Song Botao

Botao Song, male, is a professor and doctoral supervisor of Huazhong Agricultural University, as well as the director of the Key Laboratory of Potato Biology and Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the scientist in the breeding post of China Agriculture (potato) Research System, and the chief scientist in the research and development of the modern agricultural (potato) industrial technology system in Hubei Province. In 2000, he entered the College of Horticulture & Forestry of Huazhong Agricultural University to engage in research on the improvement and genetic breeding of important potato traits. In 2005, he received a doctor’s degree in Olericulture and stayed at the university to continue relevant research work. In 2007, he went to the Potato Research Center of Canada to conduct resource analysis and breeding research on potato processing quality improvement. In 2008, he went to New Zealand to conduct cooperative research on the establishment of a safe genetic transformation system. In March 2012, he went to the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and then the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany to conduct cooperative research on plant freezing tolerance and metabonomics.
Prof. Song is now mainly engaged in the exploration and creation of potato germplasm resources, the analysis of molecular and genetic mechanisms for the formation of important potato traits including tuber formation, freezing tolerance and cold-induced sweetening, the innovation of efficient breeding techniques and cultivation models, and the promotion and demonstration of new varieties and technologies. He has presided over more than 20 national, provincial and ministerial projects, and won one second prize of the Hubei Science and Technology Progress Award (rank the first), one first prize of the Hubei Technology Invention Award (rank the fifth), and one third prize of Hubei Science and Technology Achievement Promotion Award (rank the fifth). He has presided over and participated in the breeding of 17 new potato varieties, and won four new plant variety rights and more than 10 national invention patents. He has participated in the formulation of five provincial and local standards. He has edited one textbook and monograph and participated in editing three textbooks He has published more than 130 related research papers including 70 SCI papers.

[1] 2000.9 – 2005.7> Huazhong Agricultural University > PhD Olericulture
[2] 1994.9 – 1998.7> Hubei Institute for Nationalities > BS Horticulture

1. Abu Kawochar M, Cheng YX, Begum S, Wang ES, Zhou TT, Liu TT, Liu TF*, Song BT*. Suppression of the tonoplast sugar transporter StTST3.2 improves quality of potato chips. Journal of Plant Physiology, 2022, 269: 153603
2. Jing SL, Sun XM, Yu L, Wang ES, Cheng ZN, Liu HM, Jiang P, Qin J, Begum S, Song BT*. Transcription factor StABI5-like 1 binding to the FLOWERING LOCUS T homologs promotes early maturity in potato. Plant Physiology, 2022, 189, 1677–1693
3. Begum S, Jing SL, Yu L, Sun XM, Wang ES, Abu Kawochar M, Qin J, Liu J, Song BT*. Modulation of JA signalling reveals the influence of StJAZ1-like on tuber initiation and tuber bulking in potato. Plant Journal, 2022, 109: 952-964
4. Chen Y, Chen L, Sun XM, Kou S, Liu TT, Dong JK, Tu W, Zhang YL, Song BT. The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase MKK2 positively regulates constitutive cold resistance in the potato*. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 2022, 194: 104702
5. Zhang HL, Zhao YA, Zhang ZH, Guo DL, Zhao XJ, Gao W, Zhang JP, Song BT*. StRAV1 negatively regulates anthocyanin accumulation in potato. Scientia Horticulturae, 2022, 295: 110817
6. Zhang HL, Zhang ZH, Zhao YA, Guo DL, Zhao XJ, Gao W, Zhang JP, Song BT*. StWRKY13 promotes anthocyanin biosynthesis in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers. Functional Plant Biology, 2022, 49: 102-114
7. Ai YJ, Jing SL, Cheng ZN, Song BT, Xie CH, Liu J, Zhou J. DNA methylation affects photoperiodic tuberization in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) by mediating the expression of genes related to the photoperiod and GA pathways. Horticulture Research, 2021, 8: 181
8. Cheng D, Zhou D, Wang YD, Wang BS, He Q, Song BT, Chen HL. Ralstonia solanacearum type III effector RipV2 encoding a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase (NEL) is required for full virulence by suppressing plant PAMP-triggered immunity. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2021, 550: 120-126
9. Huang W, Nie BH, Tu Z, Li CY, Murphy A, Singh M, Song BT, Zhang S, Xie CH, Nie XZ. Extreme resistance to potato virus A in potato cultivar Barbara is independently mediated by Ra and Ry(sto). Plant Disease, 2021, 105: 3344-3348
10. Liu X*, Chen L, Shi WL, Xu X, Li ZJ, Liu TF, He Q, Xie CH*, Nie BH*, Song BT*. Comparative transcriptome reveals distinct starch-sugar interconversion patterns in potato genotypes contrasting for cold-induced sweetening capacity. Food Chemistry, 2021, 334: 127550
11. Shi WL, Song YH, Liu TT, Ma QQ, Yin W, Shen YC, Liu TF, Jiang CY, Zhang K, Lv DQ, Song BT*, Wang JC*, Liu, X*. StRAP2.3, an ERF-VII transcription factor, directly activates StInvInh2 to enhance cold-induced sweetening resistance in potato. Horticulture Research, 2021, 8: 82
12. Tu W, Dong JK, Zou Y, Zhao QH, Wang HB, Ying JW, Wu JH, Du J, Cai XK*, Song BT*. Interspecific potato somatic hybrids between Solanum malmeanum and S. tuberosum provide valuable resources for freezing-tolerance breeding. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, 2021, 147: 73-83
13. Wang BS, He TJ, Zheng XA, Song BT, Chen HL. Proteomic analysis of potato responding to the invasion of Ralstonia solanacearum UW551 and its type III secretion system mutant. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 2021, 34: 337-350
14. Wang HB, Cheng ZN, Wang BS, Dong JK, Ye WX, Yu Y, Liu T, Cai XK, Song BT*, Liu J*. Combining genome composition and differential gene expression analyses reveals that SmPGH1 contributes to bacterial wilt resistance in somatic hybrids. Plant Cell Reports, 2020, 39: 1235-1248
15. Zhang HQ, Liu XW, Song BT, Nie BH, Zhang W, Zhao ZQ. Effect of excessive nitrogen on levels of amino acids and sugars, and differential response to post-harvest cold storage in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2020, 157: 38-46
16. Zhang HL, Zhao XJ, Zhang JP, Yang B, Yu YH, Liu TF, Nie BH*, Song BT*. Functional analysis of an anthocyanin synthase gene StANS in potato. Scientia Horticulturae, 2020, 272: 109569
17. Hou J, Liu TF, Reid S, Zhang HL, Peng XJ, Sun KL, Du J, Sonnewald U*, Song BT*. Silencing of alpha-amylase StAmy23 in potato tuber leads to delayed sprouting. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2019, 139: 411-418
18. Liu TF, Zhou TT, Lian MT, Liu TT, Hou J, Ijaz R, Song BT*. Genome-wide identification and characterization of the AREB/ABF/ABI5 subfamily members from Solanum tuberosum. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2019, 20: 311
19. Zhang HL, Yao Y, Chen SC, Hou J, Yu YH, Liu TF, Du J, Song BT*, Xie CH. SbRFP1 regulates cold-induced sweetening of potato tubers by inactivation of StBAM1. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2019, 136: 215-221
20. Zheng XA, Li XJ, Wang BS, Cheng D, Li YP, Li WH, Huang MS, Tan XD, Zhao GZ, Song BT, et al. A systematic screen of conserved Ralstonia solanacearum effectors reveals the role of RipAB, a nuclear-localized effector that suppresses immune responses in potato. Molecular Plant Pathology, 2019, 20: 547-561
21. Zhou TT, Song BT, Liu TF, Shen YL, Dong LP, Jing SL, Xie CH, Liu J. Phytochrome F plays critical roles in potato photoperiodic tuberization. Plant Journal, 2019, 98: 42-54
22. Kou S, Chen L, Tu W, Scossa F, Wang YM, Liu J, Fernie AR, Song BT*, Xie CH*. The arginine decarboxylase gene ADC1, associated to the putrescine pathway, plays an important role in potato cold-acclimated freezing tolerance as revealed by transcriptome and metabolome analyses. Plant Journal, 2018, 96: 1283-1298
23. Li JC, Huang W, Cao HJ, Xiao GL, Zhou J, Xie CH, Xia JH*, Song BT*. Additive and epistatic QTLs underlying the dormancy in a diploid potato population across seven environments. Scientia Horticulturae, 2018, 240: 578-584
24. Xiao GL, Huang W, Cao HJ, Tu W, Wang HB, Zheng XA, Liu J, Song BT*, Xie CH*. Genetic loci conferring reducing sugar accumulation and conversion of cold-stored potato tubers revealed by QTL analysis in a diploid population. Frontiers In Plant Science, 2018, 9: 315
25. Hou J, Zhang HL, Liu J, Reid S, Liu TF, Xu SJ, Tian ZD, Sonnewald U, Song BT*, Xie CH*. Amylases StAmy23, StBAM1 and StBAM9 regulate cold-induced sweetening of potato tubers in distinct ways. Journal of Experimental Botany, 2017, 68: 2317-2331
26. Liu TF, Fang H, Liu J, Reid S, Hou J, Zhou TT, Tian ZD, Song BT*, Xie CH. Cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases play crucial roles in controlling cold-induced sweetening and apical dominance of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers. Plant Cell and Environment, 2017, 40: 3043-3054
27. Zhang HL, Yang B, Liu J, Guo DL, Hou J, Chen SC, Song BT*, Xie CH. Analysis of structural genes and key transcription factors related to anthocyanin biosynthesis in potato tubers. Scientia Horticulturae, 2017, 225: 310-316
28. Lin Y, Liu TF, Liu J, Liu X, Ou YB, Zhang HL, Li M, Sonnewald U, Song BT*, Xie CH*. Subtle regulation of potato acid invertase activity by a protein complex of invertase, invertase inhibitor, and SUCROSE NONFERMENTING1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE. Plant Physiology, 2015, 168: 1807-1819
29. Zhang HL, Liu J, Hou J, Yao Y, Lin Y, Ou YB, Song BT*, Xie CH. The potato amylase inhibitor gene SbAI regulates cold-induced sweetening in potato tubers by modulating amylase activity. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2014, 12: 984-993