Reviews

• Research Progress of CRISPR/Cas9 Technology and Its Application in Horticultural Plants
• WANG Chenyu, LIU Mengjun, WANG Lixin, LIU Zhiguo
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1439-1454. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0760
• Abstract ( 499 ) HTML ( 430 ) PDF (961KB) ( 430 ) 　　　

• CRISPR/Cas9 is the immune defense system in bacteria and archaea. In 1987，a special repeat interval sequence was firstly discovered in Escherichia coli. Later，this repeat interval sequence was also found in more than 20 bacteria and archaea. In 2002，this special sequence was officially named as CRISPR. Subsequently，a series of studies using CRISPR/Cas9 technology for gene editing were carried out. CRISPR/Cas9 technology is the third generation gene editing technology，following ZFNs（zinc finger nucleases）technology and TALENs（transfer activator like effector nucleases）technology. This system has the advantages of simple operation design，high mutation efficiency，low cost，and has been successively applied in many horticultural plants such as citrus，grape，banana，strawberry，cucumber，and potato. This article reviews the principles and research progress of CRISPR/Cas9 technology，discusses the developmental history of various editors，including single base editor，double base editor，and guided editor，introduces the application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in horticultural plants，and finally proposes the remaining problems and future prospects of CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

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• Research Advances of Strategies to Engineer VIGS Vectors and Its Application in Plants
• REN Hengze, LI Danying, YU Yating, LÜ Wuyun, HAO Xinyuan, WANG Xinchao, WANG Yuchun
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1455-1473. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0753
• Abstract ( 358 ) HTML ( 358 ) PDF (1158KB) ( 358 ) 　　　

• Virus-induced gene silencing（VIGS），a reverse genetic technique based on plant antiviral mechanism，has been widely used in the study of plant growth and development，signal transduction，metabolic pathways and stress resistance due to its advantages of independent of plant genetic transformation system，time-saving，easy and efficient operation，and high-throughput. In this paper，the mechanism，application and problems of VIGS were reviewed，and the vector construction strategies and influencing factors were discussed emphatically，aiming to provide reference for the further development and application of VIGS technology.

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• The Relevance Research Between Acid Transporters and Fruit Acidity
• ZHANG Lihua, XU Yu, Zheng Litong, Wang Changzhi, ZHU Lingcheng, MA Baiquan, LI Mingjun
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1474-1488. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0514
• Abstract ( 140 ) HTML ( 85 ) PDF (1195KB) ( 85 ) 　　　

• Malate and citrate are the main organic acids in the acidity formation of most mature fruits. The passage of organic acids from cytoplasm to vacuole storage is a complex process that is highly dependent on a large number of organic acid transporters and various proton pump genes. In the present paper，the research progress on the relevance between the organic acid accumulation and the genes associated with organic acid transportation in fruits of horticultural crops was reviewed，so as to provide theoretical reference for the improvement of fruit quality and genetic improvement of horticultural crops.

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• Research Progress on the Role of Hydrogen-Rich Water in Plant Growth and Development and Stress Response
• LI Yachen, ZHENG Yanmei, SONG Wenpei, LI Dawei, LIANG Hong, ZHANG Xianzhi
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1489-1500. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0435
• Abstract ( 239 ) HTML ( 143 ) PDF (2332KB) ( 143 ) 　　　

• Hydrogen-rich water（HRW）refers to water with a saturation concentration of hydrogen（H₂）of 0.0016% at room temperature and one atmosphere of pressure. It has good reducibility and can be used as a safe，green and environmentally friendly new plant growth regulator，suggesting broad application prospects in agriculture. Recent studies have found that HRW can regulate plant hormone synthesis and signal transmission，thus affecting plant growth and development. It can also effectively remove reactive oxygen species（ROS）and exert antioxidant effect，reducing plant damage in the conditions of external environment stresses. Moreover，HRW helps to preserve the postharvesting quality of fruits，vegetables and flowers，and extends the shelf life of plants. In this work，the latest research progress of HRW in promoting plant growth and development，alleviating plant stress and prolonging shelf life of plants were systematically analyzed. Subsequently，the application status and trend of HRW in horticultural plant production were discussed. Finally，it was proposed to investigate the molecular mechanism of HRW on plants by integrating plant physiology，molecular biology，genetics methods in the future. In all，this work provides important theoretical reference for application of HRW in horticultural production，and feasible suggestions are proposed for future agricultural practice of using HRW.

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• Research Progress on the Effect of Temperature on Anthocyanin Accumulation in Plants
• WANG Mengyao, WANG Mengjie, LAI Huiping, HE Yaping, YAN Lu, LI Peng, GUO Liting, AI Ye
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1501-1515. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0556
• Abstract ( 261 ) HTML ( 228 ) PDF (777KB) ( 228 ) 　　　

• This review comprehensively examined the impact of temperature on anthocyanin accumulation by regulating the expression of genes related to anthocyanin synthesis，degradation，and transport. Temperature can also modulate anthocyanin synthesis through epigenetic and protein modifications，including DNA methylation，protein ubiquitination，protein SUMOylation，and protein phosphorylation levels. Furthermore，temperature synergistically interacts with light and hormones to regulate anthocyanin accumulation. This article provided a theoretical reference for the in-depth analysis of the effects of temperature on anthocyanin accumulation in plants and offers prospects for future research directions.

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• Isolation and Purification of Mitochondria and Its Application in Research on Fruit Ripening and Senescence
• LI Xin, CHAI Yingfang, TIAN Zhen, WANG Pengwei, CHENG Yunjiang
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1516-1528. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0528
• Abstract ( 126 ) HTML ( 67 ) PDF (1114KB) ( 67 ) 　　　

• This paper reviews the recent advances in mitochondrial isolation and purification and relevant application in research on fruit ripening and senescence，as well as the difficulties and crucial factors in mitochondrial preparation, purity and intactness evaluation of isolated mitochondria. The existing problems and developing trend in the future are also discussed.

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• Advances in Bitter Taste of the Horticultural Plants
• ZHENG Chuanqi, TANG Yuchao, YANG Panpan, PENG Fuhai, XU Leifeng, TANG Le, ZHI Yongming, MING Jun
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1529-1546. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0067
• Abstract ( 242 ) HTML ( 182 ) PDF (1069KB) ( 182 ) 　　　

• The bitter taste in the edible parts of horticultural plants significantly impacts their flavor. In this paper，the mechanisms of bitter taste，common bitter substances in horticultural plants，evaluation methods，and screening techniques for bitter metabolites are reviewed. The aim is to serve as a reference for the comprehensive development and utilization of bitter substances in horticultural plant breeding for various application goals.

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• Progress on Bud Sport of Tree Fruit
• HUANG Yiqi, ZHU Yuqin, DU Zhaoxuan, XU Feng, CHEN Xiaoyi, YANG Guoshun, XU Yanshuai
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1547-1564. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0630
• Abstract ( 202 ) HTML ( 194 ) PDF (1245KB) ( 194 ) 　　　

• The bud sport mainly result from genetic changes in bud meristem cells，which often occurs on tree fruit，most bud sports are inferior mutants for cultivation，and a few become elite cultivar. Present studies on bud sport generally start with morphological and physiological investigation，and then combine molecular methods to elucidate the mechanism. The methods to detect the presence of mutations mainly include DNA markers such as SSRs and other molecular marker，transposon InDel detection，InDel mutation detection，DNA methylation detection，high-throughput sequencing detection，MITEs sequence detection，etc. Both similarities and differences are detected in various types of bud sports among tree species. By summarizing the color，ripening stage，canopy shape，tree vigor，and other horticultural characteristics of fruit trees，the possible mechanism of bud sport was analyzed. This paper can provide a reference for analyzing the molecular mechanism of bud sport in tree fruits and subsequent marker-assisted breeding.

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• Advances in Genome-Wide Association Study Associated Important Traits in Apple
• TIAN Wen, LI Zichen, WANG Lin, WANG Dajiang, WANG Kun, SUN Simiao, WANG Guangyi, LIU Zhao, LU Xiang, FENG Jianrong, GAO Yuan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1565-1579. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0818
• Abstract ( 160 ) HTML ( 94 ) PDF (835KB) ( 94 ) 　　　

• This paper briefly introduces the basic principles，analysis processes，and advantages of genome-wide association study（GWAS），and focuses on the new progress in the identification of genes related to important traits such as apple phenological period，appearance and internal quality，and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses in apple. The limitations and prospects of the current research were put forward in order to provide a theoretical basis and reference for breeding breakthrough cultivars of apples.

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• Detection Methods of Apple Tree Viruses
• LIU Chenglong, FAN Xudong, REN Fang, ZHANG Zunping, HU Guojun, DONG Yafeng
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1580-1594. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0415
• Abstract ( 106 ) HTML ( 42 ) PDF (806KB) ( 42 ) 　　　

• In this paper，the principle and characteristics of detection techniques for apple tree virus were briefly summarized，including indicator plant method，transmission electron microscopy，serological detection，nucleic acid hybridization technique，reverse transcriptase polymerase amplification technique，reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification technique，reverse transcription-loop mediated thermostatic amplification technique，gene microarray and high-throughput sequencing technique. The progress of different technologies for apple tree viruses detection were reviewed. In addition，future research directions are prospected.

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• Advances in Metabolomics of Pear Fruit
• LI Wenyuan, LIN Menghua, LI Yahui, YU Quanqi, LIANG Ying, ZHANG Zhiyong
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1595-1609. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0699
• Abstract ( 153 ) HTML ( 85 ) PDF (860KB) ( 85 ) 　　　

• Presently，the research of metabolomics in pears and other Rosaceae fruits focuse on the differential expression of metabolic maps throughout the growth period of the fruit，the analysis and characterization of metabolites in different cultivars of pear fruits，the dynamic changes in metabolism during postharvest storage and processing，and the analysis of factors affecting the accumulation of metabolic products related to fruit quality. In recent years，metabolomics has been combined with transcriptomics datasets，proteomics datasets，and others to jointly analyse and establish the correlation between multi-dimensional datasets，showing potential in identifying key genes for important traits，elucidating the mechanism of fruit quality formation，and revealing the metabolic pathways of unknown metabolites. This article mainly introduces the current state of metabolomics technologies and metabolite identification，the research progress of metabolomics technology and multi-omics technology in pear fruit，and the application prospects of various emerging metabolomics technologies and multi-omics correlation research in pear fruit，in order to provide a reference for the improvement of pear variety and quality.

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• Research Progress on the Mechanism of GAs-Induced Seedlessness in Grape
• LIU Miaomiao, YAO Jin, BAO Min, CHU Yanyan, WANG Xiping
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1610-1622. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0030
• Abstract ( 217 ) HTML ( 126 ) PDF (881KB) ( 126 ) 　　　

• Gibberellins（GAs）can effectively induce ovule abortion and are widely utilized in the production of seedless grape. Gibberellins induces abnormal development of grape embryo sac and pollen，resulting in internal physiological metabolism disorders. This process is also dynamically regulated by some genes related to plant hormone anabolism and signaling pathways，gibberellins response genes and specific microRNA during seed development. This review summarizes the mechanism of GAs-induced seedlessness in grape from the aspects of embryology，physiology，biochemistry and molecular mechanisms，with the aim of further understanding the potential regulatory mechanism of GAs-induced parthenocarpy of grape and providing a basis for using GAs in the future production of high-quality seedless grape.

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• Research Progress on the Molecular Mechanisms of Interactions Between Candidatus Liberibacter and Citrus
• DU Meixia, PANG Shuwei, DONG Liting, MO Kaiqin, HOU Mengyuan, WANG Shuai, ZOU Xiuping
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1623-1638. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0610
• Abstract ( 139 ) HTML ( 84 ) PDF (851KB) ( 84 ) 　　　

• Candidatus Liberibacter is a phloem-colonizing gram-negative bacterium，which is yet to be isolated and cultured in vitro. There are currently no effective remedies and no commercially available citrus varieties that are resistant to HLB. In this review，the research progress on the molecular mechanism of the interaction between Candidatus Liberibacter and citrus was reviewed from the aspects of HLB and its pathogenic mechanism，citrus resistance（tolerance）HLB mechanism and disease resistance resource discovery. Based on molecular-assisted breeding techniques such as gene editing，the process of citrus disease resistance breeding was prospected，which provided theoretical reference and gene resource information for further analysis of the pathogenic mechanism of HLB and resistance breeding.

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• Recent Advances in New Viruses Infecting Strawberry
• DING Xinlun, ZHANG Jie, WU Zujian
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1639-1648. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0495
• Abstract ( 290 ) HTML ( 59 ) PDF (778KB) ( 59 ) 　　　

• Viral infections pose a significant threat to both the yield and quality of strawberries （Fragaria spp.）. The introduction of high-throughput sequencing technology for detecting and identifying plant viruses has led to the recent discovery of several new viruses in strawberries. This review examines 11 recently identified viruses in strawberries，including five viruses（cucumber mosaic virus，spinach latent virus，Lycopersicon esculentum nepovirus，olive latent virus 1 and Brassica yellows virus）that had been previously identified in other plant species and six viruses（strawberry polerovirus 1，strawberry virus 1，strawberry virus 2，strawberry virus 3，Fragaria vesca-associated virus 1 and strawberry virus A）that were entirely new discoveries. This report presents a comprehensive overview of relevant information and research advancements related to these 11 viruses，along with a discussion of the challenges they present and potential avenues for future research. This review aims to serve as a reference for diagnosing，detecting，predicting，and managing viral diseases that affect strawberries

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• Research Progress on the Mechanism of Regulating the Number of Tomato Locules
• MENG Sida, HAN Leilei, XIANG Hengzuo, ZHU Meiyu, FENG Zhen, YE Yunzhu, SUN Meihua, LI Yanbing, ZHAO Liping, TAN Changhua, QI Mingfang, LI Tianlai
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1649-1664. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0449
• Abstract ( 187 ) HTML ( 96 ) PDF (1952KB) ( 96 ) 　　　

• The number of tomato locules is closely related to the incidence of malformed fruits. Increasing tomato locule number resulting larger fruit size but multi-locule fruit will develop to malformed fruits easily. Multi-locule malformed fruits often happening when tomato cultivated at horticultural facilities in winter and spring，which seriously affects the quality and economic benefits of tomato.The number of carpels determines the number of locules. The number of carpels is determined by the size of flower meristem. The division and differentiation of meristem is very important for the number of tomato locules. This review summarizes the progress of factors affecting the locule number of tomato were reviewed from the aspects of locus，genes，temperature，light，nutrients，plant hormones，in order to provide reference for efficient cultivation and quality breeding of tomato.

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• Research Progress on the Mechanism of Pepper Resistance to Phytophthora Blight
• SHI Fengyan, WANG Zhidan, ZHANG Xi, WANG Xiuxue, ZOU Chunlei
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1665-1682. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0350
• Abstract ( 180 ) HTML ( 109 ) PDF (898KB) ( 109 ) 　　　

• Phytophthora blight is a highly destructive soil borne disease caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian. This article reviews the research progress on the genetics，cytology，physiology，biochemistry，and molecular biology mechanisms of pepper resistance to phytophthora blight，and prospects the application of pepper resistance to phytophthora blight. The aim is to provide valuable references for the research on the mechanism of pepper resistance to phytophthora blight and its breeding.

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• Research Progress of CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Techniques in Melon Crops
• JIANG Rui, ZHOU Shengjun, ZHU Yuqiang, WANG Xin, TAN Jihong, WANG Huasen, ZHANG Peng
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1683-1694. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0503
• Abstract ( 153 ) HTML ( 92 ) PDF (800KB) ( 92 ) 　　　

• It mainly outlines the origin，classification and mechanism of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology，summarizes the research progress of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the identification of gene function and trait improvement in melon crops，and discusses the difficulties and solutions for the application of gene editing technology in melon crops，so as to provide a reference for the wide application of gene editing technology in melon crops.

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• Advances in Morphogenesis of Petal Conical Epidermal Cells
• ZHAO Zeyang, ZHOU Yuqing, LIN Deshu, REN Huibo
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1695-1706. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2023-0846
• Abstract ( 121 ) HTML ( 52 ) PDF (2195KB) ( 52 ) 　　　

• Most angiosperm species have conical epidermal cells on petal adaxial epidermides. These special shaped cells not only influence the light absorption，light reflection and surface hydrophobicity of petals to make flowers possess and maintain their attraction to pollinators，but also provide grips for pollinators to enhance pollination rate. Because of their important biologic functions and specific cell shape，petal conical epidermal cells are used as a model system to study the mechanisms of cell shape formation. This review explains the analytical method for morphological phenotypes of petal conical epidermal cells. Meanwhile，this review summarizes the current research results and elucidates the roles and possible regulatory mechanisms of MYB transcription factors，TCP transcription factors，zinc finger transcription factors，auxin and cortical microtubule arrays in the morphogenesis of petal conical epidermal cells. These research findings will provide theoretical references to the genetic improvement of horticultural plants.

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New Cultivars

• A New Cultivar of Chinese Chestnut‘Yanli 4’
• ZHANG Shuhang, LI Ying, GUO Yan, ZHAGN Xinfang, FAN Liying, LIU Jinyu, WANG Guangpeng, XIONG Yongbin
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1707-1708. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0526
• Abstract ( 153 ) HTML ( 52 ) PDF (1054KB) ( 52 ) 　　　

• The new cultivar‘Yanli 4’was selected from the wild seedlings. The tree is semi-upright， the top position of burs is ellipsoid. The nut mass 8.52 g on average，the content of sugar，starch and protein is 18.5%，51.5% and 5.05% of the nut dry weigh respectively. It has characteristics such as good quality，sweet flavor. The nuts mature period is late September，and the average yield is 3 100 kg · hm^-2. The cultivar is suitable for Chinese chestnut cultivation area in northern China.

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• A New Pepper F₁ Hybrid Cultivar‘Longjiao 13’
• ZHANG Ru, CHEN Lingzhi, WANG Lanlan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1709-1710. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2021-1015
• Abstract ( 493 ) HTML ( 90 ) PDF (1429KB) ( 90 ) 　　　

• ‘Longjiao 13’is a new hot pepper F₁ hybrid cultivar，acquired with lines 1474 and 1439 as female and male parent respectively. The fruit is horn shape with wrinkle，28.0 cm in length，3.1 cm in width，0.27 cm in pulp thickness and 66 g in weight. The fruit has a green color，wrinkled surface，spicy taste，and good commercial value. Average yield is 75 000 kg · hm^-2 in facilities.‘Longjiao 13’is resistance to TMV and Phytophthora blight and it is suitable for planting in facilities and open fields in northwest China.

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• A New Syringa vulgaris Cultivar‘Yupan’
• LIU Jianbin, ZHANG Yan
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1711-1712. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2021-0724
• Abstract ( 100 ) HTML ( 45 ) PDF (1508KB) ( 45 ) 　　　

• The new Syringa vulgaris cultivar‘Yupan’is selected from the hybrid seedling of‘Downfield’בClarence Dvan Zandt’. The flowers are double petal with light purple（RHS，purple group N77B），which has high ornamental value. Late flowering，and the initial flowering period starts from April 20-22 and ends on May 1-5 on Beijing plain region，and preformed robust growth，adaptability，drought and cold resistance.‘Yupan’is suitable for planting in most parts of North China and Northeast China.

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• A New Lycaste Cultivar‘Hong Linwu’
• LI Zhenjian, ZHANG Suzhi, ZOU Xiaoshuo, CHANG Lingling, ZHOU Yuxin, SUN Zhenyuan, ZOU Junzhu
• Acta Horticulturae Sinica. 2024, 51(7): 1713-1714. DOI:10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2024-0003
• Abstract ( 112 ) HTML ( 62 ) PDF (1323KB) ( 62 ) 　　　

• The Lycaste cultivar‘Hong Linwu’is a new cultivar through artificial hybridization，which was derived from the cross of L.‘Red Jewel’× L. aromatica. The flower is purplish red，the flower shape is elegant with a balanced color tone，with a round shape. The number of flowers per pot is 1-5，with a pedicel length of 8-13 cm and a flower diameter of 4.5-5.5 cm. The flowering period is from the end of December to mid February of the following year. This cultivar is suitable for greenhouse cultivation in Northern China and open cultivation in Southern China.

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