Summary Kernel number per spike determined by the spike or inflorescence development is one important agricultural trait for wheat yield that is critical for global food security. While a few important genes for wheat spike development were identified, the genetic regulatory mechanism underlying supernumerary spikelets (SSs) is still unclear. Here, we cloned the wheat FRIZZY PANICLE (WFZP) gene from one local wheat cultivar. WFZP is specifically expressed at the sites where the spikelet meristem and floral meristem are initiated, which differs from the expression patterns of its homologs FZP/BD1 in rice and maize, indicative of its functional divergence during species differentiation. Moreover, WFZP directly activates VERNALIZATION1 (VRN1) and wheat HOMEOBOX4 (TaHOX4) to regulate the initiation and development of spikelet. The haplotypes analysis showed that the favourable alleles of WFZP associated with spikelet number per spike (SNS) were preferentially selected during breeding. Our findings provide insights into the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying wheat spike development and characterize the WFZP as elite resource for wheat molecular breeding with enhanced crop yield.

Lateral roots (LRs) are an important part of plant root systems. In dicots, for example, after plants adapted from aquatic to terrestrial environments, filamentous pseudorhizae evolved to allow nutrient absorption. A typical plant root system comprises a primary root, LRs, root hairs, and a root cap. Classical plant roots exhibit geotropism (the tendency to grow downward into the ground) and can synthesize plant hormones and other essential substances. Root vascular bundles and complex spatial structures enable plants to absorb water and nutrients to meet their nutrient quotas and grow. The primary root carries out most functions during early growth stages but is later overtaken by LRs, underscoring the importance of LR development water and mineral uptake and the soil fixation capacity of the root. LR development is modulated by endogenous plant hormones and external environmental factors, and its underlying mechanisms have been dissected in great detail in Arabidopsis, thanks to its simple root anatomy and the ease of obtaining mutants. This review comprehensively and systematically summarizes past research (largely in Arabidopsis) on LR basic structure, development stages, and molecular mechanisms regulated by different factors, as well as future prospects in LR research, to provide broad background knowledge for root researchers.

In this work, random forest (RF), support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor and C4.5 decision tree, were used to establish classification models for predicting whether an unknown molecule is an inhibitor of human topoisomerase I (Top1) protein. All these models have achieved satisfactory results, with total prediction accuracies from 89.70% to 97.12%. Through comparative analysis, it can be found that the RF model has the best forecasting effect. The parameters were further optimized to generate the best-performing RF model. At the same time, features selection was implemented to choose properties most relevant to the inhibition of Top1 from 189 molecular descriptors through a special RF procedure. Subsequently, a ligand-based virtual screening was performed from the Maybridge database by the optimal RF model and 596 hits were picked out. Then, 67 molecules with relative probability scores over 0.7 were selected based on the screening results. Next, the 67 molecules above were docked to Top1 using AutoDock Vina. Finally, six top-ranked molecules with binding energies less than −10.0 kcal/mol were screened out and a common backbone, which is entirely different from that of existing Top1 inhibitors reported in the literature, was found.

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