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Review Article|01 Jul 2021|OPEN
Genetic regulation of shoot architecture in cucumber
Xiaofeng Liu1 , Jiacai Chen1 and Xiaolan Zhang,1 ,
1State Key Laboratories of Agrobiotechnology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
*Corresponding author. E-mail: zhxiaolan@cau.edu.cn

Horticulture Research 8,
Article number: 143 (2021)
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-021-00577-0
Views: 729

Received: 15 Jan 2021
Revised: 31 Mar 2021
Accepted: 12 Apr 2021
Published online: 01 Jul 2021

Abstract

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable crop species with great economic value. Shoot architecture determines the visual appearance of plants and has a strong impact on crop management and yield. Unlike most model plant species, cucumber undergoes vegetative growth and reproductive growth simultaneously, in which leaves are produced from the shoot apical meristem and flowers are generated from leaf axils, during the majority of its life, a feature representative of the Cucurbitaceae family. Despite substantial advances achieved in understanding the regulation of plant form in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, and maize, our understanding of the mechanisms controlling shoot architecture in Cucurbitaceae crop species is still limited. In this review, we focus on recent progress on elucidating the genetic regulatory pathways underlying the determinant/indeterminant growth habit, leaf shape, branch outgrowth, tendril identity, and vine length determination in cucumber. We also discuss the potential of applying biotechnology tools and resources for the generation of ideal plant types with desired architectural features to improve cucumber productivity and cultivation efficiency.