Lele Shang: The Plant Cell First Author

Lele Shang, co-first author of ‘‘A mutation in a C2H2-type zinc finger transcription factor contributed to the transition towards self-pollination in cultivated tomatoes”

Current Position: Ph.D. Candidate, Huazhong Agricultural University

Education: B.S. in Shandong Agricultural University

Non-scientific Interests: Movie, traveling

Brief bio: I graduated from Shandong Agricultural University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree. And in the same year, I joined the lab of Prof. Zhibiao Ye and Prof. Yuyang Zhang at Huazhong Agricultural University to start my postgraduate study. During my master and doctor stages, I focused on the regulation of stigma exsertion degree in tomato. Using GWAS, we identified a major locus that is associated with the variations of stigma exsertion degree, and further analyzed the locus, we obtained a novel stigma exsertion gene and named SE3.1. Functional complement experiments indicated that SE3.1 controls the conversion from flush stigmas to inserted stigmas, and thus influences the efficiency of self-fertilization. Further analyzing the relationship with the known stigma exsertion gene Style2.1, we proposed a two-step model in controlling the transition from stigma exsertion to insertion during tomato domestication and improvement. Our findings provide a clear framework for investigating the molecular basis underlying flower morphology evolution.

姓名：尚乐乐

职位：华中农业大学，在读博士研究生

学历：山东农业大学，学士学位

兴趣爱好：看电影，旅行

个人简介：我于2017年本科毕业于山东农业大学。同年，进入华中农业大学叶志彪教授和张余洋教授课题组开始研究生阶段的学习。在我的硕士和博士阶段，我主要关注于番茄柱头外露程度的调控。我们通过GWAS关联到一个与柱头外露程度相关的位点，进一步对该位点进行分析，我们得到了一个新的控制番茄柱头外露程度的基因，命名为SE3.1。功能鉴定发现SE3.1控制番茄柱头由平齐到内缩至花药筒内这一过程的转变，从而对番茄自交的效率产生影响。进一步分析与已知番茄柱头外露基因Style2.1的关系，我们提出了番茄在驯化和改良过程中柱头由外露到内缩这一过程的实现是由两步完成的。阐明了番茄驯化和改良过程中，花形态改变的分子基础。