A biotechnology‐based male‐sterility system for hybrid seed production in tomato

Incorporating male sterility into hybrid seed production reduces its cost and ensures high varietal purity. Despite these advantages, male‐sterile lines have not been widely used to produce tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) hybrid seeds. We describe the development of a biotechnology‐based breeding platform that utilized genic male sterility to produce hybrid seeds. In this platform, we generated a novel male‐sterile tomato line by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (Cas9)‐mediated mutagenesis of a stamen‐specific gene SlSTR1 and devised a transgenic maintainer by transforming male‐sterile plants with a fertility‐restoration gene linked to a seedling‐colour gene. Offspring of crosses between a hemizygous maintainer and the homozygous male‐sterile plant segregated into 50% non‐transgenic male‐sterile plants and 50% male‐fertile maintainer plants, which could be easily distinguished by seedling colour. This system has great practical potential for hybrid seed breeding and production as it overcomes the problems intrinsic to other male‐sterility systems and can be easily adapted for a range of tomato cultivars and diverse vegetable crops.     

Mutation of the chloroplast‐localized phosphate transporter OsPHT2;1 reduces flavonoid accumulation and UV tolerance in rice

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient required for plant development and production. The mechanisms regulating phosphate (Pi) uptake are well established, but the function of chloroplast Pi homeostasis is poorly understood in Oryza sativa (rice). PHT2;1 is one of the transporters/translocators mediating Pi import into chloroplasts. In this study, to gain insight into the role of OsPHT2;1‐mediated stroma Pi, we analyzed OsPHT2;1 function in Pi utilization and photoprotection. Our results showed that OsPHT2;1 was induced by Pi starvation and light exposure. Cell‐based assays showed that OsPHT2;1 localized to the chloroplast envelope and functioned as a low‐affinity Pi transporter. The ospht2;1 had reduced Pi accumulation, plant growth and photosynthetic rates. Metabolite profiling revealed that 52.6% of the decreased metabolites in ospht2;1 plants were flavonoids, which was further confirmed by 40% lower content of total flavonoids compared with the wild type. As a consequence, ospht2;1 plants were more sensitive to UV‐B irradiation. Moreover, the content of phenylalanine, the precursor of flavonoids, was also reduced, and was largely associated with the repressed expression of ADT1/MTR1. Furthermore, the ospht2;1 plants showed decreased grain yields at relatively high levels of UV‐B irradiance. In summary, OsPHT2;1 functions as a chloroplast‐localized low‐affinity Pi transporter that mediates UV tolerance and rice yields at different latitudes.     

荒漠草原两种类型土壤的水分动态对比

基于2017—2018年的定位监测数据,分析了宁夏东部的盐池荒漠草原2种不同类型土壤(灰钙土和风沙土)的水分时空动态特征。结果表明: 2017和2018年生长季(5—10月),研究区降雨量分别为208.2和274.8 mm,降雨在各月份的分配差异较大。2018年除5月存在极端降雨事件(129.6 mm)外,其余各月降雨量均低于2017年。土壤水分变化的季节动态规律大致可以分为两个阶段:土壤水分补偿期(5月初至6月初)和土壤水分波动期(6月中旬至9月底)。0～20 cm土层土壤含水量在降雨后呈骤增骤减的脉冲式特点,深层土壤含水量较稳定。灰钙土土壤含水量随土层加深表现为“升-降-升”的变化,风沙土土壤含水量在0～60 cm土层出现井喷式增加,而后增加缓慢,但随着土层深度的增加土壤含水量逐渐增大。2017年,灰钙土全剖面(0～100 cm)土壤水分表现为积累型,风沙土表现为消耗型;2018年,两种类型的土壤水分在全剖面均表现为消耗型。两种土壤类型土壤水分的时间稳定性随土壤深度的增加而增强,灰钙土和风沙土全剖面的平均土壤含水量代表性土层分别为80～100和40～60 cm。2种类型土壤的土壤水分时空分布不同,风沙土受降水的影响高于灰钙土。降水会降低土壤水分的变异性,改变土壤水分的时间稳定性。