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Knowledge of the function of growth-regulating factors (GRFs) in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum and S. spontaneum) growth and development could assist breeders in selecting desirable plant architectures. However, limited information about GRFs is available in Saccharum due to their polyploidy. In this study, 22 GRFs were identified in the two species and their conserved domains, gene structures, chromosome location, and synteny were characterized. GRF7 expression varied among tissues and responded to diurnal rhythm. SsGRF7-YFPwas localized preferentially in the nucleus and appears to act as a transcriptional cofactor. SsGRF7positively regulated the size and lengthof rice leaves, possibly by regulating cell size and plant hormones. Of seven potential transcription factors binding to the SsGRF7 promoter in S. spontaneum, four showed positive expression patterns, and two showed negative expression patterns relative to SsGRF7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower development plays vital role in horticultural plants. Post-transcriptional regulation via small RNAs is important for plant flower development. To uncover post-transcriptional regulatory networks during the flower development in Dimocarpus longan Lour. 'Shixia', an economically important fruit crop in subtropical regions, we collected and analyzed sRNA deep-sequencing datasets and degradome libraries Apart from identifying miRNAs and phased siRNA generating loci (PHAS loci), 120 hairpin loci, producing abundant sRNAs, were identified by in-house protocols. Our results suggested that 56 miRNA-target pairs, 22 21-nt-PHAS loci, and 111 hairpin loci are involved in posttranscriptional gene silencing during longan reproductive development. Lineage-specific or species-specific post-transcriptional regulatory modules have been unveiled, including miR482-PHAS and miRN15. miR482-PHAS might be involved in longan flower development beyond their conserved roles in plant defense, and miRN15 is a novel miRNA likely associated with a hairpin locus (HPL-056) to regulate strigolactone receptor gene DWARF14 (D14) and the biogenesis of phasiRNAs from D14. These small RNAs are enriched in flower buds, suggesting they are likely involved in post-transcriptional regulatory networks essential for longan flower development via the strigolactone signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]