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Tahira Syed; Muhammad Askari; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Muhammad Abid; Yunxiao Wei; Sandui Guo; Chengzhen Liang; Rui Zhang. Correction: Syed, T., et al. Current Insights on Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (Vip) as Next Generation Pest Killers. Toxins 2020, 12, 522. Toxins 2021, 13, 200 .
AMA StyleTahira Syed, Muhammad Askari, Zhigang Meng, Yanyan Li, Muhammad Abid, Yunxiao Wei, Sandui Guo, Chengzhen Liang, Rui Zhang. Correction: Syed, T., et al. Current Insights on Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (Vip) as Next Generation Pest Killers. Toxins 2020, 12, 522. Toxins. 2021; 13 (3):200.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTahira Syed; Muhammad Askari; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Muhammad Abid; Yunxiao Wei; Sandui Guo; Chengzhen Liang; Rui Zhang. 2021. "Correction: Syed, T., et al. Current Insights on Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (Vip) as Next Generation Pest Killers. Toxins 2020, 12, 522." Toxins 13, no. 3: 200.
Allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense) are cultivated worldwide for its white fiber. For centuries, conventional breeding approaches increase cotton yield at the cost of extensive erosion of natural genetic variability. Sea Island cotton (G. barbadense) is known for its superior fiber quality, but show poor adaptability as compared to Upland cotton. Here, in this study, we use ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) as a mutagenic agent to induce genome-wide point mutations to improve the current germplasm resources of Sea Island cotton and develop diverse breeding lines with improved adaptability and excellent economic traits. We determined the optimal EMS experimental procedure suitable for construction of cotton mutant library. At M6 generation, mutant library comprised of lines with distinguished phenotypes of the plant architecture, leaf, flower, boll, and fiber. Genome-wide analysis of SNP distribution and density in yellow leaf mutant reflected the better quality of mutant library. Reduced photosynthetic efficiency and transmission electron microscopy of yellow leaf mutants revealed the effect of induced mutations at physiological and cellular level. Our mutant collection will serve as the valuable resource for basic research on cotton functional genomics, as well as cotton breeding.
Muhammad Ali Abid; Peilin Wang; Tao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Waqas Malik; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. Construction of Gossypiumbarbadense Mutant Library Provides Genetic Resources for Cotton Germplasm Improvement. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020, 21, 6505 .
AMA StyleMuhammad Ali Abid, Peilin Wang, Tao Zhu, Chengzhen Liang, Zhigang Meng, Waqas Malik, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. Construction of Gossypiumbarbadense Mutant Library Provides Genetic Resources for Cotton Germplasm Improvement. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21 (18):6505.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Ali Abid; Peilin Wang; Tao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Waqas Malik; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2020. "Construction of Gossypiumbarbadense Mutant Library Provides Genetic Resources for Cotton Germplasm Improvement." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, no. 18: 6505.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a gram negative soil bacterium. This bacterium secretes various proteins during different growth phases with an insecticidal potential against many economically important crop pests. One of the important families of Bt proteins is vegetative insecticidal proteins (Vip), which are secreted into the growth medium during vegetative growth. There are three subfamilies of Vip proteins. Vip1 and Vip2 heterodimer toxins have an insecticidal activity against many Coleopteran and Hemipteran pests. Vip3, the most extensively studied family of Vip toxins, is effective against Lepidopteron. Vip proteins do not share homology in sequence and binding sites with Cry proteins, but share similarities at some points in their mechanism of action. Vip3 proteins are expressed as pyramids alongside Cry proteins in crops like maize and cotton, so as to control resistant pests and delay the evolution of resistance. Biotechnological- and in silico-based analyses are promising for the generation of mutant Vip proteins with an enhanced insecticidal activity and broader spectrum of target insects.
Tahira Syed; Muhammad Askari; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Muhammad Abid; Yunxiao Wei; Sandui Guo; Chengzhen Liang; Rui Zhang. Current Insights on Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (Vip) as Next Generation Pest Killers. Toxins 2020, 12, 522 .
AMA StyleTahira Syed, Muhammad Askari, Zhigang Meng, Yanyan Li, Muhammad Abid, Yunxiao Wei, Sandui Guo, Chengzhen Liang, Rui Zhang. Current Insights on Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (Vip) as Next Generation Pest Killers. Toxins. 2020; 12 (8):522.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTahira Syed; Muhammad Askari; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Muhammad Abid; Yunxiao Wei; Sandui Guo; Chengzhen Liang; Rui Zhang. 2020. "Current Insights on Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (Vip) as Next Generation Pest Killers." Toxins 12, no. 8: 522.
Cotton is an important economic crop affected by different abiotic stresses at different developmental stages. Salinity limits the growth and productivity of crops worldwide. Na+/H+ antiporters play a key role during the plant development and in its tolerance to salt stress. The aim of the present study was a genome-wide characterization and expression pattern analysis under the salinity stress of the sodium-proton antiporter (NHX) of Gossypium barbadense in comparison with Gossypium hirsutum. In G. barbadense, 25 NHX genes were identified on the basis of the Na+_H+ exchanger domain. All except one of the G. barbadense NHX transporters have an Amiloride motif that is a known inhibitor of Na+ ions in plants. A phylogenetic analysis inferred three classes of GbNHX genes—viz., Vac (GbNHX1, 2 and 4), Endo (GbNHX6), and PM (GbNHX7). A high number of the stress-related cis-acting elements observed in promoters show their role in tolerance against abiotic stresses. The Ka/Ks values show that the majority of GbNHX genes are subjected to strong purifying selection under the course of evolution. To study the functional divergence of G. barbadense NHX transporters, the real-time gene expression was analyzed under salt stress in the root, stem, and leaf tissues. In G. barbadense, the expression was higher in the stem, while in G. hirsutum the leaf and root showed a high expression. Moreover, our results revealed that NHX2 homologues in both species have a high expression under salinity stress at higher time intervals, followed by NHX7. The protein-protein prediction study revealed that GbNHX7 is involved in the CBL-CIPK protein interaction pathway. Our study also provided valuable information explaining the molecular mechanism of Na+ transport for the further functional study of Gossypium NHX genes.
Umar Akram; Yuhan Song; Chengzhen Liang; Muhammad Ali Abid; Muhammad Askari; Aye Aye Myat; Mubashir Abbas; Waqas Malik; Zulfiqar Ali; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang; Zhigang Meng. Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression Analysis of NHX Gene Family under Salinity Stress in Gossypium barbadense and Its Comparison with Gossypium hirsutum. Genes 2020, 11, 803 .
AMA StyleUmar Akram, Yuhan Song, Chengzhen Liang, Muhammad Ali Abid, Muhammad Askari, Aye Aye Myat, Mubashir Abbas, Waqas Malik, Zulfiqar Ali, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang, Zhigang Meng. Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression Analysis of NHX Gene Family under Salinity Stress in Gossypium barbadense and Its Comparison with Gossypium hirsutum. Genes. 2020; 11 (7):803.
Chicago/Turabian StyleUmar Akram; Yuhan Song; Chengzhen Liang; Muhammad Ali Abid; Muhammad Askari; Aye Aye Myat; Mubashir Abbas; Waqas Malik; Zulfiqar Ali; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang; Zhigang Meng. 2020. "Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression Analysis of NHX Gene Family under Salinity Stress in Gossypium barbadense and Its Comparison with Gossypium hirsutum." Genes 11, no. 7: 803.
Low temperature is a major factor limiting seedling growth and the production of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). However, enhancing chilling tolerance is typically negatively correlated with yield in agricultural production. Here, we demonstrate that transgenic cotton expressing Atriplex hortensis choline monooxygenase (AhCMO) greatly enhanced resistance to chilling stress. The promotion of chilling tolerance is mainly due to an increase in the content of osmoprotectants, especially glycine betaine and proline. The increased chilling tolerance was further verified at the molecular level using genome-wide expression profiling by RNA-sequencing. Further detailed analysis showed that the number of genes involved in scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was down-regulated and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were decreased in AhCMO transgenic cotton compared with wild type after low temperture treatment. More importantly, overexpression of AhCMO in cotton moderately improved cotton fiber yield in normal growth condition. These data show that AhCMO transgenic cotton enhances low temperature tolerance via directly accumulating cellular osmoprotectants. Manipulating the expression of AhCMO by biotechnological tools could be a powerful method to enhance chilling tolerance in cotton.
Yanan Wang; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Muhammad Ali Abid; Muhammad Askari; Peilin Wang; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Yongping Cai; Shou-Yi Chen; Yi Lin; Rui Zhang; Sandui Guo. Leveraging Atriplex hortensis choline monooxygenase to improve chilling tolerance in cotton. Environmental and Experimental Botany 2019, 162, 364 -373.
AMA StyleYanan Wang, Chengzhen Liang, Zhigang Meng, Yanyan Li, Muhammad Ali Abid, Muhammad Askari, Peilin Wang, Yuan Wang, Guoqing Sun, Yongping Cai, Shou-Yi Chen, Yi Lin, Rui Zhang, Sandui Guo. Leveraging Atriplex hortensis choline monooxygenase to improve chilling tolerance in cotton. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 2019; 162 ():364-373.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYanan Wang; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Muhammad Ali Abid; Muhammad Askari; Peilin Wang; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Yongping Cai; Shou-Yi Chen; Yi Lin; Rui Zhang; Sandui Guo. 2019. "Leveraging Atriplex hortensis choline monooxygenase to improve chilling tolerance in cotton." Environmental and Experimental Botany 162, no. : 364-373.
Genetic modification plays a vital role in breeding new crops with excellent traits. Almost all the current genetic modification methods require regeneration from tissue culture, involving complicated, long and laborious processes. In particular, many crop species such as cotton are difficult to regenerate. Here, we report a novel transformation platform technology, pollen magnetofection, to directly produce transgenic seeds without regeneration. In this system, exogenous DNA loaded with magnetic nanoparticles was delivered into pollen in the presence of a magnetic field. Through pollination with magnetofected pollen, transgenic plants were successfully generated from transformed seeds. Exogenous DNA was successfully integrated into the genome, effectively expressed and stably inherited in the offspring. Our system is culture-free and genotype independent. In addition, it is simple, fast and capable of multi-gene transformation. We envision that pollen magnetofection can transform almost all crops, greatly facilitating breeding processes of new varieties of transgenic crops.
Xiang Zhao; Zhigang Meng; Yan Wang; Wenjie CHEN; Changjiao Sun; Bo Cui; Jinhui Cui; Manli Yu; Zhanghua Zeng; Sandui Guo; Dan Luo; Jerry Q. Cheng; Rui Zhang; Haixin Cui. Pollen magnetofection for genetic modification with magnetic nanoparticles as gene carriers. Nature Plants 2017, 3, 956 -964.
AMA StyleXiang Zhao, Zhigang Meng, Yan Wang, Wenjie CHEN, Changjiao Sun, Bo Cui, Jinhui Cui, Manli Yu, Zhanghua Zeng, Sandui Guo, Dan Luo, Jerry Q. Cheng, Rui Zhang, Haixin Cui. Pollen magnetofection for genetic modification with magnetic nanoparticles as gene carriers. Nature Plants. 2017; 3 (12):956-964.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXiang Zhao; Zhigang Meng; Yan Wang; Wenjie CHEN; Changjiao Sun; Bo Cui; Jinhui Cui; Manli Yu; Zhanghua Zeng; Sandui Guo; Dan Luo; Jerry Q. Cheng; Rui Zhang; Haixin Cui. 2017. "Pollen magnetofection for genetic modification with magnetic nanoparticles as gene carriers." Nature Plants 3, no. 12: 956-964.
The traditional method of visualizing gene annotation data in JBrowse is converting GFF3 files to JSON format, which is time-consuming. The latest version of JBrowse supports rendering sorted GFF3 files indexed by tabix, a novel strategy that is more convenient than the original conversion process. However, current tools available for GFF3 file sorting have some limitations and their sorting results would lead to erroneous rendering in JBrowse. We developed GFF3sort, a script to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. Specifically designed for JBrowse rendering, GFF3sort can properly deal with the order of features that have the same chromosome and start position, either by remembering their original orders or by conducting parent-child topology sorting. Based on our test datasets from seven species, GFF3sort produced accurate sorting results with acceptable efficiency compared with currently available tools. GFF3sort is a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. We anticipate that GFF3sort will be useful to help with genome annotation data processing and visualization. The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-017-1930-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Tao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. GFF3sort: a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. BMC Bioinformatics 2017, 18, 482 .
AMA StyleTao Zhu, Chengzhen Liang, Zhigang Meng, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. GFF3sort: a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. BMC Bioinformatics. 2017; 18 (1):482.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2017. "GFF3sort: a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing." BMC Bioinformatics 18, no. 1: 482.
SummaryDesigning specific primers for multiple sites across the whole genome is still challenging, especially in species with complex genomes. Here we present PrimerServer, a high-throughput primer design and specificity-checking platform with both web and command-line interfaces. This platform efficiently integrates site selection, primer design, specificity checking and data presentation. In our case study, PrimerServer achieved high accuracy and a fast running speed for a large number of sites, suggesting its potential for molecular biology applications such as molecular breeding or medical testing.Availability and ImplementationSource code for PrimerServer is available at https://github.com/billzt/PrimerServer. A demo server is freely accessible at https://primerserver.org, with all major browsers [email protected] or [email protected]
Tao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Yayu Wu; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. PrimerServer: a high-throughput primer design and specificity-checking platform. 2017, 181941 .
AMA StyleTao Zhu, Chengzhen Liang, Zhigang Meng, Yanyan Li, Yayu Wu, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. PrimerServer: a high-throughput primer design and specificity-checking platform. . 2017; ():181941.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Yanyan Li; Yayu Wu; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2017. "PrimerServer: a high-throughput primer design and specificity-checking platform." , no. : 181941.
Salt stress is a severe threat to agricultural productivity in many parts of the world. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is an economically important fiber crop globally, and is regarded as a model crop for salinity tolerance research. Although cotton is a relatively salt-tolerant plant, its growth and development, as well as fiber yield and quality, are greatly reduced by severe salt conditions. Salinity tolerance studies in cotton have focused on finding the key molecular genetic processes activated in response to salt stress, for breeding salt-tolerant cotton genotypes. In response to salt stress, cotton exhibits a variety of changes at the molecular, biochemical, and physiological levels. Photosynthetic pathways and metabolism play pivotal roles in redox balance and ion homeostasis. Several stress signaling pathways, for example, abscisic acid, salt overly sensitive (SOS), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and membrane-bound Na+/H+ antiporters, all participate in salinity tolerance. The activation and regulation of specific genes drive this physiological and biochemical plasticity. In cotton, the roles of several transcription factors (for example, WRKY, ZFP, NAC, DREB, bZIP, and ERF) in salt stress tolerance have been well documented. We also highlight the potential areas for future investigation to elucidate the key pathways for effective breeding of salt-tolerant cotton genotypes.
Muhammad Ali Abid; Chengzhen Liang; Waqas Malik; Zhigang Meng; Zhu Tao; Javaria Ashraf; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. Cascades of Ionic and Molecular Networks Involved in Expression of Genes Underpin Salinity Tolerance in Cotton. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 2017, 37, 668 -679.
AMA StyleMuhammad Ali Abid, Chengzhen Liang, Waqas Malik, Zhigang Meng, Zhu Tao, Javaria Ashraf, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. Cascades of Ionic and Molecular Networks Involved in Expression of Genes Underpin Salinity Tolerance in Cotton. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. 2017; 37 (2):668-679.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Ali Abid; Chengzhen Liang; Waqas Malik; Zhigang Meng; Zhu Tao; Javaria Ashraf; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2017. "Cascades of Ionic and Molecular Networks Involved in Expression of Genes Underpin Salinity Tolerance in Cotton." Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 37, no. 2: 668-679.
The sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) by its receptors, pyrabactin resistance-like proteins (PYLs), is considered a most important factor in activating the ABA signal pathway in response to abiotic stress. However, it is still unknown which PYL is the crucial ABA receptor mediating response to drought stress in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Here, we reported the identification and characterization of highly induced ABA receptor GhPYL9-11A in response to drought in cotton. It is observed that GhPYL9-11A was highly induced by ABA treatment. GhPYL9-11A binds to protein phosphatase 2Cs (PP2Cs) in an ABA-independent manner. Moreover, the GhPYL-11A-PP2C interactions are partially disrupted by mutations, proline (P84) and histidine (H111), in the gate-latch region. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing GhPYL9-11A plants were hypersensitive to ABA during seed germination and early seedling stage. Further, the increased in root growth and up regulation of drought stress-related genes in transgenic Arabidopsis as compared to wild type confirmed the potential role of GhPYL9-11A in abiotic stress tolerance. Consistently, the expression level of GhPYL9-11A is on average higher in drought-tolerant cotton cultivars than in drought-sensitive cottons under drought treatment. In conclusion, the manipulation of GhPYL9-11A expression could be a useful strategy for developing drought-tolerant cotton cultivars.
Chengzhen Liang; Yan Liu; Yanyan Li; Zhigang Meng; Rong Yan; Tao Zhu; Yuan Wang; Shujing Kang; Muhammad Ali Abid; Waqas Malik; Guoqing Sun; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. Activation of ABA Receptors Gene GhPYL9-11A Is Positively Correlated with Cotton Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science 2017, 8, 1 .
AMA StyleChengzhen Liang, Yan Liu, Yanyan Li, Zhigang Meng, Rong Yan, Tao Zhu, Yuan Wang, Shujing Kang, Muhammad Ali Abid, Waqas Malik, Guoqing Sun, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. Activation of ABA Receptors Gene GhPYL9-11A Is Positively Correlated with Cotton Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2017; 8 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChengzhen Liang; Yan Liu; Yanyan Li; Zhigang Meng; Rong Yan; Tao Zhu; Yuan Wang; Shujing Kang; Muhammad Ali Abid; Waqas Malik; Guoqing Sun; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2017. "Activation of ABA Receptors Gene GhPYL9-11A Is Positively Correlated with Cotton Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis." Frontiers in Plant Science 8, no. : 1.
Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the most important fiber and oil crop in the world. With the emergence of huge -omics data sets, it is essential to have an integrated functional genomics database that allows worldwide users to quickly and easily fetch and visualize genomic information. Currently available cotton-related databases have some weakness in integrating multiple kinds of -omics data from multiple Gossypium species. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an integrated functional genomics database for cotton. We developed CottonFGD (Cotton Functional Genomic Database, https://cottonfgd.org), an integrated database that includes genomic sequences, gene structural and functional annotations, genetic marker data, transcriptome data, and population genome resequencing data for all four of the sequenced Gossypium species. It consists of three interconnected modules: search, profile, and analysis. These modules make CottonFGD enable both single gene review and batch analysis with multiple kinds of -omics data and multiple species. CottonFGD also includes additional pages for data statistics, bulk data download, and a detailed user manual. Equipped with specialized functional modules and modernized visualization tools, and populated with multiple kinds of -omics data, CottonFGD provides a quick and easy-to-use data analysis platform for cotton researchers worldwide.
Tao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Guoqing Sun; Zhaoghong Meng; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. CottonFGD: an integrated functional genomics database for cotton. BMC Plant Biology 2017, 17, 1 -9.
AMA StyleTao Zhu, Chengzhen Liang, Zhigang Meng, Guoqing Sun, Zhaoghong Meng, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. CottonFGD: an integrated functional genomics database for cotton. BMC Plant Biology. 2017; 17 (1):1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Guoqing Sun; Zhaoghong Meng; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2017. "CottonFGD: an integrated functional genomics database for cotton." BMC Plant Biology 17, no. 1: 1-9.
Background:The traditional method of visualizing gene annotation data in JBrowse is converting GFF3 files to JSON format, which is time-consuming. The latest version of JBrowse supports rendering sorted GFF3 files indexed by tabix, a novel strategy that is more convenient than the original conversion process. However, current tools available for GFF3 file sorting have some limitations and their sorting results would lead to erroneous rendering in JBrowse.Results:We developed GFF3sort, a script to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. Specifically designed for JBrowse rendering, GFF3sort can properly deal with the order of features that have the same chromosome and start position, either by remembering their original orders or by conducting parent-child topology sorting. Based on our test datasets from seven species, GFF3sort produced accurate sorting results with acceptable efficiency compared with currently available tools.Conclusions:GFF3sort is a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. We anticipate that GFF3sort will be useful to help with genome annotation data processing and visualization.
Tao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. GFF3sort: a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. 2017, 145938 .
AMA StyleTao Zhu, Chengzhen Liang, Zhigang Meng, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. GFF3sort: a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing. . 2017; ():145938.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTao Zhu; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2017. "GFF3sort: a novel tool to sort GFF3 files for tabix indexing." , no. : 145938.
Glyphosate‐resistant (GR) crops have been adopted on a massive scale by North and South American farmers. Currently, about 80% of the 120 million hectares of the global genetically modified (GM) crops are GR crop varieties. However, the adoption of GR plants in China has not occurred at the same pace, owing to several factors including, among other things, labour markets and the residual effects of glyphosate in transgenic plants. Here, we report the co‐expression of codon‐optimized forms of GR79 EPSPS and N‐acetyltransferase (GAT) genes in cotton. We found five times more resistance to glyphosate with 10‐fold reduction in glyphosate residues in two pGR79 EPSPS‐pGAT co‐expression cotton lines, GGCO2 and GGCO5. The GGCO2 line was used in a hybridization programme to develop new GR cottons. Field trials at five locations during three growing seasons showed that pGR79‐pGAT transgenic cotton lines have the same agronomic performance as conventional varieties, but were USD 390‐495 cheaper to produce per hectare because of the high cost of conventional weed management practices. Our strategy to pyramid these genes clearly worked and thus offers attractive promise for the engineering and breeding of highly resistant low‐glyphosate‐residue cotton varieties.
Chengzhen Liang; Bao Sun; Zhigang Meng; Zhaohong Meng; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Tao Zhu; Wei Lu; Wei Zhang; Waqas Malik; Min Lin; Rui Zhang; Sandui Guo. Co‐expression of GR79 EPSPS and GAT yields herbicide‐resistant cotton with low glyphosate residues. Plant Biotechnology Journal 2017, 15, 1622 -1629.
AMA StyleChengzhen Liang, Bao Sun, Zhigang Meng, Zhaohong Meng, Yuan Wang, Guoqing Sun, Tao Zhu, Wei Lu, Wei Zhang, Waqas Malik, Min Lin, Rui Zhang, Sandui Guo. Co‐expression of GR79 EPSPS and GAT yields herbicide‐resistant cotton with low glyphosate residues. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2017; 15 (12):1622-1629.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChengzhen Liang; Bao Sun; Zhigang Meng; Zhaohong Meng; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Tao Zhu; Wei Lu; Wei Zhang; Waqas Malik; Min Lin; Rui Zhang; Sandui Guo. 2017. "Co‐expression of GR79 EPSPS and GAT yields herbicide‐resistant cotton with low glyphosate residues." Plant Biotechnology Journal 15, no. 12: 1622-1629.
Yanling Wang; Zhigang Meng; Chengzhen Liang; Zhaohong Meng; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Tao Zhu; Yongping Cai; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang; Yi Lin. Increased lateral root formation by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of arginase genes in cotton. Science China Life Sciences 2017, 60, 524 -527.
AMA StyleYanling Wang, Zhigang Meng, Chengzhen Liang, Zhaohong Meng, Yuan Wang, Guoqing Sun, Tao Zhu, Yongping Cai, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang, Yi Lin. Increased lateral root formation by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of arginase genes in cotton. Science China Life Sciences. 2017; 60 (5):524-527.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYanling Wang; Zhigang Meng; Chengzhen Liang; Zhaohong Meng; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Tao Zhu; Yongping Cai; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang; Yi Lin. 2017. "Increased lateral root formation by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of arginase genes in cotton." Science China Life Sciences 60, no. 5: 524-527.
Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the single most important spinning fiber that has economic significance worldwide. Cotton is one of the most value-added crops and an excellent model system for the analysis of polyploidization and cell development. Thus, the Cotton Genome Consortium has made rapid and significant progress in whole genome sequencing studies in the last decade. Developments in cotton genome sequencing and assembly provide powerful tools for dissecting the genetic and molecular bases of agronomically important traits and establishing regulatory networks on these processes, which leads to molecular breeding. Here, we briefly review these advances, emphasizing their implications in the genetic improvement of cotton with a particular focus on fiber quality and yield. Moreover, major progresses in chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes have also been summarized.
Rong Yan; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Waqas Malik; Tao Zhu; Xuefeng Zong; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. Progress in genome sequencing will accelerate molecular breeding in cotton (Gossypium spp.). 3 Biotech 2016, 6, 217 .
AMA StyleRong Yan, Chengzhen Liang, Zhigang Meng, Waqas Malik, Tao Zhu, Xuefeng Zong, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. Progress in genome sequencing will accelerate molecular breeding in cotton (Gossypium spp.). 3 Biotech. 2016; 6 (2):217.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRong Yan; Chengzhen Liang; Zhigang Meng; Waqas Malik; Tao Zhu; Xuefeng Zong; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2016. "Progress in genome sequencing will accelerate molecular breeding in cotton (Gossypium spp.)." 3 Biotech 6, no. 2: 217.
The bZIP transcription factor (TF) act as an important regulator for the abscisic acid (ABA) mediated abiotic stresses signaling pathways in plants. Here, we reported the cloning and characterization of GhABF2, encoding for typical cotton bZIP TF. Overexpression of GhABF2 significantly improved drought and salt stress tolerance both in Arabidopsis and cotton. However, silencing of GhABF2 made transgenic cotton sensitive to PEG osmotic and salt stress. Expression of GhABF2 was induced by drought and ABA treatments but repressed by high salinity. Transcriptome analysis indicated that GhABF2 increases drought and salt tolerance by regulating genes related to ABA, drought and salt response. The proline contents, activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were also significantly increased in GhABF2-overexpression cottons in comparison to wild type after drought and salt treatment. Further, an increase in fiber yield under drought and saline-alkali wetland exhibited the important role of GhABF2 in enhancing the drought and salt tolerance in transgenic lines. In conclusion, manipulation of GhABF2 by biotechnological tools could be a sustainable strategy to deploy drought and salt tolerance in cotton.
Chengzhen Liang; Zhaohong Meng; Zhigang Meng; Waqas Malik; Rong Yan; Khin Myat Lwin; Fazhuang Lin; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Tao Zhu; Jianying Li; Shuangxia Jin; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. GhABF2, a bZIP transcription factor, confers drought and salinity tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Scientific Reports 2016, 6, 35040 .
AMA StyleChengzhen Liang, Zhaohong Meng, Zhigang Meng, Waqas Malik, Rong Yan, Khin Myat Lwin, Fazhuang Lin, Yuan Wang, Guoqing Sun, Tao Zhu, Jianying Li, Shuangxia Jin, Sandui Guo, Rui Zhang. GhABF2, a bZIP transcription factor, confers drought and salinity tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Scientific Reports. 2016; 6 (1):35040.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChengzhen Liang; Zhaohong Meng; Zhigang Meng; Waqas Malik; Rong Yan; Khin Myat Lwin; Fazhuang Lin; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Tao Zhu; Jianying Li; Shuangxia Jin; Sandui Guo; Rui Zhang. 2016. "GhABF2, a bZIP transcription factor, confers drought and salinity tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)." Scientific Reports 6, no. 1: 35040.
Guoqing Sun; Dongling Zhang; Rui Zhang; Yuan Wang; Zhigang Meng; Tao Zhu; Chenzhen Liang; Sandui Guo. Bt protein expression in the transgenic insect-resistant cotton in China. Science Bulletin 2016, 61, 1555 -1557.
AMA StyleGuoqing Sun, Dongling Zhang, Rui Zhang, Yuan Wang, Zhigang Meng, Tao Zhu, Chenzhen Liang, Sandui Guo. Bt protein expression in the transgenic insect-resistant cotton in China. Science Bulletin. 2016; 61 (20):1555-1557.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGuoqing Sun; Dongling Zhang; Rui Zhang; Yuan Wang; Zhigang Meng; Tao Zhu; Chenzhen Liang; Sandui Guo. 2016. "Bt protein expression in the transgenic insect-resistant cotton in China." Science Bulletin 61, no. 20: 1555-1557.
The development of genetically modified crops requires new promoters and regulatory regions to achieve high gene expression and/or tissue-specific expression patterns in plants. To obtain promoter sequences of plants with new properties, we analyzed the expression traits of the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) translation elongation factor 1A gene family. The results showed that the GhEF1A8 gene is highly expressed in different organs of cotton plants, and showed much higher transcript levels in stems and leaves. Its promoter (GhEF1A1.7) and the 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR), comprising a regulatory region named PGhEF1A8, were isolated from cotton and studied in stably transformed tobacco plants. The regulatory region sequences were fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene to characterize its expression pattern in tobacco. Histochemical and fluorometric GUS activity assays demonstrated that PGhEF1A8 could direct GUS gene expression in all tissues and organs in transgenic tobacco, including leaves, stems, flowers, and roots. The level of GUS activity in the leaves and stems was significantly higher than in cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter::GUS plants, but as same as CaMV 35S promoter::GUS plants in flower and root tissues. GUS expression levels decreased 2–10-fold when the 5′ UTR was absent from PGhEF1A8. Deletion analysis of the PGhEF1A8 sequence showed that the region −647 to −323 might possess negative elements that repress transgene expression in tobacco plants. The results suggested that the GhEF1A8 regulation region may represent a practical choice to direct high-level constitutive expression of transgenes and could be a valuable new tool in plant genetic engineering.
Bao Sun; Guo-Qing Sun; Zhigang Meng; Rui Zhang; San-Dui Guo. A novel constitutive promoter and its downstream 5′ UTR derived from cotton (Gossypium spp.) drive high-level gene expression in stem and leaf tissues. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 2016, 15, 755 -762.
AMA StyleBao Sun, Guo-Qing Sun, Zhigang Meng, Rui Zhang, San-Dui Guo. A novel constitutive promoter and its downstream 5′ UTR derived from cotton (Gossypium spp.) drive high-level gene expression in stem and leaf tissues. Journal of Integrative Agriculture. 2016; 15 (4):755-762.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBao Sun; Guo-Qing Sun; Zhigang Meng; Rui Zhang; San-Dui Guo. 2016. "A novel constitutive promoter and its downstream 5′ UTR derived from cotton (Gossypium spp.) drive high-level gene expression in stem and leaf tissues." Journal of Integrative Agriculture 15, no. 4: 755-762.
Arginase is the only enzyme capable of producing urea in plants. This enzyme also contributes to many important biological functions during plant growth and development, such as seed development, root development and plant nitrogen using. The unique rice arginase gene OsARG is known to affect nitrogen use efficiency and is also associated with higher yields in rice. In this study, we transformed OsARG into upland cotton R18 by Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation and analyzed the function of OsARG in transgenic cotton. Two independent OsARG expression transgenic cotton lines, ARG-26 and ARG-38, were obtained via transformation. Southern blot analysis indicated that two copies and one copy of the OsARG gene were integrated into the ARG-26 and ARG-38 genomes, respectively. Enzyme activity and RNA transcription analysis revealed that the OsARG gene is highly expressed in cotton. The nitric oxide content and the morphology of ARG-26 and ARG-38 seedlings were both affected by expression of the OsARG gene. Field experiments indicated that the polyamine and nitrogen content increased by more than two-fold in the T3 generation plants of the transgenic cotton lines ARG-26-2, ARG-26-7, ARG-38-8, and ARG-38-11, as compared with the control plants. After harvesting cotton fibers grown in field conditions, we analyzed the quality of fiber and found that the fiber length was increased in the transgenic lines. The average cotton fiber length for all of the transgenic cotton lines was two millimeters longer than the fibers of the control plants; the average cotton fiber lengths were 31.94 mm, 32.00 mm, 32.68 mm and 32.84 mm in the ARG-26ARG-26-2, ARG-26-7, ARG-38-8 and ARG-38-11 lines, respectively, but the average fiber length of the control plants was 29.36mm. Our results indicate that the OsARG gene could potentially be used to improve cotton fiber length traits.
Zhigang Meng; Zhaohong Meng; Rui Zhang; Chengzhen Liang; Jianmin Wan; Yanling Wang; Honghong Zhai; Sandui Guo. Expression of the Rice Arginase Gene OsARG in Cotton Influences the Morphology and Nitrogen Transition of Seedlings. PLOS ONE 2015, 10, e0141530 -e0141530.
AMA StyleZhigang Meng, Zhaohong Meng, Rui Zhang, Chengzhen Liang, Jianmin Wan, Yanling Wang, Honghong Zhai, Sandui Guo. Expression of the Rice Arginase Gene OsARG in Cotton Influences the Morphology and Nitrogen Transition of Seedlings. PLOS ONE. 2015; 10 (11):e0141530-e0141530.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhigang Meng; Zhaohong Meng; Rui Zhang; Chengzhen Liang; Jianmin Wan; Yanling Wang; Honghong Zhai; Sandui Guo. 2015. "Expression of the Rice Arginase Gene OsARG in Cotton Influences the Morphology and Nitrogen Transition of Seedlings." PLOS ONE 10, no. 11: e0141530-e0141530.
FKBP12 encodes a prolyl isomerase and highly conserved in eukaryotic species. In yeasts and animals, FKBP12 can interact with rapamycin and FK506 to form rapamycin-FKBP12 and FK506-FKBP12 complex, respectively. In higher plants, FKBP12 protein lost its function to bind rapamycin and FK506. Early studies showed that yeast and human FKBP12 protein can restore the rapamycin sensitivity in Arabidopsis, but the used concentration is 100–1000 folds higher than that in yeast and animals. High concentration of drugs would increase the cost and cause the potential secondary effects on plant growth and development. Here we further discovered that BP12 plants generated in our previous study are hypersensitive to rapamycin at the concentration as low as that is effective in yeast and animals. It is surprising to observe that WT and BP12 plants are not sensitive to FK506 in normal growth condition. These findings advance the current understanding of rapamycin-TOR signaling in plants.
Rui Zhang; Zhigang Meng; Tao Zhou; Yong Deng; Li Feng; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Sandui Guo; Maozhi Ren. ScFKBP12 bridges rapamycin and AtTOR inArabidopsis. Plant Signaling & Behavior 2013, 8, e26115 .
AMA StyleRui Zhang, Zhigang Meng, Tao Zhou, Yong Deng, Li Feng, Yuan Wang, Guoqing Sun, Sandui Guo, Maozhi Ren. ScFKBP12 bridges rapamycin and AtTOR inArabidopsis. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 2013; 8 (11):e26115.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRui Zhang; Zhigang Meng; Tao Zhou; Yong Deng; Li Feng; Yuan Wang; Guoqing Sun; Sandui Guo; Maozhi Ren. 2013. "ScFKBP12 bridges rapamycin and AtTOR inArabidopsis." Plant Signaling & Behavior 8, no. 11: e26115.