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Background: Seed germination is a key process in the plant life cycle that affects the vegetative and reproductive stages of plants. Although the JAZ gene family has been characterized in many plants, the relationship between the JAZ gene and seed germination is still unclear. Results: We identified two members of the JAZ family from wheat, TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A. TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A were localized in both the cell membrane and nucleus. Spatio-temporal expression analysis of TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A in wheat revealed that these genes are essential for the preharvest sprouting (PHS) stage of seed development, with expression levels significantly decreasing during the ripening period. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing wheat TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A improved seed germination rates. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing wheat TaTIFY10A improved seed germination rates and promoted flowering. In addition, abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA) were found to induce TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A expression. Under different ABA concentrations, the seed germination rates of transgenic rice and Arabidopsis overexpressing TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A are superior to wild-type (WT) and mutant plants, and the root lengths of Arabidopsis overexpressing TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A also change. Under different JA concentrations, there is no difference in the seed germination rate of rice overexpressing TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A compared to WT and mutant plants, but there is a significant difference in the seed germination rate and root length of overexpressing Arabidopsis compared to WT and mutant plants. Under different concentrations of salt and drought treatments, the seed germination rate and root length of overexpressing Arabidopsis of TaTIFY3B and TaTIFY10A are affected. Conclusions: This study offers a novel perspective for understanding the molecular basis of pre-harvest sprouting and provides potential candidate genes for controlling wheat seed germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial C4 warm-season grass known for its high-biomass yield and wide environmental adaptability, making it an ideal bioenergy crop. Despite its potential, switchgrass seedlings grow slowly, often losing out to weeds in field conditions and producing limited biomass in the first year of planting. Furthermore, during the reproductive growth stage, the above-ground biomass rapidly increases in lignin content, creating a significant saccharification barrier. Previous studies have identified rhythm-related genes TOC1 and LHY as crucial to the slow seedling development in switchgrass, yet the precise regulatory functions of these genes remain largely unexplored. In this study, the genes TOC1 and LHY were characterized within the tetraploid genome of switchgrass. Gene expression analysis revealed that PvTOC1 and PvLHY exhibit circadian patterns under normal growth conditions, with opposing expression levels over time. PvTOC1 genes were predominantly expressed in florets, vascular bundles, and seeds, while PvLHY genes showed higher expression in stems, leaf sheaths, and nodes. Overexpression of PvTOC1 from the N chromosome group (PvTOC1-N) or PvLHY from the K chromosome group (PvLHY-K) in Arabidopsis thaliana led to alterations in circadian rhythm and hormone metabolism, resulting in shorter roots, delayed flowering, and decreased resistance to oxidative stress. These transgenic lines exhibited reduced sensitivity to hormones and hormone inhibitors, and displayed altered gene expression in the biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways of abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA), and strigolactone (SL). These findings highlight roles of PvTOC1-N and PvLHY-K in plant development and offer a theoretical foundation for genetic improvements in switchgrass and other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional experimental teaching and practical teaching cannot meet the requirements of experimental practice teaching under the new situation, and virtual simulation technology has made great progress in teaching. Based on this, a new teaching mode—engineering simulation practices teaching platform—is proposed. In this regard, the methodology research is carried out, and the implementation scheme is proposed. The teaching design, implementation, and improvement have received good application results, which effectively improve the training level of applied talents for civil engineering majors in colleges and universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E3 ubiquitin ligase genes play important roles in the regulation of plant development. They have been well studied in plants, but have not been sufficiently investigated in wheat. Here, we identified a highly expressed RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase gene TaAIRP2-1B (ABA-insensitive RING protein 2) in wheat spike. Sequence polymorphism and association analysis showed that TaAIRP2 - 1B is significantly associated with spike length under various conditions. The genotype with haplotype Hap -1B-1 of TaAIRP2 - 1B has a longer spike than that of Hap -1B-2, and was positively selected in the process of wheat breeding in China. Moreover, the TaAIRP2-1B -overexpressing rice lines have longer panicles compared with wild-type plants. The expression levels of TaAIRP2-1B in Hap -1B-1 accessions were higher than in Hap -1B-2 accessions. Further study revealed that the expression of TaAIRP2-1B was negatively regulated by TaERF3 (ethylene-responsive factor 3) via binding to the Hap -1B-2 promoter, but not via binding of Hap -1B-1. Additionally, several candidate genes interacting with TaAIRP2-1B were obtained by screening the cDNA library of wheat in yeast cells. It was found that TaAIRP2-1B interacted with TaHIPP3 (heavy metal-associated isoprenylated protein 3) and promoted TaHIPP3 degradation. Our study demonstrates that TaAIRP2-1B controls spike length, and the haplotype Hap -1B-1 of TaAIRP2 - 1B is a favorable natural variation for spike length enhancement in wheat. This work also provides genetic resources and functional markers for wheat molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]