CV of Dengfeng Hong
Project Leader, Member of Rapeseed Molecular Breeding Group, National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement/College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Shizishan Str. No.1, Hongshan Dist, 430070 Wuhan, China, dfhong@mail.hzau.edu.cn, +86 27 87281713
Education & professional positions
2001 B.S. degree in crop genetics and breeding, Huazhong Agricultural University, China
2006 Ph.D. in crop genetics and improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, China
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2017-current Professor, Member of Rapeseed Molecular Breeding, National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement/College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan
2010-2016 Associate Professor, Member of Rapeseed Molecular Breeding, National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement/College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan
2011-2012 Visiting Scholar, Key Schneitz Group, Plant Development Biolgy, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising
2007-2009 Assistant Professor, National Key Lab of Crop Genetic Improvement/College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan
Professional memberships
Member of Oilseed Crop Branch, the Crop Science Society of China
Current research interests & achievements
We have broad interests on the genetic and molecular basis of flowering time adaption, yield-related traits, and male sterility in canola. Particularly, we’d like to transform our fundamental findings into practical canola improvement by developing the molecular breeding systems in combination with speed breeding technique
Due to the shortage of diverse artificial mutants as those in model plants, we explore the natural variations from rich germplasm collection and always used the map-based cloning strategy to identify the casual genes underlying the variations. In our previous studies, we cloned the nuclear restorer gene (Rfp) for the famous polima cytoplasmic male sterility and reported a Brassica-specific novel protein, MS5, that mediates early meiotic progression from a natural genetic male sterility (GMS) mutant (1, 2). Earlier, we reported two genes conferring male sterility and restoration of fertility, respectively, from another GMS line that has been commercially used for rapeseed hybrid production both in Germany and China (3, 5). In 2015, we characterized the first quantitative trait locus (qSS.C9) controlling the number of seeds per silique in Brassica napus and revealed that it is involved in the progression out of female meiosis (4). Recently, we have successfully isolated two QTLs responsible for early flowering phenotype, two QTLs associated with seed weight and one QTL for seed glucosinolate content.
Presently, we successfully establish the effective cycling system in which the spring type and the semi-winter type canola can be reproduced for 6 times and 4.5 times annually, respectively. Aiding by the molecular-marker based design breeding, we have an outstanding capability in commercial breeding and can release three to five canola cultivars for the farmers in China. Due to the excellent and stable field performance, two of our cultivars have been used as checks for the national and provincial cultivar demonstration trials in the Yangtze River Basin, China.
Publications in the recent five years (**corresponding author)
1. Liu Y, Zhou XM, Yan M, Wang PF, Wang H, Xin Q, Yang LY, Hong DF*, Yang GS*. Fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of a seed glucosinolate content QTL, qGSL‑C2, in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). Theor Appl Genet, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-019-03479-x
2. Chen L#., Dong FM#., Cai J, Xin Q, Fang CC, Liu L, Wan LL, Yang GS*, and Hong DF*. A 2.833-kb insertion in BnFLC.A2 and its homeologous exchange with BnFLC.C2 during breeding selection generated early-flowering rapeseed. Mol Plant, 2018, 11: 222-225
3. Liu Z#, Yang ZH#, Wang X, Li KD, An H, Liu J, Yang GS, Fu TD, Yi B**, Hong DF**. A Mitochondria-targeted PPR protein restores pol cytoplasmic male sterility by reducing orf224 transcript levels in oilseed rape. Mol Plant, 2016, 9:1082-1084
4. Xin Q#, Shen Y#, Li X, Lu W, Wang X, Han X, Dong FM, Wan LL, Yang GS, Hong DF**, Cheng ZK**. MS5 mediates early meiotic progression and its natural variants may have applications for hybrid production in Brassica napus. Plant Cell, 2016, 28:1263-1278
5. Deng ZH, Li X, Wang ZZ, Jiang YF, Wan LL, Dong FM, Chen FX, Hong DF**，Yang GS. Map-based cloning reveals the complex organization of the BnRf locus and leads to the identification of BnRfb, a male sterility gene, in Brassica napus. Theor Appl Genet, 2016, 129: 53-64
6. Li SP, Chen L, Zhang LW, Li X, Liu Y, Wu ZK, Dong FM, Wan LL, Liu KD, Hong DF**, Yang GS. BnaC9.SMG7b functions as a positive regulator of the number of seeds per silique in Brassica napus by regulating the formation of functional female gametophytes. Plant Physiol, 2015, 169: 2744-2760
Major projects
1. Molecular characterization of BnMs5 in chromosome behavior regulation during early meiosis and the multiallelic hereditary mode of BnMs5 (National Natural Science Foundation of China). Sponsored from 2017-2020.
2. Breeding of cultivars with high-yield, elite-quality and suitable for machanic harvesting for the Yangtze River Basin (National Key R&D Programs). Sponsored from 2017-2020.
3. Molecular mechanism on the crop genome stability and early-flowering response to continuous rapid cycling in greenhouse (Projects for Foundation Research of Applications and Frontiers in Wuhan). Sponsored from 2019-2021.
