Methoxypyrazines are responsible for some herbaceous characters in wines of some grape varieties characters and this is determined by the differential expression of a methyltransferase gene known as VvOMT3. In order to investigate the chromatin arrangement of the VvOMT3 gene, histone modifications were studied in the locus and these differed spatially between the skin and flesh tissues, temporally during fruit development and also amongst different VvOMT3 alleles. This study provides evidence of histone tail modification of the VvOMT3 locus in grapevine, which may play a role in the varietal, spatial and developmental regulation of the expression of this gene.

The Andean crop species Chenopodium quinoa (Willd.) can cope with combined salinity and high temperature stress, albeit these factors have partially contradictory implications on photosynthesis. Morphological and physiological analysis revealed high phenotypic plasticity of the canopy, resulting in improved leaf gas exchange and maintenance of photosynthesis. Quinoa is thereby a suitable candidate for agriculture in regions affected by salinity and high temperature.

Hydraulic conductance in plants may be affected by environmental factors, which in turn, regulate gas exchanges and yield. Leaf stomatal conductance and specific hydraulic conductivity in petioles (K_petiole) were evaluated in grapevines under different radiation and water regimes. Results indicate that variations in K_petiole were modulated in the short-term by the expression of aquaporins and in a longer-term, by modifications in the anatomy of xylem vessels.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play crucial roles in plant development and response to environmental stress. In our study, OsMAPK12-1 – an alternatively spliced form of BWMK1 – was found to respond to defence-related elicitors and positively modulates rice resistance against bacterial blight and streak disease whereas negatively regulates plant growth. Therefore, OsMAPK12-1 showed a balance between rice pathogen resistance and vegetative growth which provided a basis for rice molecular breeding.

The development of salt-tolerant rice cultivars is critical for its production in areas of high soil salinity. This study examined salt-adaptive mechanisms conferred by elevated levels of a regulatory protein OsGSK5, which enhanced rice salinity tolerance through the reallocation of carbon to root. This novel mechanism provides a target for rice breeders to develop cultivars that can withstand episodes of salinity.

The change to LED systems for growing Arabidopsis thaliana raises questions concerning the reproducibility of results obtained under fluorescent light. We compared growth, photosynthesis and metabolite contents in Arabidopsis genotypes grown under two LED systems or fluorescent lamps. In conclusion, the effect caused by the change to LED was small compared to those of plant age and diurnal rhythm.

The CBL genes act as calcium sensors present in plants, therefore, identification of candidate CBL gene (s) confer the responses against abiotic stresses. We have identified BrCBL1-1, BrCBL9-1, and BrCBL4-2 as candidate genes for cold, salt, and drought stresses, respectively. Our results will help the molecular breeders for developing abiotic stress tolerance Chinese cabbage cultivars through conventional or gene engineering.