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Dendrolimus houi damages different hosts in different regions and causes biological disasters. The selectivity and fitness of Dendrolimus houi on different host plants were analyzed by observing its behavior in host selection and the host plant contents, to provide a reference for the ecological regulation of Dendrolimus houi Taking Cryptomeria japonica, Cupressus funebris, Platycladus orientalis, and Pinus massoniana in Fujian as representative hosts, the fecundity (E) of adult Dendrolimus houi was determined using the cage culture method, and the feeding selection frequency and feeding amount (D) of newly hatched larvae were determined using the leaf disc method. The main nutrient (soluble sugar, soluble protein, and starch) and plant secondary substance (flavonoid, total phenol, tannin) content in different host needles were determined. The results showed that the selection order of oviposition amount, feeding frequency, and feeding amount of Dendrolimus houi was consistent, which was Cryptomeria japonica＞Cupressus funebris＞Platycladus orientalis＞Pinus massoniana, the host fitness index (IF) vales were 0.48 for Cryptomeria japonica, 0.39 for Cupressus funebris, 0.09 for Platycladus orientalis, and 0 for Pinus massoniana, indicating that Cryptomeria japonica was the most suitable host and Pinus massoniana was an unfit host. Further analysis showed that the IF value was significantly positively correlated with the soluble sugar and soluble protein content of the needles (P＜0.05) and significantly negatively correlated with tannin content (P＜0.05). These findings indicated that soluble protein, soluble sugar, and tannins were the main factors by which the larvae preferentially selected their hosts. Systematic clustering was used to divide the hosts into three categories: suitable as a host, Cryptomeria japonica, Cupressus funebris; suitable host, Platycladus orientalis; and not suitable as a host, Pinus massoniana pine. Combined with the IF, it is considered that Cryptomeria japonica was the optimal host and Pinus massoniana was an unfit host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stay-green (SGR) genes are pivotal regulatory genes in the context of plant chlorophyll metabolism, but few studies on SGR homologues in Cryptomeria fortunei have been previously reported. We cloned two CfSGR genes and overexpressed them in Arabidopsis to explore their functions. Full-length CfSGR1 and CfSGR2 are 1265 and 1197 bp, encompassing open reading frames (ORFs) encoding 274 and 276 amino acids, respectively. SGRs exhibited high conservation in higher plants, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that SGRs from monocots and gymnosperms cluster in a clade. The proteins localized to chloroplasts and showed no transcriptional activity in yeast cells. The CfSGR gene expressions were induced by abiotic stresses and hormones. Under conditions of darkness, abscisic acid (ABA), salt, drought, or freezing stress, CfSGR2 -transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited a delay in leaf yellowing compared to the WT, which was attributed to increased chlorophyll content and enhanced photosynthetic capacity. These transgenic plants exhibited improved resistance to stress via upregulated expression of resistance-related genes, increased antioxidant enzyme activities, and reduced malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage rate. In contrast, CfSGR1 -transgenic plants may accelerate leaf yellowing and exhibit reduced stress resistance. Our findings highlight potential divergence in the functions of CfSGR genes concerning plant growth and development and responses to abiotic stresses or hormones, providing a scientific foundation for future breeding of stress-resistant C. fortunei cultivars. • CfSGR1 and CfSGR2 from Cryptomeria fortunei were functionally analysed. • CfSGRs lacked self-activating activity in yeast cells and localized to chloroplasts. • The expression of CfSGR genes were induced by abiotic stress and hormones. • CfSGRs transgenic plants showed contrasting responses to hormones and abiotic stress. • 35S:: CfSGR2 transgenic Arabidopsis exhibited high stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptomeria fortunei has been widely planted in many cities in southern China. Eventually some of this material may be utilized for timber, but there are relatively few studies of durability of this resource. There is also some question as to whether Cryptomeria fortunei is a synonym for Cryptomeria japonica or Japanese cedar (Sugi). Evaluating the durability of the Chinese resource will help ensure that the decay resistance of this urban plantation resource is properly categorized. The decay resistance of Cryptomeria fortunei wood was assessed in soil block and agar block tests against Trametes versicolor, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Rhodonia placenta. Hot water and ethanol extractive contents of the heartwood were determined on sections from various distances above ground and then FTIR spectroscopy was used to characterize the wood before and after fungal exposure. Weight losses in sapwood were consistent with the minimal decay resistance of this portion of the wood. Inner and outer heartwood weight losses were more variable suggesting that the heartwood of this species would be considered to be only moderately durable. Extractives were weakly correlated with decay resistance. FTIR results were more variable, although they suggested heavier attack of lignin components by the brown rot fungi. The results suggest that Cryptomeria fortunei would need to be protected from the weather unless supplemental preservative treatments were applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to climate change, it is significant to explore the impact of rising temperatures on the distribution of Dendrolimus houi Lajonquiere (Lepidoptera) and its host plants, Pinus yunnanensis and Cryptomeria fortunei, and to simulate their suitable future distribution areas in order to provide a theoretical basis for the monitoring of, and early warning about, D. houi and the formulation of effective prevention and control policies. Based on the known distribution areas of, and relevant climate data for, D. houi, P. yunnanensis, and C. fortunei, their suitable habitat in China was predicted using the ENMeval data package in order to adjust the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model parameters. The results showed that the regularization multiplier was 0.5 when the feature combination was LQHPT, with a MaxEnt model of lowest complexity and excellent prediction accuracy. The main climate variable affecting the geographical distribution of D. houi, P. yunnanensis, and C. fortunei is temperature, specifically including isothermality, temperature seasonality, maximum temperature of warmest month, minimum temperature of warmest month, average temperature of coldest quarter. The potential suitable distribution areas for P. yunnanensis and D. houi were similar under climate change, mainly distributed in southwest China, while C. fortunei was mainly distributed in southeast China. Under different future-climate scenarios, the areas suitable for the three species will increase, except for P. yunnanensis in the 2070s under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5–8.5. With climate change, all three species were found to have a tendency to migrate to higher latitudes and higher altitudes. The centroids of the areas suitable for P. yunnanensis and D. houi will migrate to the northwest and the centroids of the areas suitable for C. fortunei will migrate to the northeast.

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Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk is an important fast-growing coniferous timber species that is widely used in landscaping. Recently, research on timber quality has gained substantial attention in the field of tree breeding. Wood is the secondary xylem formed by the continuous inward division and differentiation of the vascular cambium; therefore, the development of the vascular cambium is particularly important for wood quality. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of the cambial zone in C. fortunei during different developmental stages using Illumina HiSeq sequencing, focusing on general transcriptome and microRNA (miRNA) data. We performed functional annotation of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the different stages identified by transcriptome sequencing and generated 15 miRNA libraries yielding 4.73 Gb of clean reads. The most common length of the filtered miRNAs was 21nt, accounting for 33.1% of the total filtered reads. We annotated a total of 32 known miRNA families. Some miRNAs played roles in hormone signal transduction (miR159, miR160, and miR166), growth and development (miR166 and miR396), and the coercion response (miR394 and miR395), and degradome sequencing showed potential cleavage sites between miRNAs and target genes. Differential expression of miRNAs and target genes and functional validation of the obtained transcriptome and miRNA data provide a theoretical basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cellular growth and differentiation, as well as wood formation in the vascular cambium, which will help improve the wood quality of C. fortunei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk is an important fast-growing coniferous timber species that is widely used in landscaping. Recently, research on timber quality has gained substantial attention in the field of tree breeding. Wood is the secondary xylem formed by the continuous inward division and differentiation of the vascular cambium; therefore, the development of the vascular cambium is particularly important for wood quality. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of the cambial zone in C. fortunei during different developmental stages using Illumina HiSeq sequencing, focusing on general transcriptome and microRNA (miRNA) data. We performed functional annotation of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the different stages identified by transcriptome sequencing and generated 15 miRNA libraries yielding 4.73 Gb of clean reads. The most common length of the filtered miRNAs was 21nt, accounting for 33.1% of the total filtered reads. We annotated a total of 32 known miRNA families. Some miRNAs played roles in hormone signal transduction (miR159, miR160, and miR166), growth and development (miR166 and miR396), and the coercion response (miR394 and miR395), and degradome sequencing showed potential cleavage sites between miRNAs and target genes. Differential expression of miRNAs and target genes and functional validation of the obtained transcriptome and miRNA data provide a theoretical basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cellular growth and differentiation, as well as wood formation in the vascular cambium, which will help improve the wood quality of C. fortunei.

Cryptomeria fortunei is a conifer species that can attain a height of ~70 m and is cultivated for its timber as well as its ornamental value. It is a subtropical plant that prefers a warm and humid environment. Therefore, low temperature (LT) affects its growth, development, productivity and ecological distribution. Inducer of C-repeat binding factor (CBF) expression 1 (ICE1) plays an important role in the response to cold/freezing stress in plants through the CBF regulation pathway. To date, there is no research on homologue of ICE1 in C. fortunei. In this study, we first isolated the CfICE1 transcript from C. fortunei. The CfICE1 coding sequence was 1728 nucleotides encoding a 575-aa protein and contained a serine-rich motif, a basic helix-loop-helix-Zipper (bHLH-Zip), an ACT domain and a nuclear localization signal (NLS), which were conserved in ICE1 homologous genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CfICE1 and all dicots ICE1 proteins were clustered together. CfICE1 had transcriptional activity in yeast cells, was predominantly located in the nucleus and highly expressed in tender needles and roots. 35S::CfICE1 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana could increase antioxidant enzyme activities and photosynthesis and reduce the malondialdehyde content compared to the wild-type to better cope with LT. Under LT, CfICE1 expression was higher; the C. fortunei clone with stronger cold resistance (CR) significantly upregulated the expression of CfICE1 compared to the weaker clone. In conclusion, these results suggest that CfICE1 plays an active role in CR, which provides a theoretical basis for breeding for CR in C. fortunei. • CfICE1 , a transcription factor from Chinese cedar (Cryptomeria fortunei), was functionally analysed. • CfICE1 had transcriptional activity in yeast cells, and showed a tissue-specific expression pattern. • Constitutive expression of 35S::CfICE1 in Arabidopsis thaliana increased cold tolerance. • Under cold stress, the stronger cold resistance clone upregulated the CfICE1 expression compared with the weaker clone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptomeria fortunei is the indigenous evergreen coniferous timber species in southern China, valued for its superior wood quality, which frequently finds industrial applications. MiRNAs (microRNAs) can be involved in regulating various aspects of plant growth, and more and more studies have explored miRNAs related to growth and development, but among them, the ones on C. fortunei are relatively rare. In this study, we screened miRNAs that were differentially expressed during vascular cambium development, and chose miR159a and CfMYB37 as candidate genes for cloning and functional validation. The results showed that miR159a had CfMYB37 as a target gene and that there was a distinct negative regulatory relationship between miR159a and CfMYB37 in C. fortunei. 35 S::miR159a plants were taller than WT and had thicker stems than WT, and miR159a encouraged the growth of xylem cells and lignin. While 35 S::mCfMYB37 plants had the opposite phenotype to 35 S::miR159a plants, with considerably lower lignin content and xylem cell layer number compared to WT, 35 S::CfMYB37 plants lacked a distinctive phenotype. This suggests that the miR159- CfMYB37 module can control plant growth and xylem development. For the following investigation of C. fortunei 's growth and vascular cambium development as well as the enhancement of its wood qualities, this work serves as a crucial theoretical foundation. • Screening from transcriptome and miRNA sequencing data for differentially expressed miR159 and CfMYB37 in C. fortunei. • MiR159a and its target gene CfMYB37 were cloned from C. fortunei. • MiR159 negatively regulates the expression of CfMYB37 in different growth stages of C. fortunei. • CfMYB37 was nucleus localization proteins. • The miR159a-CfMYB37 module plays an important role in the development of xylem and regulates the synthesis of lignin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is uncertainty and limited knowledge regarding stand characteristics and soil properties of middle-aged pure forest plantations in the mountainous area of Western Sichuan. Plantation forests are almost exclusively planted as monocultures in the Pengzhou forest farm in the western mountainous area of Sichuan Province. This study aimed to assess the spatial and ecological characteristics of middle-aged Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. and Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibr. in the Pengzhou forest farm. The relationships and differences between stand growth characteristics and forest soil composition were assessed on the two forests planted simultaneously within the same area and exposed to the same environmental conditions. Cr. fortunei grew sparse, and slower than Cun. lanceolata. Principal component analysis indicated that the soil properties in the Cr. fortunei plantation were better than those in the Cun. lanceolata plantation. Redundancy analysis revealed that the differences in stand structure were affected significantly by the total nitrogen content and pH value. Thus, we propose that Cr. fortunei is planted for priority consideration in the subtropical high mountain area. Further, tending operations and application of fertilizers need to be conducted in Cun. lanceolata forests. Based on theoretical and experimental data, the present study explains why local farmers are more willing to plant Cr. fortunei, and thus provides a useful theoretical reference for the development of sustainable plantations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humid subtropical China is an “oasis” relative to other dry subtropics of the world due to the prevailing of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). Although many long climate sensitive tree-rings have been published to understand the historical climate change over various regions in China, long tree-ring chronologies in humid subtropical China are rare due to the difficulty to find old growth trees. This study established a tree-ring chronology spanning from 1776 to 2016 from Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk ex Otto et Dietr in Liancheng area of humid subtropical China, which is also currently the longest chronology in Fujian province. Similar to the climate-growth relationships in neighboring regions, our tree-ring chronology is limited by cold temperature in winter and spring and drought in summer. In addition, a drought stress before the growing season also played a role in limiting the growth of our tree rings. Our climate sensitive tree rings showed different correlations with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) in different periods, possibly via modulation of the EASM.

• The forest productivity of mixed plantations was 18–39.5% greater than that of pure plantations. • Understory vegetation diversity in MCC was significantly higher than in PCL and PCF, by 15.8–20% and 13.2–35.7%, respectively. • The water conservation capacity of MCC is significantly higher (by 19.4–42.9%) than that of PCL and PCF. • Performance against the soil fauna diversity index was similar in all three stands. Many studies of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships indicate that mixed plantations can enhance ecological benefits by enabling ecological niche differentiation between species. However, few studies explore multi-dimensional evidence to fully evaluate the integrated ecological benefits of mixed plantations. This paper aims to assess the stand characteristics and ecological benefits of different forest types, drawing on multiple lines of evidence (trees, shrubs, herbs, soil fauna, and soils) to understand the effects of mixed plantations on integrated ecological benefits. Our study focused on pure Cunninghamia lanceolata (Chinese Fir) plantations (PCL), pure Cryptomeria fortunei (Chinese Cedar) plantations (PCF), and mixed C. lanceolata - C. fortunei plantations (MCC), which are common in the mountainous areas of the Sichuan Basin in southwestern China. We analysed the growth status, spatial structure, understory vegetation diversity, soil fauna characteristics, and physical and chemical soil properties found in plots representing these three forest types. The results showed that productivity was significantly higher in the MCC than in PCL or PCF, by 39.5% and 18%, respectively. Mixed plantations showed higher stand growth rates, but this effect was limited by interspecific competition. The results further showed that mixed plantations promote forest growth by allocating spatial locations between different tree species. In addition, the spatial stand structure in the mixed plantations was more stable than that in the two pure plantations, and the management potential of the mixed plantations was greater. Understory vegetation in MCC was significantly more diverse than in PCL and PCF, by 15.8–20% and 13.2–35.7%, respectively. Moreover, mixed plantations performed better in terms of soil water and soil fertility. Interestingly, we found no difference in soil fauna diversity between mixed and pure plantations. We conclude that, overall, planting mixed plantations can enhance the integrated ecological benefits of afforestation and may be an essential strategy for ensuring that plantations can cope with climate extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vascular cambium activity of trees directly affects the yield and quality of forest products. Therefore, studying the laws governing vascular cambium activity in Cryptomeria fortunei , a species mainly used for wood production, is important. miRNAs regulate target gene expression and play an important role in plant growth and development, but the role of miRNAs in C. fortunei vascular cambium growth remains poorly understood. Here, small RNA (sRNA) and degradome libraries were constructed for C. fortunei vascular cambium at five different growth stages. A total of 1064 miRNAs (859 known and 205 novel miRNAs), including 266 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs), were identified by sRNA sequencing, and 4215 targets of 843 miRNAs were identified by degradome analysis. These targets were enriched in metabolism (e.g., phenylpropanoid biosynthesis), genetic information processing and signal transduction (e.g., plant hormone signal transduction) pathways during vascular cambium development. We obtained 365 differentially expressed target pairs and constructed a regulatory network of 111 annotated negatively regulated target pairs. The blue module was identified as a key module through weighted DEM coexpression network analysis, and seven negatively regulated target pairs (pab-miR159g/aly-miR397a-5p/pab-miR397a/novel23_mature- MYB , novel12_star- UGT72B1 and smo-miR1083/pab-miR1083- GARP-ARR-B) were considered as key regulators of C. fortunei vascular cambium growth. This study provides important miRNA and target data related to C. fortunei vascular cambium growth. These results increase the understanding of the posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms of vascular cambium development in conifers and provide important references for the genetic improvement of wood production in plants. • In Chinese cedar vascular cambium, 859 known and 205 novel miRNAs were identified. • A degradome analysis identified 4215 targets of 843 miRNAs. • Differentially expressed miRNAs and target pairs were identified. • A negatively regulated target pair network was constructed. • A key blue module was obtained through WGCNA, and key target pairs were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oils of composition obtained from the leaves ofCryptomeria fortunei, collected at different seasons in Wuhan (China), were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Fifty constituents were identified, constituting 92.3–97.7% of the essential oils. Our results showed that seasonal differences did not have an effect on the composition of oils but on the amount of oil components. The main components of the oil were kaur-16-ene (30.9–42.4%), elemol (16.8–18.9%), α-eudesmol (7.4–13.6%), α-pinene (1.9–8.0%) and γ-eudesmol (4.0–7.5%). On the basis of the results obtained, some suggestions are made concerning the optimal season for theC.fortuneioils. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cryptomeria fortunei growth and development are usually affected by low temperatures. Despite the evergreen nature of this species, most needles turn yellowish-brown in cold winters. The underlying discoloration mechanisms that cause this phenomenon in response to cold acclimation remain poorly understood. Here, we measured the pigment content and ultrastructure of normal wild-type (Wt) and evergreen mutant (GM) C. fortunei needles and performed integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to explore potential discoloration mechanisms. The results showed that the needle chlorophyll content of these two genotypes decreased in winter. Wt needles showed greater decrease in the chlorophyll content and local destruction of chloroplast ultrastructure and contained larger amounts of flavonoids than GM needles, as shown by metabolomics analysis. We subsequently identified key differentially expressed genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and observed significantly upregulated flavonol synthase expression in Wt needles compared with GM needles that significantly increased the anthoxanthin (flavones and flavonols) content, which is likely a key factor underlying the difference in needle color between these two genotypes. Therefore, flavonoid metabolism may play important roles in the cold resistance and needle discoloration of C. fortunei, and our results provide an excellent foundation for the molecular mechanism of C. fortunei in response to cold stress., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Abstract: Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation from the leaves of Cryptomeria fortunei from the principal habitats in China. The essential oil yields of samples from various locations ranged from 0.61 to 1.66% (w/w). GC–MS analysis revealed eighty-seven compounds, constituting 85.89–94.75% of the total essential oils. The main constituents were kaurene (0–44.69%), phyllocladene (0.07–32.98%), kaur-16-ene (0–32.28%), elemol (5.28–18.92%), α-cadinol (0–11.39%), α-eudesmol (0–11.21%), α-pinene (2.32–9.15%). The samples were separated into 3 chemotypes by hierarchical cluster analysis, according to the composition of the corresponding essential oils. Chemical composition of essential oils was significantly related to nine geographic distributions among populations. Our results revealed chemical polymorphism in the essential oils of the C. fortunei leaf in China. The chemical variability could be attributed to genetic and environmental factors. The chemical diversity of the oils offers opportunity to choose C. fortunei leaves and essential oils with preferential compound for green plant protection, pharmaceutical, perfume and food industries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves of Chinese native Cryptomeria japonica and Cryptomeria fortunei were analyzed by GC and GC–MS. Fifty-seven compounds were identified in the essential oils of C. japonica with α-elemol (20.12%), kaur-16-ene (14.84%), β-phellandrene (5.97%), β-elemene (5.87%), α-eudesmol (5.62%) and β-eudesmol (5.03%) as main constituents. Forty components were identified in the oil of C. fortunei with kaurene (34.04%), α-elemol (13.34%), γ-eudesmol (10.80%), β-eudesmol (10.16%), α-pinene (2.75%) and γ-cadinene (1.92%) as the most abundant components. This study demonstrated the occurrence of α-elemol chemotype in C. japonica and kaurene chemotype in C. fortunei from China. The essential oil compositions of two Cryptomeria samples were shown that they can be used for green plant protection, pharmaceutical, perfume and food industries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new sesquiterpene (1) and a new triterpene (2) along with 25 known compounds were isolated from the fruits of Cryptomeria fortunei (Taxodiaceae). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tianmu Mountain National Nature Reserve (TMNNR) preserves the only primeval forest of China cedar (Cryptomeria fortunel) in the world. In order to assist in planning the protection of China cedar habitat and propose a scientific zoning project for TMNNR, we established a nature reserve geographic in formation system (NRGIS) of TMNNR using a geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (PS). In support of NRGIS, we produced a 3-dimensional simulation of TMNNP and obtained a predictive model through a combination of logistic regression modeling and multivariate analysis. The results demonstrate that slope direction, soil type, and annual precipitation are the main factors affecting China cedar habitat. The existence probability of China cedar increases with (converted) slope direction and annual precipitation. Yellow soil (FAQ classification) is more suitable for the growth of China cedar in comparison to red soil (FAQ classification). Finally, we predicted suitable habitats for China cedar using a model and function zoning for TMNNR. We suggest that it is necessary to analyze key factors affecting China cedar habitat in order to ensure appropriate conservation measures. NRGIS has been found indispensable for studying, protecting, and managing China cedar forest and TMNNR. NRGIS provides not only modeling information but also the means for monitoring this rare species, identifying suitable locations for reintroduction, and carrying out visible and dynamic management of the whole reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptomeria fortunei has become one of the main timber afforestation species in subtropical high-altitude areas of China due to its fast growth, good material quality, and strong adaptability, showing broad application prospects. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is the most accurate and widely used gene expression evaluation technique, and selecting appropriate reference genes (RGs) is essential for normalizing qRT-PCR results. However, suitable RGs for gene expression normalization in C. fortunei have not been reported. Here, we tested the expression stability for 12 RGs in C. fortunei under various experimental conditions (simulated abiotic stresses (cold, heat, drought, and salinity) and hormone treatments (methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, and gibberellin) and in different tissues (stems, tender needles, needles, cones, and seeds) using four algorithms (delta Ct, geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper). Then, geometric mean rankings from these algorithms and the RefFinder program were used to comprehensively evaluate RG stability. The results indicated CYP, actin, UBC, and 18S as good choices for studying C. fortunei gene expression. qRT-PCR analysis of the expression patterns of three target genes (CAT and MAPK1/6) further verified that the selected RGs were suitable for gene expression normalization. This study provides an important basis for C. fortunei gene expression standardization and quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humid subtropical China is an "oasis" relative to other dry subtropics of the world due to the prevailing of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). Although many long climate sensitive tree-rings have been published to understand the historical climate change over various regions in China, long tree-ring chronologies in humid subtropical China are rare due to the difficulty to find old growth trees. This study established a tree-ring chronology spanning from 1776 to 2016 from Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk ex Otto et Dietr in Liancheng area of humid subtropical China, which is also currently the longest chronology in Fujian province. Similar to the climate-growth relationships in neighboring regions, our tree-ring chronology is limited by cold temperature in winter and spring and drought in summer. In addition, a drought stress before the growing season also played a role in limiting the growth of our tree rings. Our climate sensitive tree rings showed different correlations with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) in different periods, possibly via modulation of the EASM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptomeria fortunei, also known as the Chinese cedar, is an important timber species in southern China. The primary component of its woody tissues is lignin, mainly present in secondary cell walls. Therefore, continuous lignin synthesis is crucial for wood formation. In this study, we aimed to discover key genes involved in lignin synthesis expressed in the vascular cambium of C. fortunei. Through transcriptome sequencing, we detected expression of two genes, 4CL and CCoAOMT, known to be homologous to enzymes involved in the lignin synthesis pathway. We studied the function of these genes through bioinformatics analysis, cloning, vascular cambium expression analysis, and transgenic cross-species functional validation studies. Our results show that Cf4CL and CfCCoAOMT do indeed function in the pathway of lignin synthesis and likely perform this function in C. fortunei. They are prime candidates for future (gene-editing) studies aimed at optimizing C. fortunei wood production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]