Zhongfu Yang: Plant Physiology First Author

Zhongfu Yang, first author of “DNA hypermethylation promotes the flowering of orchardgrass during vernalization”

Current Position: PhD student, Sichuan Agricultural University

Education: Jilin Agricultural University (Bachelor)

Non-scientific Interests: Badminton and travel

Brief bio: In 2015, I joined professor Xinquan Zhang’s research group in the College of Grassland Science and Technology at Sichuan Agricultural University. Our lab has been engaged in studying the molecular mechanism of important agronomic traits in forages. Orchardgrass is one of the top four economically important forage grasses cultivated worldwide, and the flowering time of orchardgrass is one of the main factors for its utilization. Under the guidance of Prof. Xinquan Zhang and Prof. Linkai Huang, my main work during the doctoral stage is to study the molecular mechanism of environmental signals regulating the flowering time of orchardgrass. In this study, we found that an increase in the levels of genome DNA methylation during the early vernalization of orchardgrass activated the expression of vernalization-pathway related genes and further promoted floral primordium initiation and development of orchardgrass. It is hoped that our research results will provide new targets and ideas for the improvement of forage and crop breeding.

姓名：杨忠富

目前职位：四川农业大学在读博士生

教育背景：

2011-2015，吉林农业大学/学士

2015-至今，四川农业大学/（硕博连读）博士

兴趣爱好：羽毛球，旅行

个人简介：

2015年，我加入了四川农业大学草业科技学院张新全教授课题组。本实验室主要从事牧草重要农艺性状形成的分子机理研究。鸭茅是世界四大重要经济牧草之一，其开花时间是影响其利用的主要因素之一。在张新全教授和黄琳凯教授的指导下，我在博士阶段的主要工作是研究环境信号调控鸭茅开花时间的分子机制。我们的研究发现果园草春化早期基因组DNA甲基化水平的增加，激活春化途径相关基因的表达，进而促进鸭茅花原基萌发和发育。期望我们的研究结果能为牧草及作物育种改良提供新靶标和新思路。