发掘稳定的数量性状位点（Quantitative trait loci，QTL），并开发其紧密连锁分子标记，是进一步提高小麦产量的重要途径。本研究以中麦578/济麦22重组自交系（Recombinant inbreed lines，RIL）群体262个家系为材料，通过调查两年五个环境千粒重、粒长、粒宽、平均灌浆速率、穗粒数和株高共六个产量相关性状，利用50K SNP芯片基因型分析数据，构建了含有1501个bin标记的遗传连锁图谱，图谱总长度2384.95 cM。利用完备区间作图法，在1D（2）、2A（9）、2B（6）、2D、3A（2）、3B（2）、4A（5）、4D、5B（8）、5D（2）、7A（7）、7B（3）和7D（5）染色体上共定位到53个产量相关QTL，可解释表型变异的2.7–25.5%，其中23个QTL可在3个以上环境定位到，表现稳定；QKl.caas-2A.1、QKl.caas-7D、QKw.caas-7D、QGfr.caas-2B.1、QGfr.caas-4A、QGfr.caas-7A和QPh.caas-2A.1等7个QTL可能是新的位点。定位到的一因多效QTL共形成六个富集区段（R1–R6），分别包含2–6个QTL，位于2A、2B、4A、5B、7A和7D染色体；TaSus2-2B和WAPO-A1分别是位于2B和7A染色体上一因多效QTL的候选基因。7D染色体上的QTL富集区段内含有4个稳定QTL，分别控制千粒重、粒长、粒宽和株高，利用与其紧密连锁的侧翼标记，开发了KASP标记，在自然群体中对其效应进行了验证。本研究结果为小麦的高产育种和中麦578的进一步改良提供了基因和分子标记。

黄花蒿是绿盲蝽重要的秋季寄主，其释放的挥发物对绿盲蝽具有吸引作用。黄花蒿中的挥发性物质青蒿酸是合成青蒿素的前体物质，在中草药领域被深入研究。迄今为止，关于青蒿酸调控绿盲蝽趋向行为的生物学作用研究鲜有报道。本研究使用顶空固相微萃取（HS-SPME）收集幼苗期黄花蒿的挥发物，通过气相色谱-质谱联用仪（GC-MS）分析，在挥发性样品和研磨样品中检测到的青蒿酸的浓度分别为11.03±6.00 ng h^-1和238.25±121.67 ng h^-1。随后，在工程酿酒酵母中表达了青蒿酸合成的关键基因细胞色素P450（cyp71av1）加入外源的青蒿醇或青蒿醛为催化底物，工程酿酒酵母能够合成青蒿酸。在触角电位（EAG）测试中，3日龄的绿盲蝽成虫对青蒿醇、青蒿醛和青蒿酸均表现出强烈的电生理反应。行为学试验表明，浓度为10 mmol L^-1的青蒿酸和青蒿醇能够显著吸引3日龄的雌性绿盲蝽虫成虫，而10 mmol L^-1 青蒿酸和青蒿醛明显吸引3日龄的雄性绿盲蝽虫成虫。 因此， 青蒿酸及其前体物质可作为潜在的绿盲蝽引诱剂组分，用于设计绿盲蝽的综合防治策略。

Auxin regulates cell division and elongation of the primordial cells through its concentration and then shaped the plant architecture.  Cell division and elongation form the internode of soybean and result in different plant heights and lodging resistance.  Yet the mechanisms behind are unclear in soybean.  To elucidate the mechanism of the concentration difference of auxin related to stem development in soybean, samples of apical shoot, elongation zone, and mature zone from the developing stems of soybean seedlings, Charleston, were harvested and measured for auxin concentration distributions and metabolites to identify the common underlying mechanisms responsible for concentration difference of auxin.  Distribution of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and methylindole-3-acetic acid (Me-IAA) were determined and auxin concentration distributions were found to have a complex regulation mechanism.  The concentrations of IAA and Me-IAA in apical shoot were significantly different between elongation zone and mature zone resulting in an IAA gradient.  Tryptophan dependent pathway from tryptamine directly to IAA or through indole-3-acetonitrile to IAA and from indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) to IAA were three primary IAA synthesis pathways.  Moreover, some plant metabolites from flavonoid and phenylpropanoid synthesis pathways showed similar or reverse gradient and should involve in auxin homeostasis and concentration difference.  All the data give the first insight in the concentration difference and homeostasis of auxin in soybean seedlings and facilitate a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism of stem development and growth.  The gathered information also helps to elucidate how plant height is formed in soybean and what strategy should be adopted to regulate the lodging resistance in soybean.

Abundant genetic diversity and rational population structure of germplasm benefit crop breeding greatly. To investigate genetic variation among geographically diverse set of japonica germplasm, we analyzed 233 japonica rice cultivars collected from Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces of China, which were released from 1970 to 2011 by using 62 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and 8 functional gene tags related to yield. A total of 195 alleles (Na) were detected with an average of 3.61 per locus, indicating a low level of genetic diversity level among all individuals. The genetic diversity of the cultivars from Jilin Province was the highest among the three geographic distribution zones. Moreover, the genetic diversity was increased slightly with the released period of cultivars from 1970 to 2011. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that genetic differentiation was more diverse within the populations than that among the populations. The neighbor-joining (NJ) tree indicated that cultivar clusters based on geographic distribution represented three independent groups, among which the cluster of cultivars from Heilongjiang is distinctly different to the cluster of cultivars from Liaoning. For the examined functional genes, two or three allelic variations for each were detected, except for IPA1 and GW2, and most of elite genes had been introgressed in modern japonica rice varieties. These results provide a valuable evaluation for genetic backgrounds of current japonica rice and will be used directly for japonica rice breeding in future.

Phosphorus (P) is one of the three primary macronutrients that are required in large amounts for plant growth and development. To better understand molecular mechanism of maize and identify relevant genes in response to phosphorus deficiency, we used Solexa/Illumina’s digital gene expression (DGE) technology to investigate six genome-wide expression profiles of seedling roots of the low-P tolerant maize inbred line 178. DGE studies were conducted at 6, 24 and 72 h under both phosphorus deficient and sufficient conditions. Approximately 3.93 million raw reads for each sample were sequenced and 6 816 genes exhibited significant levels of differential expressions in at least one of three time points in response to P starvation. The number of genes with increased expression increased over time from 6 to 24 h, whereas genes with decreased expression were more abundant at 72 h, suggesting a gradual response process for P deficiency at different stages. Gene annotations illustrated that most of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are involved in different cellular and molecular processes such as environmental adaptation and carbohydrate metabolism. The expression of some known genes identified in other plants, such as those involved in root architecture, P metabolism and transport were found to be altered at least two folds, indicating that the mechanisms of molecular and morphological adaptation to P starvation are conserved in plants. This study provides insight into the general molecular mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to low-P stress and thus may facilitate molecular breeding for improving P utilization in maize.