Wu Xiao-Meng

My research interests are in mechanisms of apomixis, male sterility and in vitro regeneration during tissue culture, as well as gene editing in protoplasts, aiming to develop more efficient breeding approaches for variety improvement. Nucellar poly-embryony (NPE) is a mode of sporophytic apomixis that enables clonal propagation of citrus rootstock, but impedes progress in citrus cross breeding. We conducted omics analyses in ovules and apomictic cell lineages captured by laser micro-dissection (LMD), identified the genes specifically expressed in apomictic cells, and suggested a working model for the initiation of NPE in citrus. We induced the embryogenic callus (EC) from the undeveloped poly-embryonic ovules, and used the callus as explants in biotechnologies. To enhance the regeneration efficiency of EC, we identified genes involved in somatic embryogenesis (SE), dissected the miR156-CsSPL and miR171-CsSCL regulatory modules in SE, and developed the gene editing system based on transient transformation in protoplasts of embryogenic callus. We produced the male sterile cytoplasmic somatic hybrids (cybrids) by protoplast fusion, identified the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)-specific ORFs from the mitochondrial genome, and dissected the miR399-CsUBC24 module that regulate floral development and male fertility. The understanding of apomixis, male sterility and in vitro regeneration supports efficient breeding for seedless and superior citrus.

[1] 2006.9-2014.12 Huazhong Agricultural University > PhD Pomology
[2] 2002.6-2006.6 Huazhong Agricultural University > BS Agriculture

[1] 2018.01-present> Huazhong Agricultural University>Associate Professor
[2] 2015.01-2017.12> Huazhong Agricultural University>Lecturer

1) Feng MQ, Lu MD, Long JM, Yin ZP, Jiang N, Wang PB, Liu Y, Guo WW, Wu XM* (2022) miR156 regulates somatic embryogenesis by modulating starch accumulation in citrus. Journal of Experimental Botany DOI:10.1093/jxb/erac248
2) Yang WH, Ren JQ, Liu WR, Liu D, Xie KD, Zhang F, Wang PW, Guo WW, Wu XM* (2022) An efficient transient gene expression system for protein subcellular localization assay and genome editing in citrus protoplasts. Horticultural Plant Journal, DOI: 10.1016/j.hpj.2022.06.006
3) Shi QF, Long JM, Yin ZP, Jiang N, Feng MQ, Zheng B, Guo WW, Wu XM* (2022) miR171 modulates induction of somatic embryogenesis in citrus callus. Plant Cell Reports 41:1403–1415
4) Jia HH, Xu YT, Yin ZP, Wu XM*, Qing M, Fan YJ, Song X, Xie KD, Xie ZZ, Xu Q, Deng XX, Guo WW (2021) Transcriptomes and DNA methylomes in apomictic cells delineate nucellar embryogenesis initiation in citrus. DNA Research 28: dsab014
5) Wang K, Gao EL, Liu D, Wu XM*, Wang PW* (2021) The ER network, peroxisomes and actin cytoskeleton exhibit dramatic alterations during somatic embryogenesis of cultured citrus cells. Plant Cell Tissue And Organ Culture 148:259–270
6) Chen M, Lin JY, Wu XM, Apuya NR, Henry KF, Le BH, Bui AQ, Pelletier JM, Cokus S, Pellegrini M, Harada JJ, Goldberg RB (2021) Comparative analysis of embryo proper and suspensor transcriptomes in plant embryos with different morphologies. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 118: e2024704118
7) Xu YT, Jia HH, Wu XM, Koltunow AMG, Deng XX, Xu Q (2021) Regulation of nucellar embryony, a mode of sporophytic apomixis in Citrus resembling somatic embryogenesis. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 59:101984
8) Zhang S, Yin ZP, Wu XM*, Li CC, Xie KD, Deng XX, Grosser JW, Guo WW* (2020) Assembly of Satsuma mandarin mitochondrial genome and identification of cytoplasmic male sterility–specific ORFs in a somatic cybrid of pummelo. Tree Genetics and Genomes, 16: 84
9) Wang R, Fang YN, Wu XM*, Qing M, Li CC, Xie KD, Deng XX, Guo WW* (2020) miR399-CsUBC24 module regulates the reproductive development and male fertility in citrus. Plant Physiology, 183: 1681–1695 (* Co-Senior Author)
10) Liu Z, Ge XX, Wu XM*, Xu Q, Atkinson RG, Guo WW (2020) Genome-wide analysis of the citrus B3 superfamily and their association with somatic embryogenesis. BMC Genomics 21: 305
11) Fang YN, Yang XM, Jiang N, Wu XM*, Guo WW (2020) Genome-wide identification and expression profiles of phased siRNAs in a male-sterile somatic cybrid pummelo (Citrus grandis). Tree Genetics & Genomes, 16: 46
12) Liu Z, Ge XX, Qiu WM, Long JM, Jia HH, Yang W, Dutt M, Wu XM*, Guo WW* (2018) Overexpression of the CsFUS3 gene encoding a B3 transcription factor promotes somatic embryogenesis in Citrus. Plant Science 277: 121-131
13) Long JM, Liu CY, Feng MQ, Liu Y, Wu XM*, Guo WW* (2018) miR156-SPL modules regulate induction of somatic embryogenesis in citrus callus. Journal of Experimental Botany 69: 2979-2993
14) Liu MY#, Wu XM#*, Long JM, Guo WW (2017) Genomic characterization of miR156 and SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like genes in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis). Plant Cell Tissue And Organ Culture 130: 103-116
15) Long JM, Liu Z, Wu XM*, Fang YN, Jia HH, Xie ZZ, Deng XX, Guo WW* (2016) Genome-scale mRNA and small RNA transcriptomic insights into initiation of citrus apomixis. Journal of Experimental Botany 67: 5743–5756
16) Wu XM, Kou SJ, Liu YL, Fang YN, Xu Q, Guo WW* (2015) Genomewide analysis of small RNAs in nonembryogenic and embryogenic tissues of citrus: microRNA- and siRNA- mediated transcript cleavage involved in somatic embryogenesis. Plant Biotechnology Journal 13: 383-394
17) Kou SJ#, Wu XM#, Liu Z, Liu YL, Xu Q, Guo WW* (2012) Selection and validation of suitable reference genes for miRNA expression normalization by quantitative RT-PCR in citrus somatic embryogenic and adult tissues. Plant Cell Reports 31: 2151-2163
18) Wu XM, Liu MY, Ge XX, Xu Q, Guo WW* (2011) Stage and tissue-specific modulation of ten conserved miRNAs and their targets during somatic embryogenesis of Valencia sweet orange. Planta 233: 495-505
19) Wu XM, Liu MY, Xu Q, Guo WW* (2011) Identification and characterization of microRNAs from citrus expressed sequence tags. Tree Genetics & Genomes 7: 117-133