Computational Molecular Biology 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 26-37 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/cmb 28 not only on the genes themselves, but also on the expression of these small RNAs. They are like the "tuner" of gene expression, silently adjusting every step behind the scenes. It's not easy to make potato tubers grow well. It depends on whether transcriptional regulation and epigenetics can work together well. They are like a pair of bickering lovers who can only reach an agreement under suitable environmental conditions-when the temperature is right and the light is sufficient, the tubers can develop normally. However, this incident has served as a reminder to scientists: since these regulatory mechanisms are so important, could they be manipulated and artificially intervened through gene editing or other biotechnologies? Perhaps a new way to increase production can really be found. Of course, in practice, it might not be that simple. After all, the balance within a plant is not something that can be changed at will. 3 Hormonal Control in Tuber Growth and Maturation 3.1 Auxins and gibberellins When it comes to the initial growth of tubers, auxin and gibberellin have caused a lot of trouble. Especially the auxin called IAA, which is always busy promoting cell elongation and division, is just like a contractor keeping an eye on the expansion of the tubers. Some people tried stuffing a few more auxin synthesis genes like tms1 into genetically modified potatoes, and as a result, the yield actually increased (Kolachevskaya et al., 2017). However, this matter is not that simple-although gibberellin usually works separately from growth hormone, sometimes it can also get involved and cause trouble. What's more troublesome is that as soon as you move a finger with auxin, hormones like cytokinin and gibberellin immediately follow suit, causing the entire hormone network to become a complete mess. So, if you want the tubers to grow well, just focusing on one hormone won't do. You have to take good care of the whole family. Gibberellin always tends to sing the opposite tune during tuber formation-the more active it is, the more vigorous the creeping stem grows, but it actually delays the tuber. Interestingly, as long as the activity of gibberellin is suppressed, the tuber yield immediately increases. For example, the enzyme StGA3ox3 is specifically responsible for gibberellin synthesis. Inhibiting it can actually make the tubers grow more vigorously (Malankar et al., 2023). But the matter is not over yet. When the tubers start to grow, auxin and gibberellin still have to deal with other hormones, maintaining a delicate balance between them. If any hormone suddenly gets angry, the tubers will either not grow well or the yield will drop directly. At the end of the day, these hormones are like an orchestra, each one needs to work together well for the tubers to grow bigger and more. 3.2 Cross-talk between cytokinins and ABA 3.2.1 Cytokinin-driven cell proliferation Cytokinin is quite an interesting thing. It acts like a midwife and is particularly active when the tubers just start to grow. Its main task is to make the meristem cells in the stolons divide vigorously and expand the tubers. However, there should be a limit to this matter. If there is too much cytokinin, the tubers will not grow well and the maturity period will be delayed (Zhang et al., 2023). From the perspective of transcriptome data, when tubers first start to grow and develop, the synthesis of cytokinin is indeed particularly active, and those genes responsible for cell division are also all busy. So, if you want the tubers to grow well, the amount of these hormones must be just right. Too much or too little won't do. When it comes to how tubers grow, cytokinin and auxin are inseparable partners. Interestingly, the two of them work together in perfect harmony-cytokinins act like couriers, specifically responsible for transporting auxin back and forth, while auxin is responsible for making decisions on when to let cells divide (Kolachevskaya et al., 2021). However, this partner also has a strange temper. If one of them suddenly becomes too active or too negative, the tubers will grow crooked. For example, if cytokinins are too active, auxin may not keep up with the rhythm, resulting in tubers growing in strange shapes. So, these two hormones need to maintain a delicate balance, just like dancing, if one step is too fast or too slow, the whole dance cannot be performed. 3.2.2 ABA’s function in maintaining dormancy When it comes to the dormancy of potato tubers, ABA and cytokinins are like playing on a seesaw-when ABA dominates, the tubers obediently sleep; When cytokinins become dominant, the tubers begin to stir (Jiang and Xu,
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