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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2022, Vol. 21 Issue (5): 1346-1356    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63786-3
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Phenotype and mechanism analysis of plant dwarfing in pear regulated by abscisic acid
LIU Jian-long1*, ZHANG Chen-xiao1*, LI Tong-tong1, LIANG Cheng-lin2, YANG Ying-jie1, LI Ding-Li1, CUI Zhen-hua1, WANG Ran1, SONG Jian-kun1
1 College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, P.R.China
2 Haidu College, Qingdao Agricultural University, Laiyang 265200, P.R.China
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摘要  

本研究以矮化梨品种‘601D’及其突变体‘601T’为材料,研究比较了它们的生物学特性,并进一步探讨了601D的矮化机理。生物学特性表明,601D的节间短,树体短而紧凑,叶片厚而宽,气孔密度低,气孔(直径)大,光合能力强。601T的生物学特性表现出显著的差异。内源激素检测结果表明,601D的脱落酸(ABA)、ABA葡萄糖酯和GA4含量较高,而反式玉米素含量较低。通过转录组学分析,发现ABA的生物合成和代谢途径存在显著差异。相关转录因子如bHLH、WRKY和Homeobox等也参与了植物矮化的调控。因此,我们研究了三种与601T有明显差异的激素,发现只有ABA可以诱导601T恢复矮化植株表型。因此,我们认为601D的矮化是由于ABA的过度积累所致。本研究为矮化品种的选育提供了新的理论依据。




Abstract  Close planting of dwarf varieties is currently the main cultivation direction for pear trees, and the screening of excellent dwarf varieties is an important goal for breeders.  In this study, the dwarfing pear variety ‘601D’ and its vigorous mutant ‘601T’ were used to show their biological characteristics and further explore the dwarfing mechanism in ‘601D’.  The biological characteristics showed that ‘601D’ had a shorter internode length, a shorter and more compact tree body, thicker and broader leaves, lower stomata density, larger stomata size (dimension), and higher photosynthetic capacity.  The biological characteristics of ‘601T’ showed notable contrasts.  The results of endogenous hormone tests indicated that the contents of abscisic acid (ABA), ABA-glucosyl ester, and GA4 were higher in ‘601D’, but the trans-zeatin content was lower.  By transcriptomic analysis, significant differences were found in the biosynthetic and metabolic pathways of ABA.  Related transcription factors such as bHLH, WRKY, and homeobox also participated in the regulation of plant dwarfing.  We therefore examined three hormones with obvious differences with ‘601T’, and found that only ABA could induce ‘601T’ to return to a dwarfing plant phenotype.  Therefore, we conclude that the dwarfing of ‘601D’ is caused by an excessive accumulation of ABA.  This study provides a new theoretical basis for breeding dwarf varieties.
Keywords:  dwarf       pear        phenotype        abscisic acid        transcriptomic analysis  
Received: 16 December 2020   Accepted: 11 July 2021
Fund: This research was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFD1000100), the Agricultural Improved Variety Project Program of Shandong Province, China (2019LZGC008), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFD1001404-3).
About author:  Correspondence SONG Jian-kun, E-mail: qausjk@126.com; WANG Ran, E-mail: qauwr@126.com * These authors contributed equally to this study.

Cite this article: 

LIU Jian-long, ZHANG Chen-xiao, LI Tong-tong, LIANG Cheng-lin, YANG Ying-jie, LI Ding-Li, CUI Zhen-hua, WANG Ran, SONG Jian-kun. 2022. Phenotype and mechanism analysis of plant dwarfing in pear regulated by abscisic acid. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 21(5): 1346-1356.

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