Jian Wei

The plant cell wall functions as both a mechanical framework and a dynamic environmental sensor, with its remodeling tightly coordinated by phytohormone signaling and cell-wall integrity (CWI) surveillance. This review synthesizes how hormonal networks regulate wall processes including cellulose deposition, pectin modification, and lignification translating extracellular perturbations via receptor kinases and second messengers into adaptive growth responses. We argue that abiotic stress resilience does not stem from uniformly reinforced walls, but from the capacity to dynamically tune wall mechanics in a spatiotemporally precise manner. Evaluating emerging tools like spatial multi-omics and precision genome editing, we propose a translational roadmap to engineer context-dependent wall plasticity. Integrating causal genetics with field-level phenotyping will be essential for developing climate-resilient crops that maintain yield stability under fluctuating environments.

This review summarizes how chromatin-associated epigenetic mechanisms regulate plant specialized metabolism, with anthocyanin biosynthesis serving as a mechanistically resolved paradigm for dynamic histone acetylation-mediated regulation.

Heat stress (HS) severely threatens rice (Oryza sativa) growth, development, and yield formation; elucidating regulatory mechanisms underlying rice thermotolerance is essential. Here, we dissected the role of OsMYBR17, a previously uncharacterized R2R3-MYB transcription factor, in the heat-stress responses of rice using gain- and loss-of-function approaches combined with DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The results indicated that OsMYBR17 was induced by HS. Overexpression of OsMYBR17 markedly enhanced seedling thermotolerance, whereas CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout lines exhibited pronounced heat hypersensitivity. OsMYBR17-overexpression plants accumulated less reactive oxygen species and exhibited reduced lipid peroxidation, as reflected by lower malondialdehyde levels, accompanied by elevated ascorbate peroxidase activity. Consistently, chloroplast structural integrity and chlorophyll-associated signals were better maintained in overexpression lines under prolonged heat exposure, while opposite trends were observed in knockout mutants. Integrative analysis of DAP-seq and RNA-seq identified multiple heat- and oxidative stress-associated candidate targets regulated by OsMYBR17, among which OsLEA4 emerged as a prominent target. Further analyses demonstrated that OsMYBR17 recognized specific cis-elements in the OsLEA4 promoter and directly activated its transcription. Functional analysis of OsLEA4 gain- and loss-of-function materials, together with genetic analysis in the OsMYBR17-overexpression background, further supported its positive contribution to thermotolerance. Collectively, our findings establish an OsMYBR17–OsLEA4 regulatory module that enhances rice heat tolerance and is associated with improved redox homeostasis and chloroplast stability under HS. This study advances our understanding of the molecular basis of heat-stress tolerance in rice and highlights OsMYBR17 and OsLEA4 as potential targets for developing heat-resilient rice cultivars.

RNA interference (RNAi) is an effective mechanism for reducing gene expression, therefore enabling the exploration of gene function. Its application in hairy root transient transformation facilitates rapid preliminary evaluation of gene function, specifically tackling the difficulties linked to steady transformation in soybean. The mechanisms of RNAi have been thoroughly investigated in model plants. Nonetheless, it remains ambiguous whether silencing proceeds at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level in hairy roots. We analyzed RNA levels and phenotype by RNAi targeting four genes (GmIAA14, GmCPC, GmPHT1, and GmTTG1) in soybean roots. A reduction in mRNA levels is generally associated with an altered lateral root phenotype. However, the analysis of chromatin-bound/nascent RNAs during the identical RNAi events revealed no substantial decrease in their abundance. Moreover, the functional impairment of GmDCL2 or GmDCL3 did not influence RNA interference, indicating either redundancy or the presence of alternate routes for short RNA-mediated RNA interference in soybean hairy roots. Collectively, our findings underscore possible issues associated with the use of the hairy root transformation method for gene transcription studies. The lack of investigation into RNAi effects at the nascent RNA level, even in model plants, requires a re-evaluation of the current knowledge of RNAi mechanisms.

Saline–alkali stress severely limits crop production worldwide. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is particularly sensitive during seed germination, a stage critical for stand establishment. This complex stress environment encompasses two distinct yet equally critical dimensions: neutral salt stress and alkaline salt stress, each eliciting specialized physiological and metabolic responses. Here, a comparative assessment of four genotypes (tolerant: CN16, CN17; sensitive: Williams 82, K18) under 100 mmol/L Na⁺ revealed that alkaline salt stress exerts a significantly more potent inhibitory effect than neutral salt stress. Tolerant cultivars maintained 75–80% germination under alkaline conditions, whereas sensitive ones dropped below 15%, a divergence primarily driven by superior oxidative mitigation capacity. Integrated multi-omics analysis of the tolerant variety CN16 identified stage-specific regulatory shifts: early alkaline salt stress (60 h) triggers extensive transcriptional reprogramming focused on physical barrier reinforcement, including cell walls and lipid remodeling. By 96 h, regulatory modes between the two stress types diverged: neutral salt elicited a transcriptional surge, while alkaline salt transitioned to a metabolically dominant regulation, shifting flux from growth-related isoflavonoids to defense-related anthocyanins. Crucially, this study uncovers the distinct bioenergetic trade-offs governing these responses: whereas adaptation to neutral salt relies on low-energy galactose metabolism, tolerance to alkaline salt demands energy-intensive processes, specifically the active vacuolar compartmentalization of organic acids and anthocyanins for intracellular buffering. This obligatory energy expenditure restricts biomass accumulation, explaining the severe growth penalties observed in complex saline-alkali environments. Finally, the identification of a core regulatory module driven by key genes, including GmPHOT2b, GmLOG, and GmSHMT08, enriches the metabolic regulatory network under saline-alkali stress, providing core targets and a theoretical framework for precisely balancing metabolic expenditure with biomass accumulation in breeding practice.

Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an economically important crop with both medicinal and oil-producing values, However, its production is severely threatened by fungal diseases, including those caused by Alternaria alternata and other pathogenic fungi. To date, molecular investigations into the disease resistance mechanisms of safflower remain largely limited. In this study, proteomic analysis was performed on safflower following infection by A. alternata , identifying 490 and 921 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) at 48 hours post-infection (hpi) and 72 hpi, respectively, Among these DEPs, a large number of candidate defense-related proteins were detected, including CtChi19. Meanwhile, by integrating previously published transcriptomic and proteomic data of safflower at the early stage of Botrytis cinerea infection, a set of candidate genes closely associated with defense responses was screened using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Emphasis was placed on the hub gene CtChi19 , which encodes a chitinase belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 19 (GH19). Subcellular localization assays showed that CtChi19 was localized in the cell wall and extracellular space. Furthermore, stable overexpression of CtChi19 in safflower significantly enhanced the resistance of transgenic plants to both B. cinerea and A. alternata . Assays of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities demonstrated that the improved disease resistance of OE- CtChi19 transgenic plants was directly associated with a significant increase in chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase activities. Collectively, the candidate genes identified in this study provide valuable genetic resources and theoretical support for molecular breeding aimed at developing disease-resistant safflower varieties. These findings also offer novel insights for further dissecting the antifungal immune mechanisms in safflower.

Soil salinity is rapidly spreading across agricultural regions and has become one of the most critical constraints on soybean growth, yield, and sustainable production. Despite the central role of transcription factors (TFs) in coordinating plant responses to abiotic stresses, the molecular mechanisms by which RWP-RK domain-containing TFs regulate salt-tolerant responses in soybean remain poorly understood. Our previous genome-wide characterization identified 28 RWP-RK TFs in soybean exhibiting abiotic stress-responsive expression, yet their biological functions under salt stress have not been experimentally validated. Here, we investigated a 981-bp GmRWP-RK1 encoding region and demonstrated its regulatory role in enhancing salt tolerance by activating antioxidant defence, Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis, and transcriptional control of salt-responsive genes using a cross-species overexpression approach. The two Arabidopsis lines (OE1 & OE4) overexpressing GmRWP-RK1 demonstrated significantly improved salt tolerance, as evidenced by ~18% greater survival and enhanced germination compared to non-transgenic plants under salinity stress. This phenotype was supported by stronger antioxidant protection, as indicated by elevated proline levels, reduced MDA accumulation, and increased SOD and POD activities. At the molecular level, the transgenic lines also showed up-regulated expression of key stress-responsive genes (AtACS10, AtSUMO1, AtGBF1), confirming the regulatory influence of GmRWP-RK1 on salt-adaptation pathways. Consistent with the Arabidopsis results, GmRWP-RK1 overexpression in soybean hairy roots also led to improved salt-stress tolerance by accumulating significantly reduced ROS contents (27.38% lower H₂O₂ and 33.98% lower O₂⁻), and maintained a balanced Na⁺/K⁺ ratio compared to that of non-transgenic hairy roots under salinity. Furthermore, GmRWP-RK1-overexpressing transgenic soybean hairy roots showed increased expression of stress-responsive genes, especially GmATG-5, GmOLP-1, and GmOLP-2. Overall, our results support a possible role of GmRWP-RK1 in soybean salt tolerance and provide a foundation for future functional and breeding-oriented studies.

Salinized soil can significantly hinder soybean growth, leading to a reduction in overall yield. To address this issue, identifying key genes related to salt tolerance in soybeans is essential for improving their resistance to salinity and ensuring sustainable development of soybean production. While current research predominantly focuses on salt tolerance during the seedling stage, there is still a lack of comprehensive studies on the genes involved in salt tolerance during the germination stage. This study established the optimal screening criteria by phenotyping the salt-tolerant variety R063 and the salt-sensitive variety W82 during the germination stage under salt stress. RNA-seq analysis was performed on 24 samples from both varieties at 36 and 48 hours under two different salt concentrations (0 and 150 mM/L NaCl). Differential expression analysis revealed that the salt-tolerant variety R063 exhibited the fewest differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared to its control after 48 hours of salt stress. A total of 305 DEGs were commonly identified between the salt-tolerant variety R063 and the salt-sensitive variety W82 under salt stress at both time points. Additionally, 187 DEGs were commonly identified between R063 under salt stress and its corresponding control group across the two time points. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in ADP binding, monooxygenase activity, oxidoreductase activity, defense response, and protein phosphorylation signaling pathways. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method was employed to identify modules strongly correlated with salt tolerance during soybean germination. Candidate genes associated with soybean sprouting salt tolerance were identified by evaluating the connectivity and expression profiles of genes within these modules. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance during soybean germination and present new genetic resources for studying this trait.

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, 1952, is one of the most destructive plant-parasitic nematodes in soybean production worldwide. The use of resistant soybean is the most effective alternative for its management. However, SCN-resistant soybean cultivars with increased yield and favorable agronomic traits remain limited in the market. Here, we developed a new SCN-resistant soybean cultivar Nongqing 28 from the cross of the female parent cultivar An 02-318 and a male parent line F2 (Hei 99-980 × America Xiaoheidou). Resistance evaluation suggested that Nongqing 28 displayed stable resistance to SCN race 3 in pot assays and the 5-year field experiments, including inhibition of SCN development and reduction in female and cyst numbers. The average yields of Nongqing 28 were 2593 kg/ha and 2660 kg/ha in the 2-year regional trails and the 1-year production trials, with a yield increase of 6.2% and 8.1% compared with the local cultivar Nengfeng 18, respectively. The average seed fat contents in Nongqing 28 reached 21.26%. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis revealed that the resistance of Nongqing 28 to SCN infection is involved in pathogen perception and defense activation, such as reactive oxygen species burst, calcium-mediated defense signaling, hormonal signaling, the MAPK signaling cascade, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. In summary, this study provides a detailed characterization of a novel SCN-resistant soybean cultivar with high oil and yield potential.