Yinglin Zhu

Abstract High-quality black tea is globally prized for its characteristic aromas, notably “floral” and “sweet” notes. The tea cultivar serves as the genetic foundation for the development of these signature scents. Therefore, precise identification of key odorants across different aroma types is scientifically essential to guide the targeted breeding of superior aromatic tea cultivars.

Abstract After germination, seedlings undergo etiolated development (skotomorphogenesis), enabling them to grow towards the soil surface. In Arabidopsis, etiolated seedlings exhibit rapid hypocotyl elongation, apical hook formation and closed cotyledons to protect the meristem. In this study, we found that high-order mutants in the BPM gene family displayed defects in seedling development, characterized by a shorter hypocotyl, early apical hook opening, and opened cotyledons in the dark.