Abiotic stress, including salinity, drought and cold, severely affect diverse aspects of plant development and production. Rice is an important crop that does not acclimate to cold; therefore, it is relatively sensitive to low temperature stress. Dehydration-responsive element-binding protein 1s (DREB1s)/C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are well known for their function in cold tolerance, but the transcriptional regulation of CBFs remains elusive, especially in rice. Here, we performed a yeast one-hybrid assay using the promoter of CBF1, a cold-induced gene, to isolate transcriptional regulators of CBF1. Among the seven candidates identified, an indeterminate domain (IDD) protein named ROC1 (a regulator of CBF1) was further analyzed. The ROC1 transcript was induced by exogenously-treated auxin, while it was not altered by cold or ABA stimuli. ROC1-GFP was localized at the nucleus, and ROC1 showed trans-activation activity in yeast. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and ChIP analyses revealed that ROC1 directly bound to the promoter of CBF1. Furthermore, ROC1 mutants exhibited chilling-sensitive symptoms and inhibited cold-mediated induction of CBF1 and CBF3, indicating that ROC1 is a positive regulator of cold stress responses. Taken together, this study identified the CBF1 regulator, and the results are important for rice plant adaptation to chilling stress.

Gyalecta caudiospora is described from China as a new species. It is characterized by its greenish thallus, lecideine apothecia with pale yellow disc, 8-spored ascus, 3-septate ascospores with long attenuated appendage at the lower end, and the absence of lichen substances. The specimens were deposited in LCU. A key to the Gyalecta species recorded in China is presented.

Ectopic expression of the MYB transcription factor of AmROSEA1 from Antirrhinum majus has been reported to change anthocyanin and other metabolites in several species. In this study, we found that overexpression of AmRosea1 significantly improved the tolerance of transgenic rice to drought and salinity stresses. Transcriptome analysis revealed that a considerable number of stress-related genes were affected by exogenous AmRosea1 during both drought and salinity stress treatments. These affected genes are involved in stress signal transduction, the hormone signal pathway, ion homeostasis and the enzymes that remove peroxides. This work suggests that the AmRosea1 gene is a potential candidate for genetic engineering of crops.

The lichenised fungal genus Pyrenula is a very common crustose lichen element in tropical to subtropical forests, but little research has been done on this genus in China. We carried out an integrative taxonomic study on Pyrenula in China using morphological, anatomical, chemical characters, and molecular data (ITS, nuLSU, mtSSU). Three new species with muriform ascospores containing red oil when over-mature were found: Pyrenula submacularissp. nov., P. yunguiensissp. nov. and P. rufotetrasporasp. nov. Molecular data and TLC results of P. macularis and P. breutelii are for the first time reported and show that they are not synonyms. This is the first report of P. breutelii in China. Contrary to the previous reports of this genus, we found lichen substances in all the five species in this study, seemingly terpenoids. A key for the Pyrenula species reported in China is provided.

Ectopic expression of the MYB transcription factor of AmROSEA1 from Antirrhinum majus has been reported to change anthocyanin and other metabolites in several species. In this study, we found that overexpression of AmRosea1 significantly improved the tolerance of transgenic rice to drought and salinity stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that a considerable amount of stress-related genes were affected by exogenous AmRosea1 during both drought and salinity stress treatments. These affected genes are involved in stress signal transduction, the hormone signal pathway, ion homeostasis and the enzymes that remove peroxides. This work suggests that the AmRosea1 gene is a potential candidate for genetic engineering of crops.

A new species, Coenogonium hainanense, is proposed, characterized by its small slightly transparent pale yellow to brownish apothecia with plane to concave discs; slightly thick, not prominent, denticulate margins with short dense hairs; and uniseriate or irregularly biseriate, ellipsoid 1-septate ascospores (10–11.25 × 2.5–3.75 μm). Eight additional Coenogonium species reported as new to China are C. coronatum, C. curvulum, C. fallaciosum, C. geralense, C. hypophyllum, C. moniliforme, C. siquirrense, and C. usambarense. Descriptions and distributions of the new species and records are presented, and a key to the 20 Coenogonium species known from China is provided.