死体营养型病原菌立枯丝核菌是造成各种作物产量损失的破坏性真菌之一。在水稻上，该病原菌可侵染水稻叶鞘叶片引起纹枯病的发生，造成严重的产量损失和品质下降。目前，人们对植物如何应对该病原菌入侵的防御机制还知之甚少。为了探索水稻响应纹枯病菌侵染的分子机制，本研究以抗纹枯病水稻品种YSBR1为材料，采用蛋白质组学同位素相对标记与绝对定量技术（iTRAQ），筛选和分析纹枯病菌侵染前后的差异积累蛋白（differentially accumulated proteins, DAPs）。通过比较分析，总计鉴定到319个DAPs，其中161个上调积累、158个下调积累。GO和KEGG功能富集分析结果显示，这些DAPs涵盖了多种功能途径，其中大部分位于细胞氧化还原稳态、糖酵解过程、三羧酸循环、苯丙烷生物合成、光合作用、叶绿素生物合成过程及病程相关蛋白这七个信号途径。进一步采用荧光定量PCR方法，对从7个信号途径中各随机选择的2个DAPs基因进行转录水平验证，结果不仅证实本研究中筛选到的DAPs具有较高的可靠性，而且进一步证明这些途径确实参与水稻对纹枯病菌的侵染响应。结合这7个信号途径中的相关基因或蛋白的功能信息，认为其在水稻抵御纹枯病菌侵染过程中具有重要作用。另外，我们发现所有参与光合作用和叶绿素生物合成途径的DAPs及部分参与苯丙烷生物合成途径的DAPs在受到纹枯病菌侵染后均显著下调积累，暗示纹枯病菌侵染时可能优先攻击水稻的光合系统加速细胞死亡，进而通过抑制水稻体内苯丙烷的生物合成等信号削弱寄主防御反应，帮助其快速侵染和扩展。本研究结果为进一步解析水稻-纹枯病菌间的互作机制提供更多有价值的数据信息和新的视角。

CCCH（C3H）锌指转录因子(Zinc finger, Znf)是一种新型的Znf基因，其通过绑定于基因的mRNA上调控基因的表达，并在植物生长发育和抗非生物胁迫中发挥重要作用。龙眼是一种具有重要的经济价值热带、亚热带果树。然而，龙眼C3H的基因组信息及功能仍不清楚。本研究对龙眼C3H (DlC3H)基因家族进行了全基因组鉴定及表达分析。从龙眼基因组数据库中共鉴定出分布于3个进化枝中的49个DlC3H基因，并对其基因结构、motif组成、系统发育树和潜在功能等方面进行了基因特征分析。可变剪接事件(alternative splicing, AS)分析表明，DlC3H基因AS事件可能参与龙眼非胚性培养物向胚性培养物的转换。启动子分析显示，大多数DlC3H基因包含与激素和胁迫响应相关的顺式作用元件。实时荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）分析显示，26个具有MeJA和ABA响应顺式作用元件的DlC3Hs，在ABA、MeJA及其内源性抑制剂的作用下表现出不同的表达模式，提示DlC3Hs可能参与了ABA和MeJA信号通路。同时，在龙眼非胚性愈伤组织和3个胚胎培养阶段的表达谱显示，17个DlC3Hs成员中只有5个DlC3Hs的表达模式与转录组数据FPKM相同；DlC3H07/14/16/36/49在胚性愈伤组织中表达较高，而DlC3H04/38在球形胚中表达较高，说明它们在胚胎发育中具有不同的作用。通过改良RLM-RACE验证了DlC3H01/03/05/11/19/39被sRNAs调控。本研究首次对龙眼的C3H基因进行了系统分析，特别是C3H基因可能参与激素、胁迫反应以及体细胞胚胎形态建成有关。本试验的初步结果以期为进一步研究龙眼C3H基因家族的特征和功能提供线索。

Cuticular wax plays an important role in protecting plants against water loss and pathogen infection and in the adaptations to environmental stresses.  The genetic mechanism of the biosynthesis and accumulation of epicuticular wax in rice remains largely unknown.  Here, we show a spontaneous mutant displaying wax crystal-sparse leaves and decreased content of epicuticular wax that was derived from the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) restorer line Zhenhui 714.  Compared with the wild type Zhenhui 714, the mutant exhibited hydrophilic features on leaf surface and more sensitivity to drought stress.  The mutation also caused lower grain number per panicle and thousand grain weight, leading to the decline of yield.  Genetic analysis indicates that the mutation is controlled by a single recessive gene, named wax crystal-sparse leaf3 (wsl3).  Using segregation populations derived from crosses of mutant/Zhendao 88 and mutant/Wuyujing 3, respectively, the wsl3 gene was fine-mapped to a 110-kb region between markers c3-16 and c3-22 on chromosome 3.  According to the rice reference genome and gene analysis, we conclude that a novel gene/mechanism involved in regulation of rice cuticular wax formation.

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) causes bacterial leaf streak, a devastating disease in rice-growing regions worldwide. A Tn5-insertion mutant in Xoc_3248, encoding an inner membrane protein (Imp), showed reduced virulence in rice. To explore the potential function of this gene in virulence, a deletion mutant RΔimp was constructed in the wild-type RS105. The RΔimp mutant was significantly impaired for bacterial virulence and growth in planta. The mutation in imp made the pathogen insufficiently utilize glucose, fructose, mannose or pyruvate as a sole carbon source, leading to less extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production and reduced motility. The deficiencies noted for the mutant were restored to wild-type levels when imp was introduced in trans. Transcription of imp was significantly declined when hrpG and hrpX was mutated and the expression of hrpG and hrpX was also significantly declined when imp was deleted. Cell sublocalization in planta showed Imp membrane-binding feature. These results suggest that Imp is a virulence factor with roles in the catabolism of sugars, EPS production, and bacterial motility.

The sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is a destructive pest of agriculture and horticulture worldwide. Recent phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 sequences indicates that this whitefly is a species complex including at least 24 morphologically indistinguishable but genetically distinct cryptic species. In this study, the inter-species crosses of Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), Mediterranean (MED) and Asia II 7 cryptic species, which were referred to as B, Q and Cv biotypes before, were conducted in two different devices, leaf cages (7 cm3) and cylinder cages (280 cm3), and at three temperatures of 22, 30 and 38°C. Results indicated that no female progeny were produced in the reciprocal cross between MEAM1×Asia II 7, between MED×Asia II 7 cryptic species neither in leaf cage nor in cylinder cages, while 0.81 and 1.37% of females in the offspring were recorded in the reciprocal cross between MEAM1×MED in leaf cage experiments. Approximately 0.95-0.98% female progeny were recorded in the reciprocal cross between MEAM1×MED at 30°C, 0.77% female progeny were recorded in the single cross direction between MEAM1 × MED at 22°C, and no female progeny were found in their reciprocal cross at 38°C in leaf cage. Our findings indicated that neither space dimension nor temperature have a significant effect on the hybridization of different B. tabaci cryptic species.