Chundong Niu: The Plant Cell First Author

Chundong Niu, co-first author of “Methylation of a MITE insertion in the MdRFNR1-1 promoter is positively associated with its allelic expression in apple in response to drought stress”

Current Position: Post-doctoral in College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

Education: Master’s degree in Nanjing Agricultural University; PhD’s degree in Northwest A&F University

Non-scientific Interests: Reading, Road Trip

Brief bio:

In 2016, I was very honored to join the laboratory of Prof. Qingmei Guan at College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University to pursue my doctorate, and to start the research on molecular mechanism of stress-tolerance in fruit trees. Global climate change and rapid population growth have been increasing the shortage of water resources, as the main producing area of apple, the Loess Plateau has been affected by natural drought for long times. Accelerating the innovation of drought-tolerance apple accessions’ breeding by genetic engineering is the long-term goal of our teams.

The RFNR1 gene was first identified from RNA-seq analysis, which was induced in the roots of the wild apple Malus sieversii by polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment, and the transposon MITE-MdRF1 was discovered while studying the effect of PEG on RFNR1 expression. Our results charactered a mechanism by which apple participates in drought-tolerance through the redox pathway, and clarifies the function of the natural variation of RFNR1 in the response of apple to drought stress. Our research provides a theoretical basis for stress-tolerance breeding of fruit trees.

I will continue my research on the mechanism of stress tolerance in fruit trees, explore stress-related genes from different perspectives, and contribute to the development of the fruit tree industry.

姓名：牛春东

目前职位：西北农林科技大学博士后

教育经历：南京农业大学，理学硕士；西北农林科技大学，农学博士。

个人兴趣：读书，自驾

个人简介：我于2016年进入西北农林科技大学园艺学院管清美教授课题组进行学习，开始对果树抗逆分子机制进行研究。气候变化和人口快速增长造成水资源短缺日益加剧，黄土高原地区作为苹果的优势产区，长期受到自然干旱的影响，通过基因工程技术育种加快苹果抗逆种质的创新是本团队的长期目标。

苹果RFNR1基因来源于对新疆野苹果进行PEG模拟干旱处理的转录组测序结果，在对PEG影响RFNR1表达的研究中发现了转座子MITE-MdRF1。我们的研究成果解析了苹果通过氧化还原途径参与抗旱的一种机制，并明确了RFNR1的自然变异在苹果响应干旱胁迫中的功能。我们的研究为果树抗逆育种提供了理论基础。

后期我将继续对果树抗逆的机制进行研究，从不同角度发掘抗逆相关基因，为果树产业的发展做出自己的贡献。