Hua Qin: Plant Physiology First Author

Hua Qin, first author of “Abscisic acid promotes auxin biosynthesis to inhibit primary root elongation in rice”

Current Position: Researcher, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)

Education: Postdoc and Ph.D., (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) in Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and B.Sc. (Biological Engineering) in Yangtze University

Non-scientific Interests: travelling, movies, badminton and table tennis

Brief bio: My major research interest is to dissect the molecular mechanism of ethylene in plant root growth and stress adaptation. I started my research career since I became a graduate student of Dr. Rongfeng Huang. During my graduate and postdoctoral study, I found that OsDOF15 acts as a link between salt and ethylene biosynthesis by coordinating the modulation of salt- and ethylene-inhibited primary root growth, and OsEIL1 mediates the crosstalk between ethylene and auxin/gibberellin during primary root elongation by activating the expression of OsYUC8/OsGA2oxs. In this study, we demonstrated that ABA employs auxin as downstream signals to modify root elongation and radial expansion, causing short and swollen root and disrupting their ability to penetrate compacted soil. Our long-term scientific goal is to provide valuable targets for root system architecture breeding and improve rice production in environments characterized by abiotic stress.

姓名：秦华

职位：中国农业科学院生物技术研究所，研究员

学历：中国农业科学院，理学博士

爱好：旅游，羽毛球，乒乓球

简历：本人以水稻为研究对象，从事水稻耐逆性适应及其遗传改良的研究，剖析植物激素乙烯调控水稻根发育及耐逆性的分子机理。我们之前的研究发现OsDOF15通过调控乙烯合成介导盐抑制初生根的生长，以及乙烯通过乙烯信号核心转录因子OsEIL1转录调控生长素合成关键基因OsYUC8和赤霉素代谢基因OsGA2ox3的表达，从而导致根中生长素的积累和活性赤霉素含量的降低，最终抑制水稻初生根的伸长生长。在本研究中，我们发现ABA作用于生长素的上游来调控水稻根系对土壤硬度的响应。ABA信号途径转录因子OsbZIP46能够直接结合到生长素合成基因OsYUC8的启动子上来激活其表达，从而抑制水稻初生根的纵向伸长，促进根的横向生长。我们的研究将为未来选育钻地能力强的水稻新品种提供理论基础和有用的基因。