HD-Zip Transcription Factor is Responsible for No-Lobed Leaf in Watermelon(Citrullus lanatus L.)

Leaf is a vital organ of plants that plays an essential role in photosynthesis and respiration.As an important agronomic trait in leaf development,leaf shape is classified into lobed,entire(no-lobed),and serrated in most crops.In this study,two-lobed leaf watermelon inbred lines WT2 and WCZ,and a no-lobed leaf watermelon inbred line WT20 were used to create two F_(2)populations.Segregation analysis suggested that lobed leaves were dominant over the no-lobed leaves,and it was controlled by a signal gene.A locus on watermelon chromosome 4 controlling watermelon lobed/no-lobed leaves was identified through BSA-seq strategy combined with linkage analysis.The candidate gene was fine-mapped to a 61.5 kb region between 21,224,481 and 21,285,957 bp on watermelon chromosome 4 using two F_(2)populations.Four functional genes were annotated in the candidate region,while sequences blast showed that there was a single-base deletion(A/-)only in the exon of Cla018360,which resulted in premature termination of translation in the no-lobed leaf lines.Function prediction showed that Cla018360 encodes an HD-Zip protein that has been reported to regulate the development of leaf shape.The single-base deletion also occurred in the HD-Zip domain.We inferred that the Cla018360 gene is the candidate gene for regulating the development of lobed/no-lobed leaves in watermelon.Gene expression analysis showed that Cla018360 was highly expressed in young leaves.Phylogenetic analysis showed that Cla018360 had a close genetic relationship with AtHB51,which had been reported to regulate the formation of leaf shape in Arabidopsis.Furthermore,transcriptome analysis showed that a total of 333 differentially expressed genes were identified between WT2 and WT20,of which 115 and 218 genes were upregulated and downregulated in no-lobed leaved watermelon WT20.This study not only provides a good entry point for studying leaf development but also provides foundational insights into breeding for special plant architecture in watermelon.

Effects of Flooding Stress on Growth and Root Physiology and Biochemistry of Grafted Red-seed Watermelon Seedlings

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore how to improve the waterlogging tolerance of red-seed watermelon through grafting,to provide a theoretical basis for its cultivation in rainy season.[Methods]The effects of flooding stress on the growth and root physiological and biochemical characteristics of grafted and own-rooted red-seed watermelon seedlings were studied using Luffa as rootstocks and"Zhongxin 1"red-seed watermelon as scions.[Results]After flooding stress,the biomass and root activity of grafted seedlings of red-seed watermelon were significantly higher than those of own-rooted seedlings.With the prolongation of flooding stress time,the soluble sugar and proline content showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing,and the grafted seedlings had a larger increase and a smaller decrease,and were always significantly higher than own-rooted seedlings in the same period.The content of malondialdehyde in the root system of grafted seedlings increased first and then decreased,while it continued to increase in own-rooted seedlings,and the increase in own-rooted seedlings was significantly greater than that in grafted seedlings during the same period.[Conclusions]Grafting on Luffa rootstocks could improve waterlogging tolerance of red-seed watermelon.

Genome-wide analysis of nuclear factor Y genes and functional investigation of watermelon ClNF-YB9 during seed development

The nuclear factor Y(NF-Y) gene family is a class of transcription factors that are widely distributed in eukaryotes and are involved in various biological processes. However, the NF-Y gene family members in watermelon, a valued and nutritious fruit, remain largely unknown and their functions have not been characterized. In the present study, 22 ClNF-Y genes in watermelon, 29 CsNF-Y genes in cucumber, and 24CmNF-Y genes in melon were identified based on the whole-genome investigation and their protein properties, gene location, gene structure, motif composition, conserved domain, and evolutionary relationship were investigated. ClNF-YB9 from watermelon and its homologs in cucumber and melon were expressed specifically in seeds. Its expression remained low in the early stages of watermelon seed development,increased at 20 days after pollination(DAP), and peaked at 45–50 DAP. Moreover, the knockout mutant Clnf-yb9 exhibited abnormal leafy cotyledon phenotype, implying its critical role during seed formation.Finally, protein interaction assays showed that ClNF-YB9 interacts with all ClNF-YCs and the ClNF-YB9-YC4 heterodimer was able to recruit a ClNF-YA7 subunit to assemble a complete NF-Y complex, which may function in seed development. This study revealed the structure and evolutionary relationships of the NF-Y gene family in Cucurbitaceae and the novel function of ClNF-YB9 in regulating seed development in watermelon.

Summary of Short-vine Watermelon Breeding Practice

This paper expounded the current situation and genetic mechanisms of short-vine watermelon breeding from the aspects of material sources,breeding process and genetic characteristics of F_1,hoping to provide a theoretical basis for short-vine watermelon breeding,and breeding materials for watermelon planting innovation,as well as new opportunities for high-quality and high-yield watermelon.

Heritability of Main Yield Traits in Red-seed Watermelon and Their Correlation Analysis

[Objectives]This study was conducted to provide a reliable theoretical basis for the correct formulation of breeding programs for red-seed watermelon and the effective breeding of hybrid offspring.[Methods]With local varieties and inbred lines of red-seed watermelon as test materials,the generalized heritability of fruit number per plant,single-fruit weight,single-fruit seed number,single-fruit seed weight,seed kernel weight,1000-seed weight,kernel-producing ratio,seed production ratio and seed volume were estimated by variance analysis;and the heritability,genetic variation coefficients,and correlation of the nine yield traits in 43 red-seed watermelon varieties were studied.[Results]The generalized heritability of fruit number per plant,single-fruit weight,single-fruit seed number,single-fruit seed weight,seed kernel weight,1000-seed weight,kernel-producing ratio,seed production ratio and seed volume were 12.86%,80.14%,75.96%,74.39%,48.01%,17.12%,24.97%,18.60%,and 37.07%,respectively.The heritability of single-fruit weight,single-fruit seed number and single-fruit seed weight was higher,and early-generation individual selection could achieve a better effect on them;and 1000-seed weight and kernel-producing ratio had a higher coefficient of genetic variation,indicating a high selection potential.[Conclusions]Indirect selection could be achieved for traits such as the single-fruit seed number,single-fruit seed weight,seed kernel weight,and seed volume by selecting the single-fruit weight.In the process of red-seed watermelon breeding,traits with high heritability can be selected in early generations of hybrids,thus playing the role of early-generation orientation.

Effects of Different Concentrations of Paclobutrazol on Seedling Quality of Small Seedless Watermelon in Autumn

[Objectives]The paper was to explore the effects of different concentrations of paclobutrazol on seedling quality of small seedless watermelon in autumn.[Methods]The leaves of watermelon seedlings were sprayed with 30,50,80 and 120 mg/L paclobutrazol at cotyledon expansion stage,and those sprayed with tap water were used as control.[Results]All the treatments of paclobutrazol effectively inhibited the excessive growth of watermelon at seedling stage,significantly enhanced the leaf quality of watermelon seedlings and promoted root growth.The seedlings treated by 50 mg/L paclobutrazol had the best performance compared with the control:a decrease of hypocotyl by 37.9%,an increase of plant dry weight by 46.55%,significantly increased seedling strength index,deep green leaf color,thick leaves,an increase of specific leaf weight by 28.13%,and significantly heavier root weight and longer length.[Conclusions]The results will provide a reference for strong seedling cultivation of small seedless watermelon.

Comparative Test on Spring Medium-sized Watermelon Varieties in Beijing

[Objectives]This study was conducted to select suitable medium-sized watermelon varieties for early spring cultivation in Beijing.[Methods]Seven watermelon varieties were collected,including Beinong Tianjiao 2,Beinong Tianjiao,Hongfuji,Yongfeng 1,Beinong Futian,Beinong Shijia,and Beinong Jinxiu,and Jingxin 2 was used as the control check(CK).The growth period,morphological traits,yield traits and fruit quality of the tested varieties were investigated.[Results]Beinong Tianjiao 2 had an earlier maturation stage,a fruit development period of 38 d and a total growth period of 118 d.It showed stable growth,with a single fruit weight of 7.56 kg,a fruit setting rate of 0.99 per plant,and a yield of 83076.9 kg/hm~2,which ranked,respectively,second,first,and second among all tested varieties,and were significantly superior to the CK.Furthermore,this variety had thin and tough peel,a bright red flesh color,high central sugar content,loose and crisp flesh,and a good taste.[Conclusions]It is preliminarily believed that it is suitable for early spring watermelon production in Beijing area.

Screening Test of Small Seedless Watermelon Varieties in Beijing Area

[Objectives]This study was conducted to select small seedless watermelon varieties with excellent quality and high yield suitable for planting in Beijing.[Methods]Under the conditions of facility cultivation in Beijing,a screening test was conducted on seven small seedless watermelon varieties for growth process,field traits,yield traits,fruit quality,and disease resistance.[Results]Varieties Mitong,Motong and Tianbao Xiaowuzi had a short growth period and relatively stable growth,and bore fruit easily,and their female flowers were closely spaced.Their yields exceeded 60000 kg/hm~2,ranking in the top three among all varieties.The fruit had a thin skin,a bright red flesh color,and a high mass fraction of soluble solids in the center.The flesh was tight or crispy,and tasted good.They also showed good disease resistance.Overall,they showed excellent comprehensive agronomic traits,and are thus suitable for facility cultivation in Beijing and its surrounding areas.[Conclusions]This study provides a theoretical basis for the upgrading of varieties and the increase in production and farmers'income in the suburbs of Beijing.

The Influence of Climate Variability on the Watermelon Production in Zanzibar

Climate change and variability, has embarked societies in Zanzibar to rely on horticulture (i.e. watermelon production) as an adaptive measure due to an unpromising situation of commonly used agricultural yields. Currently, there is either no or scant information that describes the influence of climate changes and variability to watermelon production in Zanzibar. Thus, this study aimed to determine the influence of climate variability on the quantity of watermelon production in Zanzibar. The study used both primary and secondary datasets, which include the anecdotal information collected from interviewers’ responses from four districts of Unguja and Pemba, and climate parameters (rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature (Tmax and Tmin) acquired from Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) at Zanzibar offices. Pearson correlation was used for analyzing the association between watermelon production and climate parameters, while paired t-test was applied to show the significance of the mean differences of watermelon and climate parameters for two periods of 2014-2017 and 2018-2021, respectively. Percentage changes were used to feature the extent to which the two investigated parameters affect each other. The anecdotal responses were sorted, calculated in monthly and seasonal averages, plotted and then analyzed. Results have shown a strong correlation (r = 0.8 at p ≤ 0.02, and r = 0.7) between watermelon production, Tmax and rainfall during OND, especially in Unguja, as well as Tmin during JJA (i.e. r = - 0.8 at p ≤ 0.02) in Pemba. Besides, results have shown the existence of significant differences between the means of watermelon production and climate parameter for the two stated periods, indicating that the climate parameters highly affects the watermelon production by either enhancing or declining the yields by 69% - 162% and 17% - 77%, respectively. Moreover, results have shown that respondents were aware that excess temperature intensity during dry periods can lead to high production costs due number of soil and other environmental factors. Besides the results have shown that OND seasonal rainfall and MAM Tmax had good association with watermelon production in Unguja while JJA Tmin declined the production in Pemba. Thus, the study concludes that seasonal variability of climate parameter has a significant influence on the watermelon production. The study calls for more studies on factors affecting watermelon production (e.g. soil characteristics, pest sides and manure), and recommends for climate based decision making on rain fed agricultural yields and routine monitoring of weather information.

枯草芽孢杆菌B47高产拮抗物质菌株的紫外诱变选育(英文)

[Objective] The aim of this study was to breed new strains which have higher inhibitory effects on the pathogens of watermelon fusarium wilt.[Method] The endophytic Bacillus subtilis B47 strain was obtained from tomato stems by UV mutagenesis for two consecutive times,then genetic stability as well as physiological and biochemical properties of mutant strains were studied.[Result] The antibacterial activity of all the three mutant strains F303,F304 and F305 was higher than that of B74 strain.After subculture of 10 successive generations,the antibacterial activity of all the three mutant strains for the pathogens of watermelon fusarium wilt decreased,but the antibacterial activity of F305 strain decreased the least,indicating its best genetic stability among the tested strains.The antibacterial circle diameter of F305 strain was 5 mm larger than that of wild strain B47 under the same condition.The mutant strain F305 was in logarithmic growth phase within 36 h and in stationary phase within 36-96 h,while its optimum growth temperature was 35 ℃.F305 strain could grow in sodium salt with the concentration of 1%-10%,but it grew best at the concentration of 1%.Physiological and biochemical responses of F305 strain were in accordance with those of wild strain B47.[Conclusion] This study lays the foundation for the factorial production of antagonistic substance by B47 strain and new methods of preventing from the pathogens watermelon fusarium wilt.

西瓜枯萎病土壤拮抗菌的筛选(英文)

[Objective] The aim of this study was to screen bacteria strains with stable antagonistic effect against watermelon fusarium wilt from soil and investigate the biological control of watermelon fusarium wilt by applying the antagonistic bacteria strains into soil.[Method] Actinomycete strains,fluorescent bacteria strains and bacillus strains were isolated from soil samples by the dilution-plate method,then its resistance was screened respectively by the improved confront culture method after colonies were purified.Finally,bacteria strains with better antagonistic effect were identified.[Result] 29 bacteria strains with stable antagonistic effect against watermelon fusarium wilt were screened from 39 soil samples,which contained 15 fluorescent bacteria strains,5 bacillus strains and 9 actinomycete strains.Furthermore,three antagonistic bacteria strains of FM2,FM3 and FM4 with the strongest antagonism were identified primarily.[Conclusion] According to cultural characteristics,morphological observation,biochemical and physiological tests,FM2 belongs to bacillus subtilis,while FM3 and FM4 belong to micrococcus.

转基因西瓜研究进展

综述了西瓜转基因常用的方法、目前已获得的转基因西瓜性状以及转基因西瓜安全性等方面的研究进展,并提出了今后进一步的研究方向。西瓜转基因常用方法为叶盘转化法;将外源基因导入到西瓜基因组中常用的方法主要有农杆菌介导法和花粉管介导法;常采用PCR、Southern和Western等方法来检测和鉴定外源基因是否成功整合到西瓜基因组中;目前利用转基因技术改良的西瓜性状主要集中在培育抗病毒、抗枯萎病和耐旱、耐盐碱等方面;对转基因西瓜的安全性研究主要包括生态安全性和食品安全性2个方面。今后应利用转基因技术进一步提高西瓜营养品质、耐贮性和抗冻性等性状,并进一步加强对转基因西瓜安全性的研究。

Genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of the SWEET gene family in cucumber

SWEETs （sugars will eventually be exported transporters） are a novel class of recently identified sugar transporters that play important roles in diverse physiological processes. However, only a few species of the plant SWEETgene family have been functionally identified. Up till now, there has been no systematic analysis of the SWEETgene family in Cucurbitaceae crops. Here, a genome-wide characterization of this family was conducted in cucumber（Cucumis sativus L.）. A total of 17 CsSWEETgenes were identified, which are not evenly distributed over the seven cucumber chromosomes. Cucumber SWEET protein sequences possess seven conserved domains and two putative serine phosphorylation sites. The phylo- genetic tree of the SWEET genes in cucumber, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa was constructed, and all the SWEET genes were divided into four clades. In addition, a number of putative cis-elements were identified in the promoter regions of these CsSWEET genes： nine types involved in phytohormone responses and eight types involved in stress responses. Moreover, the transcript levels of CsSWEETgenes were analyzed in various tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. A majority （70.58%） of the CsSWEET genes were confined to reproductive tissue development. Finally, 18 putative watermelon ClaSWEETgenes and 18 melon CmSWEETgenes were identified that showed a high degree of similarity with CsSWEETgenes. The results from this study provided a basic understanding of the CsSWEETgenes and may also facilitate future research to elucidate the function of SWEET genes in cucumber and other Cucurbitaceae crops.

Diagnosis and management of gastric antral vascular ectasia

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is an uncommon but often severe cause of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, responsible of about 4% of non-variceal upper GI haemorrhage. The diagnosis is mainly based on endoscopic pattern and, for uncertain cases, on histology. GAVE is characterized by a pathognomonic endoscopic pattern, mainly represented by red spots either organized in stripes radially departing from pylorus, defined as watermelon stomach, or arranged in a diffused-way, the so called honeycomb stomach. The histological pattern, although not pathognomonic, is characterized by four alterations:vascular ectasia of mucosal capillaries, focal thrombosis, spindle cell proliferation and fibrohyalinosis, which consist of homogeneous substance around the ectatic capillaries of the lamina propria. The main differential diagnosis is with Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy, that can frequently co-exists, since about 30% of patients with GAVE co-present a liver cirrhosis. Autoimmune disorders, mainly represented by Reynaud's phenomenon and sclerodactyly, are co-present in about 60% of patients with GAVE; other autoimmune and connective tissue disorders are occasionally reported such as Sjogren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, primary biliary cirrhosis and systemic sclerosis. In the remaining cases, GAVE syndrome has been described in patients with chronic renal failure, bone marrow transplantation and cardiac diseases. The pathogenesis of GAVE is still obscure and many hypotheses have been proposed such as mechanical stress, humoural and autoimmune factors and hemodynamic alterations. In the last two decades, many therapeutic options have been proposed including surgical, endoscopic and medical choices. Medical therapy has not clearly shown satisfactory results and surgery should only be considered for refractory severe cases, since this approach has significant mortality and morbidity risks, especially in the setting of portal hypertension and liver cirrhosis. Endoscopic therapy, particularly treatment with Argon Plasma Coagulation, has shown to be as effective and also safer than surgery, and should be considered the first-line treatment for patients with GAVE-related bleeding.

Overexpression of the Watermelon Ethylene Response Factor ClERF069 in Transgenic Tomato Resulted in Delayed Fruit Ripening

Watermelon fruit undergoes distinct development stages with dramatic changes during fruit ripening.To date,the molecular mechanics of watermelon ripening remain unclear.Genetic and transcriptome evidences suggested that the ethylene response factor(ERF)gene ClERF069 may be an important candidate factor affecting watermelon fruit ripening.To dissect the roles of ClERF069 in fruit ripening,structure and phylogenetic analysis were performed using the amplified full-length sequence.Normal-ripening watermelon 97103,non-ripening watermelon PI296341-FR and the RIL population were used to analyze ClERF069 expression dynamics and the correlation with fruit ripening indexs.The results indicated that ClERF069 belongs to ERF family group VI and show high homology(83%identity)to melon ERF069-like protein.ClERF069 expression in watermelon flesh was negatively correlated with fruit lycopene content and sugar content during fruit ripening progress.Further transgenic evidences indicated that overexpression of 35S:ClERF069 in tomato noticeably delayed the ripening process up to 5.2 days.Lycopene,β-carotenoid accumulation patterns were altered and ethylene production patterns in transgenic fruits was significantly delayed during fruit ripening.Taken together,watermelon ethylene response factor ClERF069 was concluded to be a negative regulator of fruit ripening.

Genetic Transformation of Watermelon with Pumpkin DNA by Low Energy Ion Beam-mediated Introduction

The No.601 watermelon (citrullus lanatus) seeds were treated with 25 keV N+ implantation at the dosage of 7.8 ×1016 ions/cm2. After treatment, watermelon seeds were incubated with 380μg/μl pumpkin (Cucubita, maxima Duch) DNA solution at 35 ℃ for 5 hours. By two-generations of selection and resistance screening at seedling stage, one transformed material was selected out, whose rind color is similar to that of the donor pumpkin and whose size of seeds is between that of the donor and the receptor. Using AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique, two polymorphic DNA fragments were amplified. This primarily testified that the donor DNA fragments/gene were introduced into the receptor cell and integrated into the genomic DNA of the receptor.

Assessment of EST-SSR Markers for Evaluating Genetic Diversity in Watermelon Accessions from Zimbabwe

Fifteen expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) were used to investigate genetic diversity in 139 plants obtained from seeds of 35 watermelon accessions collected from all the geographical provinces of Zimbabwe. In addition, 15 plants representing three commercial varieties developed in the United States (USA) were analyzed for comparison. A total of 65 alleles were detected among all the watermelon accessions. For the 13 polymorphic EST-SSR loci, number of alleles per locus varied from 2 to 13, with an average of 5 alleles per locus. Values for the polymorphic information content increased as the number of alleles increased, and varied from 0.15 to 0.77 with an average of 0.54 suggesting sufficient discriminatory power. Both cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis (PCA) produced two major clusters;one with the 22 cow-melon accessions and the other with the 16 sweet watermelon accessions. Within the sweet watermelon group, two distinct sub-clusters formed, one of which contained only two of the commercial varieties from USA. Partitioning of genetic variation in the Zimbabwean material using analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) revealed that 64% of the total variation resides between the two major forms, i.e. sweet watermelons and cow-melons, 28% between accessions within forms and 8% within accessions. The EST-SSR markers revealed a somewhat higher diversity in sweet watermelon accessions compared to that of cow-melons. This finding is contrary to previous reports using other markers (genomic SSR loci or RAPD) and/or a plant material that is likely to have experienced more stringent selection procedures compared to the landraces analyzed in our study.

Review on Autotoxicity of Watermelon

As a special form of allelopathy, autotoxicity is common in cucurbits, and it is one of main factors inducing： continuous cropping obstacles. Therefore, the autotoxicity research has both theoretical and practical significance on overcoming continuous cropping obstacles. In this review, commencing on the concept of autotoxicity, research results of autotoxicity in watermelon in recent years were summarized. The significance of researches on autotoxicity in watermelon, watermelon root exudate and its autotoxicity, and the autotoxicity of watermelon stubble and the mechanisms were explained. Meanwhile, some questions needed to be further studied.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of the effect of different heat shock periods on the unfertilized ovule in watermelon(Citrullus lanatus)

In vitro gynogenesis is an important tool used in haploid or homozygous double-haploid plant breeding.However,because of low repeatability,embryoid induction rate and quality,the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood.Heat shock treatment can promote the transformation of the gametophytic pathway into the sporophyte pathway,which induces the occurrence of haploid.In this study,unfertilized ovaries were heat shocked for 0 h(A0)before flowering and for 0 h(A1),4 h(A3),8 h(A5),12 h(A7),and 24 h(A8),respectively,at 37℃at the first day of the flowering stage.The ovule enlargement rate was increased from 0%at 25℃to 96.8%at 37℃(24 h treatment).Thus,we aimed to investigate the gene expression patterns in unfertilized ovules of watermelon after different periods of heat shock by using RNA-Seq technology.The results showed that compared with A3,A5,A7,and A8,the biosynthesis of amino acid,glycine,serine and threonine metabolic pathways in A1 has changed significantly.This indicated that heat shock treatment affected the synthesis and transformation of amino acids during ovule expansion.The transcriptome data suggested gene expressions of ovule growth were significantly changed by heat-specific influences.The results provide new information on the complex relationship between in vitro gynogenesis and temperature.This provides a basis for further study of the mechanism of heat shock affecting the expansion of watermelon ovule.

Genetic relationship and pedigree of Chinese watermelon varieties based on diversity of perfect SNPs

Watermelon(Citrullus lanatus)is one of the world’s most important fruit crops,and China produces the most watermelons in the world.Recently,a watermelon variome consisting of 414 key resequenced accessions was reported.However,the genetic relationships and pedigree of Chinese watermelon varieties in the seed market remain unclear.In this study,241 evenly distributed perfect single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)derived from the watermelon variome were selected for variety identification.The diversity of 247 Chinese watermelon varieties was identified based on their SNP genotypes.The 247 watermelon varieties were clustered into five subpopulations:the East Asian ecotype,intermediate ecotype,small fruit with red flesh ecotype,small fruit with yellow flesh ecotype,and American ecotype.We further established the pedigree of four subpopulations,of which JingXinNo.1,ZaoChunHongYu,HuangXiaoYu and XiaoLan,and Sugarlee were the main doner of the East Asian ecotype,small fruit with red flesh ecotype,small fruit with yellow flesh ecotype,and American ecotype,respectively.Thirty-two core SNPs were selected and applied in watermelon variety identification.They were also validated by the Kompetitive allele-specific PCR(KASPar)platform.The present study furthered our understanding of the genetic relationships and pedigree of watermelon varieties in China,and will help to manage the plant variety protection in watermelon.