research-highlights

Analysis of Serendipitously Observed Red Leaf Phenotype in Sorghum

Lv et al. fine mapped the red leaf gene and identified the metabolites that cause red leaf in sorghum providing a better understanding of the red leaf phenotype in natural sorghum populations.

Glutinous and Japonica Sorghum Analyzed for Gene Expression and Gene Regulatory Pathways Related to Starch Synthesis

Ke et al. studied two varieties of sorghum, Liaonian3 (glutinous) and Liaoza10 (japonica) and identified genes associated with starch accumulation.

SbWRKY55’s Role in the Abscisic Acid (ABA) Signaling Pathway Regulates Sorghum’s Response to Salt Stress

Song et al. examined the endogenic responses underlying mechanisms for WRKY55 regulation under salt stress tolerance.

Research Provides a Deeper Understanding of Salicylic Acid-Induced Anthracnose Resistance

Researchers from Shandong University in China studied the effect of exogenous SA on resistance in SA sensitive and tolerant sorghum lines. Transcriptome analysis revealed that exposure to SA increases anthracnose resistance through the upregulation of the expression of immune-related genes and pathways.

Link Found Between GRF genes in Sorghum and Aphid Resistance

Shi et al. studied eight GRF genes in the sorghum genome, identifying orthologs through phylogenetic analysis, and evaluating their structural functions and expression patterns under both normal and stressed conditions.

QTLs Identified for Sorghum Resistance to Illinois C. sublineola Pathotype

Khanal et al. identified 47 markers associated with resistance to C. sublineola across all sorghum chromosomes except chromosome 8. Of these, 32 genes were selected as likely causal candidates due to their location near significant SNPs.

Silencing Gene in Sorghum Plants Significantly Impacts Central Metabolism and Stress Response

Researchers “knocked down” or silenced the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase SbPPC3 gene in leaves and roots through RNA interference. Salt stress affected stomatal conductance, yield and central metabolism more in Ppc3 mutant plants.

Unique Chromatin Regulators Discovered in Sorghum

In an effort to prove that epigenetics is behind some of sorghum’s specific features, researchers at Three Gorges University in China sought to clarify the function of the chromatin regulators and their interaction network.

Research Provides Support for Using Agricultural Configuration Techniques to Control Melanaphis sorghi

Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted a two year survey (2019-2020) of the abundance of Melanaphis sorghi and sorghum’s natural pest enemies in 42 sorghum fields located in the South Texas Gulf Coast.