Precocious flowering of juvenile citrus induced by a viral vector based on Citrus leaf blotch virus: a new tool for genetics and breeding

The long juvenile period of citrus trees (often more than 6 years) has hindered genetic improvement by traditional breeding methods and genetic studies. In this work, we have developed a biotechnology tool to promote transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase in juvenile citrus plants by expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana or citrus FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) genes using a Citrus leaf blotch virus‐based vector (clbvINpr‐AtFT and clbvINpr‐CiFT, respectively). Citrus plants of different genotypes graft inoculated with either of these vectors started flowering within 4–6 months, with no alteration of the plant architecture, leaf, flower or fruit morphology in comparison with noninoculated adult plants. The vector did not integrate in or recombine with the plant genome nor was it pollen or vector transmissible, albeit seed transmission at low rate was detected. The clbvINpr‐AtFT is very stable, and flowering was observed over a period of at least 5 years. Precocious flowering of juvenile citrus plants after vector infection provides a helpful and safe tool to dramatically speed up genetic studies and breeding programmes.     

Role of Arabidopsis AtPI4Kγ3, a type II phosphoinositide 4‐kinase,in abiotic stress responses and floral transition

Phosphoinositides (PIs) are essential metabolites which are generated by various lipid kinases and rapidly respond to a variety of environmental stimuli in eukaryotes. One of the precursors of important regulatory PIs, phosphatidylinositol (PtdIn) 4‐phosphate, is synthesized by PtdIns 4‐kinases (PI4K). Despite its wide distribution in eukaryotes, its role in plants remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the activity of AtPI4Kγ3 gene, an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) type II PtdIn 4‐kinase, is regulated by DNA demethylation and some abiotic stresses. AtPI4Kγ3 is targeted to the nucleus and selectively bounds to a few PtdIns. It possessed autophosphorylation activity but unexpectedly had no detectable lipid kinase activity. Overexpression of AtPI4Kγ3 revealed enhanced tolerance to high salinity or ABA along with inducible expression of a host of stress‐responsive genes and an optimal accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, overexpressed AtPI4Kγ3 augmented the salt tolerance of bzip60 mutants. The ubiquitin‐like domain of AtPI4Kγ3 is demonstrated to be essential for salt stress tolerance. Besides, AtPI4Kγ3‐overexpressed plants showed a late‐flowering phenotype, which was caused by the regulation of some flowering pathway integrators. In all, our results indicate that AtPI4Kγ3 is necessary for reinforcement of plant response to abiotic stresses and delay of the floral transition.     

不同温度对独蒜兰开花和生长的影响

该研究采用人工温室于3种培养温度(20℃/15℃、15℃/10℃、10℃/5℃)条件下,分析独蒜兰生长开花进程以及假鳞茎中有机物质含量的动态变化。结果表明:(1)于20℃/15℃(模拟原生地开花期自然温度)处理下,独蒜兰进入初花期的时间比15℃/10℃、10℃/5℃处理下分别提前24d和53d,花期分别延长了4d和6d。(2)独蒜兰的花色以10℃/5℃处理较深,但该处理中有哑蕾出现。(3)老假鳞茎生长开花过程中,20℃/15℃处理的淀粉含量呈升高趋势,15℃/10℃和10℃/5℃处理先升高后降低;3种温度处理下,可溶性糖均在花期含量最高,且10℃/5℃处理下可溶性糖含量、可溶性蛋白含量均保持较高水平。研究认为,20℃/15℃和15℃/10℃培养温度均有利于独蒜兰的生长和开花;独蒜兰休眠的假鳞茎不需要经过低温诱导解除休眠,随着温度上升,相应的生长发育进程就会启动。     

常春二乔玉兰春夏季开花节律及营养效应研究

为系统掌握常春二乔玉兰春夏季开花物候节律,探讨其与营养物质的关系,本研究以6年生常春二乔玉兰为试验材料,观测其年生长发育节律、春夏季开花物候特性以及茎段营养物质的含量变化。结果表明：（1）每年12月始至翌年2月下旬为常春二乔玉兰休眠期。2月下旬花芽膨大生长,并于3月开始春季开花,花期持续约20 d。4月进行营养生长,5月完成花芽分化。5月底部分花芽膨大并于6月开始开花,夏季花期持续约20 d。7~9月为未膨大花芽的发育滞缓期。此外,少量夏季开放的花的基部侧芽再次分化形成花芽。10~12月随着落叶的开始,树体逐渐进入休眠期。（2）常春二乔玉兰营养生长后分化的花芽能够花开两季。春季开花为先花后叶,开花率为100%,开花同步率较高,雌、雄蕊发育正常,为可育花。夏季开花为花叶同放,开花率约为30%,且开花同步率较低,开放的花内雌、雄蕊发育异常,为不育花。（3）春季开花期间可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白呈下降趋势,淀粉含量于开花后期下降;夏季开花期间可溶性糖和淀粉总体呈先降后升趋势,而可溶性蛋白总体呈下降趋势。综上所述,常春二乔玉兰春、夏季开花期内开花模式存在一定差异,其显著节律特征与营养物质含量变化有关,推测低水平的可溶性糖及高水平的淀粉和可溶性蛋白有利于春季开花的启动,而低水平的可溶性蛋白及高水平的可溶性糖和淀粉含量则有利于夏季开花的实现。     

Comparison of the ecology and evolution of plants with a generalist bird pollination system between continents and islands worldwide

Thousands of plant species worldwide are dependent on birds for pollination. While the ecology and evolution of interactions between specialist nectarivorous birds and the plants they pollinate is relatively well understood, very little is known on pollination by generalist birds. The flower characters of this pollination syndrome are clearly defined but the geographical distribution patterns, habitat preferences and ecological factors driving the evolution of generalist‐bird‐pollinated plant species have never been analysed. Herein I provide an overview, compare the distribution of character states for plants growing on continents with those occurring on oceanic islands and discuss the environmental factors driving the evolution of both groups. The ecological niches of generalist‐bird‐pollinated plant species differ: on continents these plants mainly occur in habitats with pronounced climatic seasonality whereas on islands generalist‐bird‐pollinated plant species mainly occur in evergreen forests. Further, on continents generalist‐bird‐pollinated plant species are mostly shrubs and other large woody species producing numerous flowers with a self‐incompatible reproductive system, while on islands they are mostly small shrubs producing fewer flowers and are self‐compatible. This difference in character states indicates that diverging ecological factors are likely to have driven the evolution of these groups: on continents, plants that evolved generalist bird pollination escape from pollinator groups that tend to maintain self‐pollination by installing feeding territories in single flowering trees or shrubs, such as social bees or specialist nectarivorous birds. This pattern is more pronounced in the New compared to the Old World. By contrast, on islands, plants evolved generalist bird pollination as an adaptation to birds as a reliable pollinator group, a pattern previously known from plants pollinated by specialist nectarivorous birds in tropical mountain ranges. Additionally, I discuss the evolutionary origins of bird pollination systems in comparison to systems involving specialist nectarivorous birds and reconstruct the bird pollination system of Hawaii, which may represent an intermediate between a specialist and generalist bird pollination system. I also discuss the interesting case of Australia, where it is difficult to distinguish between specialist and generalist bird pollination systems.     

Genome sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of an early flowering Mini‐Citrus (Fortunella hindsii)

Hongkong kumquat (Fortunella hindsii) is a wild citrus species characterized by dwarf plant height and early flowering. Here, we identified the monoembryonic F. hindsii (designated as ‘Mini‐Citrus’) for the first time and constructed its selfing lines. This germplasm constitutes an ideal model for the genetic and functional genomics studies of citrus, which have been severely hindered by the long juvenility and inherent apomixes of citrus. F. hindsii showed a very short juvenile period (~8 months) and stable monoembryonic phenotype under cultivation. We report the first de novo assembled 373.6 Mb genome sequences (Contig‐N50 2.2 Mb and Scaffold‐N50 5.2 Mb) for F. hindsii. In total, 32 257 protein‐coding genes were annotated, 96.9% of which had homologues in other eight Citrinae species. The phylogenomic analysis revealed a close relationship of F. hindsii with cultivated citrus varieties, especially with mandarin. Furthermore, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was demonstrated to be an efficient strategy to generate target mutagenesis on F. hindsii. The modifications of target genes in the CRISPR‐modified F. hindsii were predominantly 1‐bp insertions or small deletions. This genetic transformation system based on F. hindsii could shorten the whole process from explant to T₁ mutant to about 15 months. Overall, due to its short juvenility, monoembryony, close genetic background to cultivated citrus and applicability of CRISPR, F. hindsii shows unprecedented potentials to be used as a model species for citrus research.     

Mast Cell-Derived Histamine Regulates Liver Ketogenesis via Oleoylethanolamide Signaling

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