Hongjun Mu

Dr. Hongjun Mu


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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21 February 2025 in Journal of Fungi
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
TYTian-wei Yang
Tian-wei Yang
HMHongjun Mu
Hongjun Mu
DMDai li Ming
Dai li Ming
JLJing Liu
Jing Liu
XXXinjing Xu
Xinjing Xu
CZChun-xia Zhang
Chun-xia Zhang
Buchwaldoboletus xylophilus is an edible bolete species belonging to the family Boletaceae and the genus Buchwaldoboletus. It is found in tropical and subtropical regions, which are known for their rare wild resources. In this study, wild B. xylophilus was isolated and cultured, and its biological characteristics and artificial cultivation techniques were studied. The results show that the optimal carbon source, nitrogen source, and inorganic salt for the mycelium growth of B. xylophilus were maltose, ammonium tartrate, and magnesium sulfate, respectively. The most appropriate temperature was 28 °C, and the pH value was between 5 and 6. The most effective combination was determined via orthogonal experimentation, as follows: dextrose, ammonium nitrate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and 28 °C. The results of artificial cultivation in mushroom houses show that the mycelium of B. xylophilus was strong and grew well on the culture medium. The mycelial growth rate was 4.54 mm/d, and the fungus bags were filled about 50 days after inoculation. The primordia formed 9 to 14 days after covering with soil and the fruiting body matured in 6~8 days. The average yield of fresh mushrooms reached 131.07 ± 29.38 g/bag, and the average biological efficiency reached 28.48 ± 6.39%. In this study, artificial cultivation technology in respect of B. xylophilus in mushroom houses is reported for the first time. The fruiting bodies obtained through cultivation were identified using morphological and molecular biological methods. This technology offers benefits such as affordability, a brief cultivation cycle, substantial yields, and superior quality, making it ideal for industrial-scale and extensive cultivation.

23 April 2026 in Frontiers in Plant Science
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ZLZiyu Li
Ziyu Li
ZZZhaohao Zhang
Zhaohao Zhang
SLShinan Li
Shinan Li
JXJiang Xie
Jiang Xie
RHRong Yu Hong
Rong Yu Hong
HMHongjun Mu
Hongjun Mu
Introduction: Gretchen Hagen 3 ( GH3 ) genes play important roles in auxin homeostasis, plant development, and stress responses. However, their characterization and evolutionary history in early-diverging angiosperms remain poorly understood. Methods: Here, we performed a genome-wide identification and comparative evolutionary analysis of the GH3 gene family in the early-diverging flowering plant Nymphaea colorata . Phylogenetic classification, conserved motif and gene structure analyses, promoter cis-element prediction, regulatory network inference, expression profiling, and duplication/selection analyses across 22 plant species were conducted. Results: A total of 27 GH3 genes were identified in N. colorata and classified into three conserved groups, with 23 NcGH3 genes assigned to Group 2. Promoter analysis revealed abundant hormone-related and light-responsive cis-elements in NcGH3 promoters, and regulatory network prediction suggested that Dof transcription factors may act as candidate regulators of NcGH3 genes. Expression analysis showed that most NcGH3 genes were preferentially expressed in floral organs, including petals, sepals, stamens, juvenile flowers, and carpels. Comparative analysis across 22 plant species indicated that Group 1 represents the most ancestral GH3 lineage, whereas Groups 2 and 3 emerged later during plant evolution. Group-specific expansion was observed in several species and was mainly associated with whole-genome/segmental duplication and tandem duplication events. Conclusion: These findings provide a comprehensive overview of the GH3 gene family in N. colorata and offer new insights into the evolutionary diversification and subgroup-specific expansion of GH3 genes in plants.

28 October 2026 in Agriculture
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Yifan LiYifan Li
Yifan Li
XWxie weiguo
xie weiguo
HZHong Zhao
Hong Zhao
HWHaibin Wu
Haibin Wu
XGXiaojun Gao
Xiaojun Gao
HMHongjun Mu
Hongjun Mu
Macadamia cultivation has expanded rapidly across diverse agro-ecological zones, but knowledge of cultivar–environment matching remains fragmented across disciplines, hindering the development of evidence-based zoning and management strategies. This review aims to synthesize multidisciplinary evidence into a coherent framework for understanding and managing cultivar–environment (C × E) interactions. We integrate findings from reproductive physiology, ecophysiology, horticulture, and regional agronomy, drawing on evidence from China’s three major production regions (Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou), which represent a broad climatic gradient from dry-season water deficits to warm humid conditions and low-temperature valley stress. Our synthesis yields four principles: (i) Temperature and water regulate reproductive development through stage-specific thresholds. (ii) Cultivars differ markedly in heat requirement, cold tolerance, drought response, and self-compatibility. (iii) Cross-regional comparisons show that yield and kernel quality of identical cultivars vary substantially across provinces. (iv) Adaptive management practices, including high-density planting, sod culture, fertigation, and trunk infusion, can compensate for specific C × E mismatches. These findings are synthesized into a conceptual model linking environmental drivers, phenological windows, physiological thresholds, and management interventions. We identify three research priorities, namely, molecular dissection of adaptive traits, phenological-stage-aware predictive modeling, and standardized multi-location evaluation networks, as essential for supporting climate-resilient cultivar zoning and orchard management.

20 September 2026 in Water
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
YXYanyin Xu
Yanyin Xu
MLMin Luo
Min Luo
HMHongjun Mu
Hongjun Mu
ZZZhaohao Zhang
Zhaohao Zhang
JLJie Lin
Jie Lin
RHRong Yu Hong
Rong Yu Hong
Rainfall erosion significantly affects nutrient transport in plantation forests, but the internal nutrient-driven mechanism remains unclear. In this study, three types of plantation forests in the Xishuangbanna were selected to examine soil nutrient contents in erosion and deposition zones, nutrient concentration in runoff, and nutrient contents in litter, while the relationship among them was analyzed using the RDA method, aiming at exploring the internal driving mechanism of nutrient transport following erosion caused by the rainy season. The results show that, after the rainy season, the nutrient contents in the soil of all three forest types decreased in the erosion zone, with the most severe changes at the bottom of the slope. Furthermore, the C contents in litter from the three forest types decreased by 8.9% to 14.8% and the K contents decreased by 30.9% to 44.5%, while the N contents increased by 3.7% to 14.8% and the P contents increased in RF and TF but decreased in AF. Based on the RDA, the presence of 81.1% of nutrients in the runoff can be explained by changes in nutrient concentrations in the erosion zone and the nutrient content in the deposition zone. Among these, the contribution rates of D.P, D.K, and DOC were 76.9%, 17.1%, and 6%, respectively, which shows that runoff is the main factor influencing the changes in and deposition of soil nutrients on the slope. The results also attribute 47.57% of nutrients in the runoff to nutrient changes in the litter. This indicates that runoff is not the primary factor influencing nutrient changes in litter; the remaining explained variance may be related to factors such as litter quality, soil animals, microbial activity, and temperature.

5 November 2026 in Biology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ZLZesen Lai
Zesen Lai
JYJifen Yang
Jifen Yang
RHRong Yu Hong
Rong Yu Hong
SXShen Xiong
Shen Xiong
YXYanyin Xu
Yanyin Xu
HMHongjun Mu
Hongjun Mu
Plant basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors constitute one of the largest and most functionally diverse transcription factor families in plants. Through a conserved bHLH domain, they bind E-box cis-elements or dimerize with partner proteins, coupling developmental and metabolic programs to environmental cues. However, a systematic synthesis of their multilayered stress responses remains lacking. Here, we review the structural features, genome-wide distribution, and evolutionary diversification of plant bHLH transcription factors, with emphasis on their regulatory functions under low-temperature, drought, salinity, and iron-deficiency conditions. We further integrate their roles in abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and light signaling, as well as in anthocyanin and terpenoid biosynthesis, biotic stress, and immune responses. We also discuss emerging evidence linking bHLH factors to reproductive development, particularly anther and pollen formation under heat stress. Mechanistically, we summarize the multilayered regulatory network from four perspectives: transcriptional cascades, post-translational modifications, cooperative regulation by multiple transcription factors, and growth-defense trade-offs. Finally, we highlight current gaps, including limited functional validation in non-model/specialty economic crop species, underexplored combined-stress mechanisms, and lagging breeding translation, and propose future research directions. This review provides an integrated framework for plant stress biology and outlines evidence-based perspectives for future stress-tolerant crop improvement.