植物温度感应的分子遗传学，主要以拟南芥、小麦等为材料，重点研究植物开花、株型等重要农艺性状的主要温度调控途径，致力于解析高产、耐逆等复杂性状间协同调控的分子机制，并通过分子设计育种培育高产、耐逆协同改良的小麦新品种。
课题组在植物温度感应方面方面积累了雄厚的研究基础，将通过分子遗传学、细胞生物学以及数学建模等多种技术手段，探究植物应答环境温度方面的重要基础科学问题。
发表论文
(1) Yusheng Zhao#; Pan Zhu#; Jo Hepworth; Rebecca Bloomer; Rea Laila Antoniou-Kourounioti; Jade Doughty; Amelie Heckmann; Congyao Xu; Hongchun Yang; Caroline Dean*; Natural temperature fluctuations promote COOLAIR regulation of FLC, Genes & Development, 2021, 35: 888-898.
(2) Rea Antoniou-Kourounioti#; Yusheng Zhao#; Caroline Dean*; Martin Howard*; Feeling every bit of winter – distributed temperature sensitivity in vernalization, Frontier in Plant Science, 2021, 16(40): 628726-628732.
(3) Yusheng Zhao#; Rea L. Antoniou-Kourounioti#; Grant Calder; Caroline Dean*; Martin Howard*; Temperature-dependent growth contributes to long-term cold sensing, Nature, 2020, 583: 825-829.
(4) Chunlei Wang; Xiaomei Dong; Dan Jin; Yusheng Zhao; Shaojun Xie; Xiaojie Li; Xinjian He; Zhaobo Lang; Jinsheng Lai; Jian-Kang Zhu; Zhizhong Gong*; Methyl-CpG-Binding domain protein MBD7 is required for active DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis, Plant physiology, 2015, 167(3): 905-914.
(5) Yusheng Zhao; Shaojun Xie; Xiaojie Li; Chunlei Wang; Zhongzhou Chen; Jinsheng Lai; Zhizhong Gong*; REPRESSOR OF SILENCING5 encodes a member of the small heat shock protein family and is required for DNA demethylation in Arabidopsis, Plant Cell, 2014, 26(6): 2660-2675.
(6) Jing Li; Susheng Song; Yusheng Zhao; Weiwei Guo; Guanghui Guo; Huiru Peng; Zhongfu Ni; Qixin Sun; Yingyin Yao*; Wheat 14-3-3 protein conferring growth retardation in Arabidopsis, Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2013, 12(2): 209-217.
(7) Xiaojie Li; Weiqiang Qian; Yusheng Zhao; Chunlei Wang; Jie Shen; Jian-Kang Zhu*; Zhizhong Gong*; Antisilencing role of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway and a histone acetyltransferase in Arabidopsis, PNAS, 2012 , 109(28): 11425-11430.
