Principal Investigator
Researcher
Email:hanxiao@sippe.ac.cn
Personal Web:

National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics

2009.06-current Principal Investigator, National Key Laboratory of Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

2004.1-2009.06 Post-doctoral researcher at Department of Horticulture and Crop Sciences in The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA. 

2000.07-2003.12 PhD in Genetics at Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Beijing, China.  

1999.09-2000.06 Exchange student at Department of Plant Pathology in University of Florida. Gainesville, USA. 

1995.08-1999.08 Research Scientist/assistant professor at Department of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory for Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, in China National Rice Research Institute. Hangzhou, China.  

1996.04-1996.10 Visiting scholar at ILTAB (International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology) in The Scripps Research Institute. La Jolla, California, US. 

1992.09-1995.7 Master Degree in Plant Genetics and Breeding at the graduate school of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/China National Rice Research Institute. Beijing and Hangzhou, China 

1990.08-1992.07 Technician at Agricultural Extension Station of Shangyou county. Jiangxi, China. 

1986.09-199-.07 Bachelor degree in Plant Genetics and Breeding, Jiangxi Agricultural University. Nanchang, China.   

Using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) as a model, the goals of the Fruit Developmental Biology Laboratory are to identify key genetic components controlling fruit morphology, and to understand fruit development process at the molecular level, with the ultimate aim of offering opportunities for plant breeders to integrate selection and/or genome editing in breeding programs to create new varieties of high yield and quality.       

The fruit, developed from fertilized gynoecium (carpels), consists of several distinctive tissue types including pericarp, septum and locules. Fruit morphology (size and shape) is largely controlled by the patterned cell division, growth and differentiation during flower and fruit development. Thus, the duration and plane of cell division, as well as cell expansion contribute substantially to the final size and shape of the fruit. Our research programs aim to identify key players in regulation of cell division and expansion in the fruit.  

Fertilization triggers the dynamic changes in biosynthesis and signaling of plant hormones to sustain fruit growth. Through research programs integrating genetics, development and omics, we are seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of fruit formation and growth actuated by fertilization, particularly, the role of the seed-derived auxin in controlling fruit morphology.  

In the past years, we tried to address two hypotheses concerning transcriptional regulation of fruit growth and genetic control of fruit morphology. Several findings from our work shed new light on transcription and post-translational regulations of fruit formation and development in tomato.   

Few transcription factors including SlZFP2 were upregulated in early developing tomato fruits. Our studies revealed that SlZFP2 fine-tunes ABA biosynthesis during early fruit growth, promotes fruit formation by limiting ethylene production in young fruits and controls fruit ripening mainly through Colorless non-ripening (Cnr) (Weng et al 2015, 2016).    

Stem cell homeostasis plays crucial roles in shaping flower and fruit morphology. Through genetic and biochemical approaches, we demonstrated that DEFECTIVE TOMATO MERISTEM (DTM) forms a feedback loop with HD-ZIP III transcription factor SlREV to define the specific expression domains of two meristematic genes SlWUS and SlCLV3 (Xu et al 2019).  

Xu Q., Li R., Weng L., Sun Y., Li M., Xiao H* (2019) Defining the domain-specific expression of meristematic genes by the LITTLE ZIPPER protein DEFECTIVE TOMATO MERISTEMS in tomato. Commun Biol 2: 134  

Bi L., Weng L., Jiang Z., Xiao H* (2018) The tomato IQD gene SUN24 regulates seed germination through ABA signaling pathway. Planta. 248(4), 919-931 

Wang G., Weng L., Li M. and Xiao H* (2017) Response of gene expression and alternative splicing to distinct growth environments in tomato. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS). 18(3), 475 

Weng L., Bai X., Zhao F., Li R., Xiao H* (2016) Manipulation of flowering time and branching by overexpression of the tomato transcription factor SlZFP2. Plant Biotechnol J. 14:2310-2321 

Sun Y. and Xiao H* (2015) Identification of alternative splicing events by RNA sequencing in early growth tomato fruits. BMC Genomics 16:948 

Weng L., Zhao F., Li R., Xiao H* (2015) Cross-talk modulation between ABA and ethylene by transcription factor SlZFP2 during fruit development and ripening in tomato. Plant Signal & Behav 10(12): e1107691 

Shen H#., Zhong X#., Zhao F., Wang Y., Yan B., Li Q., Chen G., Mao B., Wang J., Li Y., Xiao G., He Y., Xiao H., Li J., He Z* (2015) Overexpression of receptor-like kinase ERECTA improves thermotolerance in rice and tomato. Nat Biotechnol. 33(9): 996-1003 

Li C., Qiao Z., Qi W., Wang Q., Yuan Y., Yang X., Tang Y., Mei B., Lv Y., Zhao H., Xiao H., Song R* (2015) Genome-wide characterization of cis-Acting DNA targets reveals the transcriptional regulatory framework of Opaque2 in maize. Plant Cell. 27(3): 532-545 

Weng L., Zhao F., Li R., Xu C., Chen K., Xiao H* (2015) The zinc finger transcription factor SlZFP2 negatively regulates abscisic acid biosynthesis and fruit ripening in tomato. Plant Physiol. 167(3): 931-949 

Huang Z., Van Houten J., Gonzalez J., Xiao H., van der Knaap E* (2013) Genome-wide identification, phylogeny and expression analysis of SUN, OFP and YABBY gene family in tomato. Mol Genet Genomics. 288:111-29 

Wu S., Xiao H., Cabrera A., Meulia T., and van der Knaap E* (2011) SUN regulates vegetative and reproductive organ shape by changing cell division patterns. Plant Physiol. 157:1175-1186 

Jiang N., Gao D., Xiao H., van der Knaap E* (2009) Genome organization of the tomato sun locus and characterization of the unusual retrotransposon Rider. Plant J. 60(1):181-193 

Xiao H#., Radovich C#., Welty N#., Hsu J., Li D. Meulia T., van der Knaap E* (2009) Integration of tomato reproductive developmental landmarks and expression profiles, and the effect of SUN on fruit shape. BMC Plant Biol. 9:49 

Xiao H#., Tang J#., Li Y#., Wang W., Li X., Jin L., Xie R., Luo H., Zhao X., He G., Zhu L* (2009) STAMENLESS 1, encoding a zinc finger protein of C2H2 type, regulates rice floral organ identity. Plant J. 59(5):789-801 

Xiao H., Jiang N., Schaffner E., Stockinger E., van der Knaap E* (2008) A retrotransposon- mediated gene duplication underlies morphological variation of tomato fruit. Science. 319:1527-1530 (cover story)