The bracteatus pineapple genome and domestication of clonally propagated crops

Domestication of clonally propagated crops such as pineapple from South America was hypothesized to be a 'one-step operation'. We sequenced the genome of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus CB5 and assembled 513 Mb into 25 chromosomes with 29,412 genes. Comparison of the genomes of CB5, F153 and MD2 elucidated the genomic basis of fiber production, color formation, sugar accumulation and fruit maturation. We also resequenced 89 Ananas genomes. Cultivars 'Smooth Cayenne' and 'Queen' exhibited ancient and recent admixture, while 'Singapore Spanish' supported a one-step operation of domestication. We identified 25 selective sweeps, including a strong sweep containing a pair of tandemly duplicated bromelain inhibitors. Four candidate genes for self-incompatibility were linked in F153, but were not functional in self-compatible CB5. Our findings support the coexistence of sexual recombination and a one-step operation in the domestication of clonally propagated crops. This work guides the exploration of sexual and asexual domestication trajectories in other clonally propagated crops

A chromosome-level Pinellia ternata genome assembly provides insight into the evolutionary origin of ephedrine and acrid raphide formation

The tuber of Pinellia ternata is broadly used in traditional herbal medicines in Asian countries. Here, we report a chromosome-level genome sequence of P. ternata. The genome of diploid P. ternata was 2.08 Gb and assembled into 13 pseudo-chromosomes containing 34,342 genes. P. pedatisecta is the closest-related species with a full genome sequence, and their divergence began approximately 11.55 million years ago. Comparative transcriptome analysis on various tissues suggested the enrichment of genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and starch and sucrose metabolism in P. ternata tuber. The candidate genes of ephedrine biosynthesis in the phenylpropanoid pathway were identified. At least one gene for each synthase of ephedrine biosynthesis was predominantly expressed in the tuber. Notably, all four phenylalanine ammonia lyase genes were predominately expressed in tuber tissue. A series of genes involved in oxalate metabolism were found to be highly expressed in tubers, contributing to the high accumulation of oxalate in tubers as well as the formation of acrid raphide via reaction with calcium ions. There are 14 lectin genes in the P. ternata genome, which were all highly expressed in the tuber, explaining the acrid raphide formation. These findings provide new insight into ephedrine biosynthesis and acrid raphide formation

Solution processed F doped ZnO (ZnO:F) for thin film transistors and improved stability through co-doping with alkali metals

FETs based on ZnO doped with F and alkali metals showed largely improved charge carrier mobility, shelf-life stability and bias stress stability.</p

Allele specific expression of Dof genes responding to hormones and abiotic stresses in sugarcane.

Dof transcription factors plant-specific and associates with growth and development in plants. We conducted comprehensive and systematic analyses of Dof transcription factors in sugarcane, and identified 29 SsDof transcription factors in sugarcane genome. Those SsDof genes were divided into five groups, with similar gene structures and conserved motifs within the same groups. Segmental duplications are predominant in the evolution of Dof in sugarcane. Cis-element analysis suggested that the functions of SsDofs were involved in growth and development, hormones and abiotic stresses responses in sugarcane. Expression patterns indicated that SsDof7, SsDof23 and SsDof24 had a comparatively high expression in all detected tissues, indicating these genes are crucial in sugarcane growth and development. Moreover, we examined the transcription levels of SsDofs under four plant hormone treatments, SsDof7-3 and SsDof7-4 were down-regulated after ABA treatment, while SsDof7-1 and SsDof7-2 were induced after the same treatment, indicating different alleles may play different roles in response to plant hormones. We also analyzed SsDofs' expression profiling under four abiotic stresses, SsDof5 and SsDof28 significantly responded to these four stresses, indicating they are associate with abiotic stresses responses. Collectively, our results yielded allele specific expression of Dof genes responding to hormones and abiotic stresses in sugarcane, and their cis-elements could be crucial for sugarcane improvement

The complete mitochondrial genome of the blue-crested lizard, Calotes mystaceus (Squamata, Agamidae) in China

A complete mitogenome sequence of the blue-crested lizard (Calotes mystaceus) was determined in this study. The 16,506 bp genome consists 13 protein-coding genes (PCG), two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and a control region. The phylogenetic tree reveals that the Calotes mystaceus is closely related to the C. versicolor. This report provides the basic data for further studies of Calotes species classification and phylogeny