GE) technologies, is crucial for food security and environmental sustainability. China, which is at the forefront of global biotechnological innovation and the rapid advancements in GM and GE technologies, has prioritized this field by implementing strategic programs such as the National High-tech Research & Development Program in 1986, the National Genetically Modified Organism New Variety Breeding Program in 2008, and the Biological Breeding-National Science and Technology Major Project in 2022. Many biotechnological products have been widely commercialized in China, including biofertilizers, animal feed, animal vaccines, pesticides, and GM crops such as cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), maize (Zea mays), and soybean (Glycine max). In this review, we summarize progress on the research and utilization of GM and GE organisms in China over the past 3 decades and provide perspectives on their further development. This review thus aims to promote worldwide academic exchange and contribute to the further development and commercial success of agricultural biotechnology.

Plants harness light through photosynthesis to produce chemical energy, a cornerstone of life on Earth. However, environmental challenges, such as insufficient light, nutrient deficiencies, and abiotic stresses, often disrupt energy availability, compelling plants to activate autophagy. This process degrades superfluous or damaged cellular components to recycle building blocks for vital functions. Like animals and yeast, plants employ conserved energy-sensing pathways, notably the antagonistic SNF1-related kinase 1 (SnRK1; homologous to AMP-activated protein kinase in animals) and target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling cascades. Plants have also evolved unique strategies to initiate autophagy when faced with energy stress. Recent studies have elucidated plant-specific mechanisms, including the pivotal role of FCS-like zinc finger proteins in integrating stress and metabolic signals to modulate SnRK1 and TOR activity. This review synthesizes the current understanding of autophagy regulation in plants under energy stress, emphasizing how SnRK1 and TOR orchestrate cellular homeostasis. It also examines organelle-phagy—chlorophagy, mitophagy, and lipophagy—in sustaining energy balance during stress. Amid intensifying climate challenges, including drought, nutrient scarcity, and erratic weather, elucidating these mechanisms is critical for engineering crops with enhanced resilience and productivity, thereby addressing global food security challenges. Furthermore, as autophagy is conserved across eukaryotes, plant research offers insight into universal cellular processes, potentially informing applications related to human health. This review also consolidates recent advances and proposes future research to deepen our understanding of energy signaling and autophagy in plants.

Plant specialized metabolites are commonly stored in glycosylated forms within plant cells, with their homeostasis regulated by glycosyltransferases and β-glucosidases (BGLUs, also known as β-glucoside hydrolases (E.C.3.2.1.21)). Soyasaponins, the predominant triterpenoid compounds (C30) in soybean seeds, contain two sugar moieties attached at the C3 and C22 positions. While glycosyltransferases involved in soyasaponin biosynthesis have been well characterized, the role of BGLUs in soyasaponin homeostasis remains unclear. In this study, we identified GmSSBG1 (Soyasaponin β-glucosidase1; Glyma.07G258700) as a candidate gene potentially involved in soyasaponin homeostasis through gene to gene co-expression analysis. Biochemical assays demonstrated that GmSSBG1 specifically hydrolyzes arabinose residues at the C22 position of A0- and B0-series soyasaponins. Loss-of-function mutations in GmSSBG1 led to a significant accumulation of A0- and B0-series soyasaponins in mutant seeds, which correlated with a pronounced decrease in resistance to the soybean pod borer (Leguminivora glycinivorella). Our findings provide critical insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying soyasaponin homeostasis and lay a theoretical foundation for molecular breeding strategies aimed at developing soybean lines with enhanced resistance to soybean pod borer, even to other insect pests.

Heterotrimeric G proteins are crucial transducers of signaling from receptors, participating in growth and development, as well as in responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli. However, little is known about their roles in regulating various yield-related traits in legumes. In this study, we systematically analyzed the functions of two G-protein-encoding genes, MtGα1 and MtGβ1, along with Regulator of G-protein Signaling1 (MtRGS1), in Medicago truncatula. All three genes were ubiquitously expressed in roots, stems, leaves, nodules, flowers, and pods. We generated the knockout mutants Mtgα1, Mtgβ1, and Mtrgs1 using CRISPR/Cas9 and assessed their growth and development. MtGα1 knockout resulted in slightly shorter plants with smaller pods and shorter spines, but larger seeds, without affecting overall biomass or other traits. MtGβ1 knockout led to dwarfism, weak root development, a severe drop in biomass production, smaller legume pods with shorter spines, and smaller seeds. However, the Mtrgs1 mutants were largely similar to wild-type plants, with few significant defects in growth and development. We also investigated the symbiotic nodulation-related phenotypes of these mutants, discovering that Mtgβ1 mutants produce lighter nodules, whereas Mtgα1 and Mtrgs1 mutants have normal nodulation phenotypes similar to those of wild-type plants. These observations suggest that MtGβ1 positively regulates nodulation, although the detailed mechanisms by which G proteins regulate symbiotic nitrogen fixation in M. truncatula remain to be explored. This work provides potentially valuable genetic resources for further functional analysis and elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of G proteins in this model legume.

Recessive resistance mediated by mutations in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), has proven effective against diverse potyviruses and is extensively utilized in breeding programs. However, the rise of resistance-breaking (RB) strains and emerging potyviral species necessitates the development of more durable and broad-spectrum resistance strategies. In this study, our field survey in Yunnan, China, identified potato virus Y (PVY) RB isolates, as well as the prevalence of tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV) and chilli veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV), in tobacco carrying the recessive va locus, which lacks the eIF4E1-S susceptibility gene, due to a chromosomal deletion. Protein interaction and viral infection assays demonstrated that both eIF4E1-S and eIFiso4E-T are used by PVY RB as susceptibility factors for infection, with the combined inactivation of these genes confering durable resistance. Similarly, the knockout of eIFiso4E-S, in the va genetic background, provided effective resistance to TVBMV and reduced susceptibility to ChiVMV. Notably, pyramiding mutations in eIFiso4E-S and eIFiso4E-T, in va tobacco, generated plants exhibiting robust, broad-spectrum resistance, to all three viruses, without compromising plant development. These findings underscore the potential of stacking eIF4E mutations to engineer durable, broad-spectrum resistance to potyviruses in tobacco, offering a promising strategy for crop improvement.

The CRISPR-Cas system has revolutionized modern life sciences, enabling groundbreaking applications ranging from functional genomics to therapeutic development. Despite its transformative potential, significant technical limitations persist in current computational tools for quantifying editing efficiency - particularly concerning data processing capabilities, analytical throughput, and operational flexibility. This research presents SuperDecode, a novel computational framework designed to address these methodological constraints. The SuperDecode offers key advantages, including local processing capabilities, large-size sequencing files, batch-processing, and diversified operational functions.

Small RNAs (sRNAs), the main effectors of RNA interference (or RNA silencing, RNAi), mediate cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous gene silencing. The discoveries of trans-kingdom RNAi and interspecies RNAi have accelerated the development of RNAi-based crop protection technologies. Recently, based on interspecies RNAi, a practical technology termed microbe-induced gene silencing (MIGS) without the need of host genetic modification is developed for crop protection against Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum in cotton and rice plants. In this study, we utilized MIGS technology to protect maize against Fusarium graminearum, which is responsible for maize stalk rot. An RNAi-engineered Trichoderma harzianum strain, Th-FgPmt2i, was exploited to generate double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) to trigger the silencing of the FgPTM2 gene. Our data verify that sRNAs generated from Th-FgPmt2i can silence the FgPMT2 gene via translational inhibition in F. graminearum. We further demonstrated that Th-FgPmt2i has a stronger capacity than does the T. harzianum chassis for protection of maize against F. graminearum. Coupled with our studies on crop protection against V. dahliae and F. oxysporum, our findings reveal that MIGS can be exploited to protect various crops against distinct fungal pathogens and has extensive applicability.

Soil salinization is a severely detrimental environmental problem that affects the seed germination, growth and yield of wheat. To excavate salt-tolerant genes and breed salt-tolerant wheat varieties are of great significance for ensuring global food security. In this study, we have successfully developed a novel salt-tolerant wheat cultivar, KD808, which is shown to have remarkable salt tolerance through multiple phenotypic analyses. RNA-seq coupled with RT-qPCR analyses reveal that the expression of TaSGR-5B is up-regulated by salt stress treatment in the salt-sensitive wheat varieties such as KN199 and Fielder, whereas the salt-induction of TaSGR-5B is abolished in our salt-tolerant variety KD808. More importantly, we found that the loss-of-function Tasgr-aabbdd mutants exhibit significantly salt-tolerant phenotypes without penalties in major agronomic traits. This study not only provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in wheat but also offers substantial potential for improving wheat cultivation in saline-alkali soils, thereby contributing to sustainable agricultural production.

In this study, we evaluated the impact of editing the powdery mildew-susceptible gene MLO1 in Petunia hybrida cv. ‘Mirage Rose’ using CRISPR/Cas9. We evaluated plant growth, seed physiology, pollen viability and germination, and gibberellin (GA)-associated gene expression. The mlo1 mutants exhibited delayed seed germination, reduced plant growth, delayed flowering, and lower seed set and weight compared to wild type (WT). While pollen viability and germination were not significantly affected in the mlo1-14 mutant, both were notably reduced in the mlo1-25 mutant. Expression analysis revealed significantly higher levels of GA biosynthesis and receptor genes in the mutants, suggesting alterations in the GA signaling pathways. Application of exogenous GA₃ effectively mitigated growth inhibition in the mutants, aligning their growth parameters with those of WT. Our findings underscore the complex role of MLO1 in regulating plant growth and development, likely through modulation of the GA signaling pathways. This study highlights the trade-offs associated with MLO1 editing for powdery mildew resistance, including impacts on plant growth and reproductive success, and demonstrates the potential of GA₃ application in counteracting these effects. Collectively, this study suggests that the growth penalty and impaired seed physiology caused by the mlo1 mutation must be considered when attempting to edit MLO1 for powdery mildew toleration in ornamental plants, as these drawbacks can severely impact the plants’ utility in the floricultural industry.