Search

During plant growth and development, the YABBY gene plays a crucial role in the morphological structure, hormone signaling, stress resistance, crop breeding, and agricultural production of plant lateral organs, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Astragalus mongholicus is a perennial herbaceous plant in the legume family, widely used worldwide due to its high medicinal and edible value. However, there have been no reports of the YABBY gene family in A. mongholicus. This study used bioinformatics methods, combined with databases and analysis websites, to systematically analyze the AmYABBY gene family in the entire genome of A. mongholicus and verified its expression patterns in different tissues of A. mongholicus through transcriptome data and qRT-PCR experiments. A total of seven AmYABBY genes were identified, which can be divided into five subfamilies and distributed on three chromosomes. Two pairs of AmYABBY genes may be involved in fragment duplication on three chromosomes. All AmYABBY proteins have a zinc finger YABBY domain, and members of the same group have similar motif composition and intron – exon structure. In the promoter region of the genes, light-responsive and MeJa-response cis-elements are dominant. AmYABBY is highly expressed in stems and leaves, especially AmYABBY1, AmYABBY2, and AmYABBY3, which play important roles in the growth and development of stems and leaves. The AmYABBY gene family regulates the growth and development of A. mongholicus. In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the function of the AmYABBY gene and new insights into the molecular response mechanism of the growth and development of the traditional Chinese medicine A. mongholicus.

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn, a herbaceous plant with a long history in traditional medicine for the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases, particularly in Europe, which has attracted attention for its remarkable therapeutic effect. This review systematically summarizes the research progress in the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, comprehensive utilization and synthetic biology of S. marianum. Up to now, more than 20 types of flavonolignan components have been isolated from S. marianum. In addition, the rearch on fatty acids and triterpenoids is also constantly improving. Among them, silybin is the most active compound in flavonolignans components. Its pharmacological effects in vivo and in vitro include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and immunoregulatory properties. The use of coniferyl alcohol and taxifolin as substrates to produce silybin and isosilybin under the action of enzyme catalysis is the commonly used biosynthetic pathway of silymarin, which provides support for a comprehensive analysis of the synthetic pathway of silymarin. In addition to medicinal use, the extracts of plants also have broad application prospects in the production of food, healthcare products, cosmetics and other aspects. In addition, the chemical composition, pharmacological mechanism and synthetic biology of S. marianum need to be further studied, which is very important for its clinical efficacy and resource development.

AbstractJacobaea cannabifolia is a widely used medicinal plant. The total length of the chloroplast genome was 151,390 bp, and it comprised a large single-copy (LSC, 83,432 bp) region, a small single-copy (SSC, 18,304 bp) region, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs, 49,654 bp). A total of 130 coding genes were annotated, including 88 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 34 tRNA genes. A phylogenetic tree was showed that J. cannabifolia and other species of the same genus clustered together.

The Basic Leucine Zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) family is among of the largest and most diverse gene families found in plant species, and members of the bZIP TFs family perform important functions in plant developmental processes and stress response. To date, bZIP genes in Platycodon grandiflorus have not been characterized. In this work, a number of 47 PgbZIP genes were identified from the genome of P. grandiflorus, divided into 11 subfamilies. The distribution of these PgbZIP genes on the chromosome and gene replication events were analyzed. The motif, gene structure, cis-elements, and collinearity relationships of the PgbZIP genes were simultaneously analyzed. In addition, gene expression pattern analysis identified ten candidate genes involved in the developmental process of different tissue parts of P. grandiflorus. Among them, Four genes (PgbZIP5, PgbZIP21, PgbZIP25 and PgbZIP28) responded to drought and salt stress, which may have potential biological roles in P. grandiflorus development under salt and drought stress. Four hub genes (PgbZIP13, PgbZIP30, PgbZIP32 and PgbZIP45) mined in correlation network analysis, suggesting that these PgbZIP genes may form a regulatory network with other transcription factors to participate in regulating the growth and development of P. grandiflorus. This study provides new insights regarding the understanding of the comprehensive characterization of the PgbZIP TFs for further exploration of the functions of growth and developmental regulation in P. grandiflorus and the mechanisms for coping with abiotic stress response.

Terpene synthases (TPSs) regulate plant growth, development, and stress response. TPS genes have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays. Cannabis sativa TPS genes were identified and analyzed using bioinformatics. Genomic data were downloaded from Plant Transcription Factor Database and National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and TPS genes were predicted, analyzed, and visualized using ExPASy, PlantCare, and other online websites along with TBtools, MEGA software, and other software. To verify its role, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) tests were conducted. The Cannabis sativa TPS family comprises 41 elements distributed over 8 chromosomes and a single scaffold segment. The isoelectric point varied between 4.96 and 7.03, while the molecular weight spanned from 20705.90 to 102324.64 Da. The majority of genes were found in the cytoplasm and chloroplasts, with the remainder situated in the peroxisome, nucleus, plasma membrane, and mitochondria. Several cis-acting components associated with stress response were present in the gene's upstream promoter region. Data from RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR revealed specific expression of TPS genes in all five organs of female Cannabis sativa plants. Collinearity analysis showed 4 homologous gene pairs between the Cannabis sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana, with many pairs of homologous genes in other species, which was consistent with the dicotyledons evolutionary relationship. Furthermore, some genes may participate in Cannabis sativa growth and development and play a role in secondary metabolite synthesis. Therefore, bioinformatics analysis of the Cannabis sativa TPS gene family provides a theoretical basis for future research on the volatile terpene compounds of Cannabis sativa.

Platycodon grandiflorus set ornamental, edible, and medicinal plant with broad prospects for further application development. However, there are no reports on the YABBY transcription factor in P. grandiflorus. Identification and analysis of the YABBY gene family of P. grandiflorus using bioinformatics means. Six YABBY genes were identified and divided into five subgroups. Transcriptome data and qRT-PCR were used to analyze the expression patterns of YABBY. YABBY genes exhibited organ-specific patterns in expression in P grandiflorus. Upon salt stress and drought induction, P. grandiflorus presented different morphological and physiological changes with some dynamic changes. Under salt treatment, the YABBY gene family was down-regulated; PgYABBY5 was up-regulated in leaves at 24 h. In drought treatment, PgYABBY1, PgYABBY2, and PgYABBY3 were down-regulated to varying degrees, but PgYABBY3 was significantly up-regulated in the roots. PgYABBY5 was up-regulated gradually after being down-regulated. PgYABBY5 was significantly up-regulated in stem and leaf at 48 h. PgYABBY6 was down-regulated at first and then significantly up-regulated. The dynamic changes of salt stress and drought stress can be regarded as the responses of plants to resist damage. During the whole process of salt and drought stress treatment, the protein content of each tissue part of P grandiflorus changed continuously. At the same time, we found that the promoter region of the PgYABBY gene contains stress-resistant elements, and the regulatory role of YABBY transcription factor in the anti-stress mechanism of P grandiflorus remains to be studied. PgYABBY1, PgYABBY2, and PgYABBY5 may be involved in the regulation of saponins in P. grandiflorus. PgYABBY5 may be involved in the drought resistance mechanism in P. grandiflorus stems and leaves. This study may provide a theoretical basis for studying the regulation of terpenoids by the YABBY transcription factor and its resistance to abiotic stress.

Background: Astragali Radix is regarded as an important traditional medicinal plant and has been widely used as a Qi-Invigoratin medicine for more than 2000 years. However, the mechanism of its medicinal and nutritional components in different accessions is unexplored. Moreover, the lack of SSR markers for Astragali Radix has stalled genetic breeding and variety identification. To develop EST-SSRs, transcriptome sequencing was performed based on the Illumina platform. Results: Approximately 99.6 million raw data points were collected, and 296,618 unigenes with an average length of 1,459 bp were obtained. A total of 71,207 SSR loci within 56,097 SSR-containing unigenes were identified. Of these SSR-containing unigenes, 26,188 (46.7%), 16,736 (29.8%), and 8,858 (15.8%) were related to items in the GO database, KEGG database, and COG database, respectively. The motifs A/T, AG/CT, AT/AT, and AAT/ATT were the most common types, accounting for 39.78%, 19.14%, 10.12%, and 4.60%, respectively, and the average length of the EST-SSRs was 17.16 bp. We acquired 8 functional markers linked to key genes correlated with the biosynthesis of flavonoids. The genetic similarity among the 60 AR varietal resources ranged from 0.2692 to 0.8077, with an average of 0.5742. The dendrogram results indicated that the 60 AR samples tested had high levels of genetic similarity. Conclusions: The 71,207 EST-SSR loci identified here offer valuable source of DNA markers for the genetic diversity identification of 60 Astragali Radix varieties. These results will facilitate genetic map construction, functional gene identification, variety identification, molecular marker-assisted breeding, and genetic diversity analysis in Astragali Radix.How to cite: Jiang M, Yan S, Ren W, et al. Genetic diversity of the Chinese medicinal plant Astragali Radix based on transcriptome-derived SSR markers. Electron J Biotechnol 2023;62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2022.12.001.

Lappula myosotis V. Wolf 1776 is an annual or biennial plant with important medicinal value. In the present study, we report the complete chloroplast genome data of L. myosotis, which has a length of 146,668 bp, including a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,059 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 79,691 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,959 bp. A total of 127 genes encoding tRNA and rRNA were annotated. The total CG content of the chloroplast genome was 37.7%. The maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree strongly supported that L. myosotis is closely related to Trigonotis peduncularis. The complete chloroplast genome of L. myosotis provides useful information on the evolution and phylogenetic relationship among Boraginaceae plants.

Astragali Radix (Huangqi) is mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, South America, and Africa and rarely in North America and Oceania. It has long been used as an ethnomedicine in the Russian Federation, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, and China. It was first recorded in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing and includes the effects of reinforcing healthy qi, dispelling pathogenic factors, promoting diuresis, reducing swelling, activating blood circulation, and dredging collaterals. This review systematically summarizes the botanical characteristics, phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacology, and toxicology of Astragalus to explore the potential of Huangqi and expand its applications. Data were obtained from databases such as PubMed, CNKI, Wan Fang Data, Baidu Scholar, and Google Scholar. The collected material also includes classic works of Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chinese Medicine Dictionary, and PhD and Master’s theses. The pharmacological effects of the isoflavone fraction in Huangqi have been studied extensively; The pharmacological effects of Huangqi isoflavone are mainly reflected in its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, and anti-diabetic properties and its ability to treat several related diseases. Additionally, the medicinal uses, chemical composition, pharmacological activity, toxicology, and quality control of Huangqi require further elucidation. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control of Astragalus to assist future innovative research and to identify and develop new drugs involving Huangqi.

ABSTRACT Protein phosphatase complex Nem1/Spo7 plays crucial roles in the regulation of various biological processes in eukaryotes. However, its biological functions in phytopathogenic fungi are not well understood. In this study, genome-wide transcriptional profiling analysis revealed that Nem1 was significantly upregulated during the infection process of Botryosphaeria dothidea, and we identified and characterized the phosphatase complex Nem1/Spo7 and its substrate Pah1 (a phosphatidic acid phosphatase) in B. dothidea. Nem1/Spo7 physically interacted with and dephosphorylated Pah1 to promote triacylglycerol (TAG) and subsequent lipid droplet (LD) synthesis. Moreover, the Nem1/Spo7-dependently dephosphorylated Pah1 functioned as a transcriptional repressor of the key nuclear membrane biosynthesis genes to regulate nuclear membrane morphology. In addition, phenotypic analyses showed that the phosphatase cascade Nem1/Spo7-Pah1 was involved in regulating mycelial growth, asexual development, stress responses, and virulence of B. dothidea. IMPORTANCE Botryosphaeria canker and fruit rot caused by the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea is one of the most destructive diseases of apple worldwide. Our data indicated that the phosphatase cascade Nem1/Spo7-Pah1 plays important roles in the regulation of fungal growth, development, lipid homeostasis, environmental stress responses, and virulence in B. dothidea. The findings will contribute to the in-depth and comprehensive understanding of Nem1/Spo7-Pah1 in fungi and the development of target-based fungicides for disease management.

Trollius chinensis Bunge, a perennial herb belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine. Documented in the Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica, its medicinal properties encompass a spectrum of applications, including heat clearance, detoxification, alleviation of oral/throat sores, earaches, eye pain, cold-induced fever, and vision improvement. Furthermore, T. chinensis is used in clinical settings to treat upper respiratory infections, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, esoenteritis, canker, bronchitis, etc. It is mainly used to treat inflammation, such as inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and nasal mucosa. This comprehensive review explores the evolving scientific understanding of T. chinensis, covering facets of botany, materia medica, ethnopharmacological use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and quality control. In particular, the chemical constituents and pharmacological research are reviewed. Polyphenols, mainly flavonoids and phenolic acids, are highly abundant among T. chinensis and are responsible for antiviral, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. The flower additionally harbors trace amounts of volatile oil, polysaccharides, and other bioactive compounds. The active ingredients of the flower have fewer side effects, and it is used in children because of its minimal side effects, which has great research potential. These findings validate the traditional uses of T. chinensis and lay the groundwork for further scientific exploration. The sources utilized in this study encompass Web of Science, Pubmed, CNKI site, classic monographs, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chinese Medicine Dictionary, and doctoral and master’s theses.

IntroductionDof genes encode plant-specific transcription factors, which regulate various biological processes such as growth, development, and secondary metabolite accumulation.MethodsWe conducted whole-genome analysis of Chinese dwarf cherry (Cerasus humilis) to identify ChDof genes and characterize the structure, motif composition, cis-acting elements, chromosomal distribution, and collinearity of these genes as well as the physical and chemical properties, amino acid sequences, and phylogenetic evolution of the encoded proteins.ResultsThe results revealed the presence of 25 ChDof genes in C. humilis genome. All 25 ChDof genes could be divided into eight groups, and the members of the same group had similar motif arrangement and intron-exon structure. Promoter analysis showed that cis-acting elements responsive to abscisic acid, low temperature stress, and light were dominant. Transcriptome data revealed that most ChDof genes exhibited tissue-specific expression. Then, we performed by qRT-PCR to analyze the expression patterns of all 25 ChDof genes in fruit during storage. The results indicated that these genes exhibited different expression patterns, suggesting that they played an important role in fruit storage.DiscussionThe results of this study provide a basis for further investigation of the biological function of Dof genes in C. humilis fruit.

Abstract Autophagy is an intracellular degradation process that facilitates material recycling to maintain cellular homeostasis in eukaryotes. Atg2 is a phospholipid transfer protein involved in cellular autophagy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To date, the role of Atg2 in growth, development and pathogenicity of the gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea remains unknown. In this study, we identified and characterized an Atg2 ortholog, designated as BcAtg2, in B. cinerea. Deletion of BcATG2 resulted in a block of the autophagic process in B. cinerea. The ΔBcAtg2 mutant failed to produce sclerotia, and showed significant reduction in mycelial growth rate, formation of aerial mycelium and conidiation. In addition, the ΔBcAtg2 mutant lost the ability to form infection structures and cause symptom on host plants. All of these phenotypic changes in ΔBcAtg2 mutant were restored by targeted gene complementation. Moreover, BcAtg2 was demonstrated to physically interact with the phosphoinositide binding protein BcAtg18. Taken together, these results indicate that BcAtg2 plays an important role in vegetative growth, development and pathogenicity in B. cinerea.

The S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (Sah1) plays a crucial role in methylation and lipid metabolism in yeast and mammals, yet its function remains elusive in filamentous fungi. In this study, we characterized Sah1 in the phytopathogenic fungus F. graminearum by generating knockout and knockout-complemented strains of FgSAH1. We found that the FgSah1-GFP fusion protein was localized to the cytoplasm, and that deletion of FgSAH1 resulted in defects in vegetative growth, asexual and sexual reproduction, stress responses, virulence, lipid metabolism, and tolerance against fungicides. Moreover, the accumulations of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) and S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) (the methyl group donor in most methyl transfer reactions) in ΔFgSah1 were seven- and ninefold higher than those in the wild-type strain, respectively. All of these defective phenotypes in ΔFgSah1 mutants were rescued by target gene complementation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that FgSah1 plays essential roles in methylation metabolism, fungal development, full virulence, multiple stress responses, lipid metabolism, and fungicide sensitivity in F. graminearum. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the systematic functional characterization of Sah1 in F. graminearum.

The bZIP transcription factor family plays important roles in plant growth and development, response to stress, and regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The identification and molecular function of bZIP gene have been deeply studied in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, but it has not been reported in the medicinal plant Isatis indigotica. In this study, 65 IibZIP genes were identified in the genome of I. indigotica, which were distributed on seven chromosomes, were highly conserved, could be classified into 11 subgroups. Transcriptomic and metabolomic data for leaves of I. indigotica exposed to salt stress were analyzed to construct an IibZIP gene co-expression network and metabolite correlation network. Seventeen IibZIP genes were co-expressed with 79 transcription factors, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that most of these genes were associated with abiotic stress and hormone responses of plants. 17 IibZIP genes regulated 110 metabolites through 92 transcription factor associations. In addition, IibZIP23, IibZIP38 and IibZIP51 were associated with six metabolites including three alkaloids (quinoline alkaloid stylopine, indole alkaloids tabersonine and indole-3-acetic acid), flavonoid myricetin 3-O-galactoside, and two primary metabolites 2-hydroxy-6-aminopurine, 3-dehydroshikimic acid were strongly correlated. This study provides data for identification of the IibZIP gene family and their regulation of metabolites in response to salt stress.

Salix floderusii is a rare alpine tree species in the Salix genus. Unfortunately, no extensive germplasm identification, molecular phylogeny, and chloroplast genomics of this plant have been conducted. We sequenced the chloroplast (cp) genome of S. floderusii for the first time using second-generation sequencing technology. The cp genome was 155,540 bp long, including a large single-copy region (LSC, 84,401 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC, 16,221 bp), and inverted repeat regions (IR, 54,918 bp). A total of 131 genes were identified, including 86 protein genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The S. floderusii cp genome contains 1 complement repeat, 24 forward repeats, 17 palindromic repeats, and 7 reverse repeats. Analysis of the IR borders showed that the IRa and IRb regions of S. floderusii and Salix caprea were shorter than those of Salix cinerea, which may affect plastome evolution. Furthermore, four highly variable regions were found, including the rpl22 coding region, psbM/trnD-GUC non-coding region, petA/psbJ non-coding region, and ycf1 coding region. These high variable regions can be used as candidate molecular markers and as a reference for identifying future Salix species. In addition, phylogenetic analysis indicated that the cp genome of S. floderusii is sister to Salix cupularis and belongs to the Subgenus Vetrix. Genes (Sf-trnI, Sf-PpsbA, aadA, Sf-TpsbA, Sf-trnA) obtained via cloning were inserted into the pBluescript II SK (+) to yield the cp expression vectors, which harbored the selectable marker gene aadA. The results of a spectinomycin resistance test indicated that the cp expression vector had been successfully constructed. Moreover, the aadA gene was efficiently expressed under the regulation of predicted regulatory elements. The present study provides a solid foundation for establishing subsequent S. floderusii cp transformation systems and developing strategies for the genetic improvement of S. floderusii.

Light quality consists of a spectrum of different bands, which not only affects plant, development, and primary metabolism but also affects the secondary metabolism of plants. It is an important factor affecting the content of active components of medicinal plants. The A. paniculata seedlings planted in the laboratory, as materials, were tested with red light, far red light, blue light, and ultraviolet light separately. The study assays the content of six main chemical components separately by LC-MS, observes the changes in the content, and analyzes the relationship between the light quality and the active ingredient of A. paniculata. Using the ointment yield and pH value, the fingerprint analysis method of A. paniculata standard decoction was established, and we discussed the selection of index components of A. paniculata standard decoction. It was suggested to select andrographolide as the index component. It will provide a theoretical basis for the large area cultivation of A. paniculata and optimize the quality of medicinal materials to ensure the quality of standard decoction.

Acer ukurunduense refers to a deciduous tree distributed in Northeast Asia and is a widely used landscaping tree species. Although several studies have been conducted on the species’ ecological and economic significance, limited information is available on its phylo-genomics. Our study newly constitutes the complete chloroplast genome of A. ukurunduense into a 156,645-bp circular DNA, which displayed a typical quadripartite structure. In addition, 133 genes were identified, containing 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. In total, 107 simple sequence repeats and 49 repetitive sequences were observed. Thirty-two codons indicated that biased usages were estimated across 20 protein-coding genes (CDS) in A. ukurunduense. Four hotspot regions (trnK-UUU/rps16, ndhF/rpl32, rpl32/trnL-UAG, and ycf1) were detected among the five analyzed Acer species. Those hotspot regions may be useful molecular markers and contribute to future population genetics studies. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that A. ukurunduense is most closely associated with the species of Sect. Palmata. A. ukurunduense and A. pubipetiolatum var. pingpienense diverged in 22.11 Mya. We selected one of the hypervariable regions (trnK-UUU/rps16) to develop a new molecular marker and designed primers and confirmed that the molecular markers could accurately discriminate five Acer species through Sanger sequencing. By sequencing the cp genome of A. ukurunduense and comparing it with the relative species of Acer, we can effectively address the phylogenetic problems of Acer at the species level and provide insights into future research on population genetics and genetic diversity.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is a highly conserved signal transduction pathway, ubiquitous in eukaryotes, such as animals and plants. The MAPK cascade has a dominant role in regulating plant adaptation to the environment, such as through stress responses, osmotic adjustment, and processes that modulate pathogenicity. In the present study, the MAPK cascade gene family was identified in Fagopyrum tataricum (Tartary buckwheat), based on complete genome sequence data. Using phylogenetic tree, conservative motif, and chromosome location analyses, a total of 65 FtMAPK cascade genes, distributed on five chromosomes, were classified into three families: MAPK (n = 8), MAPKK (n = 1), and MAPKKK (n = 56). Transcriptome data from Tartary buckwheat seedlings grown under different light conditions demonstrated that, under blue and red light, the expression levels of 18 and 36 FtMAPK cascade genes were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. Through qRT-PCR experiments, it was observed that FtMAPK5, FtMAPKK1, FtMAPKKK8, FtMAPKKK10, and FtMAPKKK24 gene expression levels in the Tartary buckwheat seedlings increased under three types of abiotic stress: drought, salt, and high temperature. A co-expression network of FtMAPK cascade genes was constructed, based on gene expression levels under different light conditions, and co-expressed genes annotated by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses, which identified numerous transcription factors related to plant abiotic stress. The authors conclude that FtMAPK cascade genes have important roles in the growth and development of Tartary buckwheat, as well as its responses to abiotic stress.

Rubus arcticus Linnaeus (1753) is a medicinal and edible plant in the Rosaceae with wide distribution in northeast China. The total length of the genome was 156,668 bp with a GC content of 37.1%, including a large single-copy (LSC, 85,958 bp) region, a small single-copy region (SSC, 18,756 bp), and inverted repeat (IR, 51,954 bp) regions. A total of 129 genes were identified. The numbers of protein genes tRNAs and rRNAs were 85, 36, and 8, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that R. arcticus belongs to the Rubus genus. Published R. arcticus chloroplast genomes have yielded insights into the closely related species identification, phylogenetic position and Rubus evolution.

Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is a devastating disease that leads to huge economic losses worldwide. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process that maintains intracellular homeostasis through self-eating. In this study, we identified and characterized the biological function of the autophagy-related protein Atg6 in B. cinerea. Targeted deletion of the BcATG6 gene showed block of autophagy and several phenotypic defects in aspects of mycelial growth, conidiation, sclerotial formation and virulence. All of the phenotypic defects were restored by targeted gene complementation. Taken together, these results suggest that BcAtg6 plays important roles in the regulation of various cellular processes in B. cinerea.

Dictamnus albus L. refers to a perennial herb with both ornamental and medicinal value. In the present study, we obtained the complete chloroplast genome sequence of D. albus through high-throughput sequencing. The length of the chloroplast genome was 157,139 bp, while the large single-copy and small single-copy regions were 84,478 bp and 18,587 bp, respectively. The pair of inverted repeat sequences was 27,037 bp, and the GC content was 38.5%. A total of 132 genes were annotated, including 87 protein-coding genes (PCGs), eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The chloroplast genomes of D. albus and eight species of Rutaceae were subjected to maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree analysis. D. albus was found to be most closely related to Orixa japonica.

Botryosphaeria canker and fruit rot caused by the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea is one of the most destructive diseases of apple worldwide. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved self-degradation process that is important for maintaining homeostasis to ensure cellular functionality. To date, the role of autophagy in B. dothidea is not well elucidated. In this study, we identified and characterized the autophagy-related protein Atg1 in B. dothidea. The BdAtg1 deletion mutant ΔBdAtg1 showed autophagy blockade and phenotypic defects in mycelial growth, conidiation, ascosporulation and virulence. In addition, ΔBdAtg1 exhibited an increased number of nuclei in the mycelial compartment. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that inactivation of BdAtg1 significantly influenced multiple metabolic pathways. Taken together, our results indicate that BdAtg1 plays an important role in vegetative differentiation and the pathogenicity of B. dothidea. The results of this study will provide a reference for the development of new target-based fungicides.

Angelica laevigata (Fisch 1812) is an important medicinal plant endowed with a rich chemical composition. In the present study, we present the complete chloroplast genome sequence of A. laevigata. The total length was 146,161 bp, comprising a large single-copy region of 93,538 bp and a small single-copy region of 17,779 bp separated by two inverted repeats of 17,422 bp each. A total of 128 genes were identified containing 87 protein-coding genes, 33 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that A. laevigata is closely associated with Angelica laxifoliata from the Umbelliferae family.

Sanicula rubriflora refers to a kind of edible wild herbs, which possesses reputed medicinal value. Chloroplasts (cp) is essential organelle in plant cells and has a genome that can be inherited autonomously. The complete chloroplast genome of S. rubriflora was assemble and annotated in the present study. It was a circular molecular genome with a size of 155,700 bp in length, which has a typical quadripartite structure. For instance, a large single-copy (LSC) of 85,979 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,333 bp were disconnected by a small single-copy (SSC) of 17,053bp. A total of 130 genes have been annotated, including 86 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 36 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and 8 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs). The total GC content of the complete chloroplast genome reached 37.9%. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with the reported chloroplast genomes revealed that S. rubriflora is most closely related to Saniculachinensis in the phylogenetic relationships.

The conserved Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 microtubule association proteins (MAPs) family plays an important role in microtubule dynamics, nucleation, and kinetochore-microtubule attachments. However, function of Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog in plant pathogenic fungi has not been determined. Here, we identified and investigated the Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog (FGSG_10528) in Fusarium graminearum (FgStu2p). Co-localization experiment and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay demonstrated that FgStu2p is a microtubule associated protein. Besides, FgStu2 could also interact with Fgγ-tubulin and presumed FgNdc80, which suggested that the FgStu2 gene might associate with microtubule nucleation and kinetochore-microtubule attachments like Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homologs in other species. Moreover, the FgStu2 promoter replacement mutants (FgStu2-Si mutants) produced twisted hyphae and decreased growth rate. Microscope examination further showed that the microtubule polymerization was reduced in FgStu2-Si mutants, which could account for the aberrant morphology. Although the microtubule polymerization was affected in FgStu2-Si mutants, the FgStu2-Si mutants didn’t show highly increased sensitivity to anti-microtubule fungicide carbendazim (methyl benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate [MBC]). In addition, the FgStu2-Si mutants exhibited curved conidia, decreased number of conidial production, blocked ability of perithecia production, decreased pathogenicity and deoxynivalenol (DON) production. Taken together, these results indicate that the FgStu2 gene plays a crucial role in vegetative growth, morphology, sexual reproduction, asexual reproduction, virulence and deoxynivalenol (DON) production of F. graminearum, which brings new insights into the functions of Dis1/Stu2/XMAP215 homolog in plant pathogenic fungi.

Abstract Background Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) is an allosteric enzyme, which catalyzes the first unique step of lysine biosynthesis in prokaryotes, higher plants and some fungi. To date, the biological roles of DHDPS in filamentous fungi are poorly understood. Results In this study, on the basis of comparative genome resequencing, a DHDPS gene was found to be specific in Fusarium asiaticum, named FaDHDPS1, which showed high amino acid identity to that of entomopathogenic fungus. Subcellular localization of the FaDHDPS1-GFP fusion protein was mainly concentrated in the cytoplasm of conidia and dispersed in the cytoplasm during conidial germination. To reveal the biological functions, both deletion and complementation mutants of FaDHDPS1 were generated. The results showed that the FaDHDPS1 deletion mutant was defective in conidiation, virulence and DON biosynthesis. In addition, deletion of FaDHDPS1 resulted in tolerance to sodium pyruvate, lysine, low temperature and Congo red. Conclusion Results of this study indicate that FaDHDPS1 plays an important role in the regulation of vegetative differentiation, pathogenesis and adaption to multiple stresses in F. asiaticum.

High-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) signaling pathway belongs to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades that regulate responses of organism to diverse extracellular stimuli. The membrane spanning proteins Sho1 and Sln1 serve as biosensors of HOG pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we investigated the biological functions of BcSHO1 and BcSLN1 in the gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea. Target gene deletion demonstrated that both BcSHO1 and BcSLN1 are important for mycelial growth, conidiation and sclerotial formation. The BcSHO1 and BcSLN1 double deletion mutant ΔBcSln1-Sho1 produced much more, but smaller sclerotia than ΔBcSho1 and the wild-type (WT) strain, while ΔBcSln1 failed to develop sclerotia on all tested media, instead, formed a large number of conidia. Infection tests revealed that the virulence of ΔBcSln1-Sho1 decreased significantly, however, ΔBcSho1 or ΔBcSln1 showed no difference with the WT strain. In addition, ΔBcSln1-Sho1 exhibited resistance to osmotic stress by negatively regulating the phosphorylation of BcSak1 (yeast Hog1). All the phenotypic defects of mutants were recovered by target gene complementation. These results suggest that BcSHO1 and BcSLN1 share some functional redundancy in the regulation of fungal development, pathogenesis and osmotic stress response in B. cinerea.

Objective: To investigate the impact of developmental stages on triterpene saponin content and expression of key genes in their biosynthetic pathway in Platycodon grandiflorus seedlings. Method: The total saponins were extracted using ultrasonic extraction with methanol as the solvent. The quantification of Platycodin D in 6-month-old and 1-year-old Platycodon grandiflorus seedlings was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, while the expression of key genes in the biosynthesis of saponins was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Result: The content of Platycodin D and total saponins in 1-year-old Platycodon grandiflorus roots was significantly higher than that in of 6-month-old. The expression of key genes in saponin biosynthesis, such as PGMVK, PGMVD, PGDXR, PGMCT, PGMDS, PGHDS, PGHDR, PGFPS, and PGSS, was higher in 1-year-old roots compared to 6-month-old seedlings. Conclusion: The medicinal value of 1-year-old Platycodon grandiflorus root was higher than that of 6-month-old seedlings. The difference in medicinal value can be attributed to the variation in the expression of key genes involved in the saponin biosynthesis pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]