Hongning Tong

Hongning Tong

Head of Center of Crop Genes and Molecular Design

Center of Crop Genes and Molecular Design 

Institute of Crop Sciences

No.12 Zhongguancun South Street

Beijing, 100081, China

Tel: 86-10-82108748

Fax: 86-10-82108748

E-mail: tonghongning@caas.cn

Educations

l  2004.09-2010.07, Doctorate, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Genetics Major

l  1998.09-2002.07, Bachelor, College of Life Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Biotechnology Major

Working Experience

l  2016.12-now, Principal Investigator, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

l  2014.07-2014.10, Visiting Scholar, Iowa State University

l  2013.01-2016.11, Associate Researcher, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

l  2010.07-2012.12, Research Assistant, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Research Interests

l  Molecular Genetic Regulation Mechanisms of Plant Hormone Action

l  Molecular Design and Genetic Improvement for High and Stable Crop Yields

Academic Qualifications

l  Winners of NSF for Distinguished Young Scholars

l  Young Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talents of MSTC

Selected Publications (*corresponding authors)

1. Zhang X^#, Meng W^#, Liu D^#, Pan D^#, Yang Y, Chen Z, Ma X, Yin W, Niu M, Dong N, Liu J, Shen W, Liu Y, Lu Z, Chu C, Qian Q*, Zhao M*, Tong H* (2024) Enhancing rice panicle branching and grain yield through tissue-specific brassinsoteroid inhibition, Science, 383:eadk8838.

2. Yin W^#, Dong N, Li X, Yang Y,  Lu Z, Zhou W, Qian Q, Chu C, Tong H* (2025) Understanding brassinosteroid‐centric phytohormone interactions for crop improvement, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology.

3. Sun B^#, Meng W, Yin W, Niu M, Liu D, Liu J, Zhang X, Dong N, Yang Y, Li X, Geng S, Zhang H*, Tong H* (2024) Vital contribution of brassinosteroids to hypoxia-stimulated coleoptile elongation in submerged rice, The Crop Journal.

4. Zhang G^#, Wang H, Ren X, Xiao Y, Liu D, Meng W, Qiu Y, Hu B, Xie Q, Chu C*, and Tong H* (2024) Brassinosteroid-dependent phosphorylation of PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE2 reduces its DNA-binding ability in rice. The Plant Cell.

5. Yang Y^#, Chu C, Qian Q, Tong H* (2024) Leveraging brassinosteroids towards the next Green Revolution. Trends in Plant Science 29(1):86-98.

6. Tong H^#*, Chu C* (2023) Coordinating gibberellin and brassinosteroid signaling beyond Green Revolution. Journal of Genetics and Genomics 50: 459-461.

7. Zhang G^#, Liu Y^#, Xie Q, Tong H*, and Chu C* (2023) Crosstalk between brassinosteroid signaling and variable nutrient environments. SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences 66(6):1231-1244.

8. Liu D^#, Zhang X^#, Li Q, Xiao Y, Zhang G, Yin W, Niu M, Meng W, Dong N, Liu J, Yang Y, Xie Q, Chu C, and Tong H* (2022) The U-box Ubiquitin Ligase TUD1 Promotes Brassinosteroid-Induced GSK2 Degradation in Rice. Plant Communications 3:100450.

9. Niu M^#, Wang H^#, Yin W, Meng W, Xiao Y, Liu D, Zhang X, Dong N, Liu J, Yang Y, Zhang F, Chu C, and Tong H* (2022). Rice DWARF AND LOW-TILLERING and the homeodomain protein OSH15 interact to regulate internode elongation via orchestrating brassinosteroid signaling and metabolism. The Plant Cell 34(10):3754-3772.

10. Yin W^# , Li L^#, Yu Z, Zhang F, Liu D, Wu H, Niu M, Meng W, Zhang X, Dong N, Yang Y, Liu J, Liu Y, Zhang G, Xu J, Wang S, Chu C, Qian Q, and Tong H* (2022). The Divergence of Brassinosteroid Sensitivity between Rice Subspecies Involves Natural Variation Conferring Altered Internal Auto-binding of OsBSK2. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 64(8):1614-1630.

11. Liu D^#, Zhao H^#, Xiao Y, Zhang G, Cao S, Yin W, Qian Y, Yin Y, Zhang J, Chen S, Chu C*, and Tong H* (2022). A Cryptic Inhibitor of Cytokinin Phosphorelay Controls Rice Grain Size. Molecular Plant 15(2):293-307.

12. Che R^#, Hu B, Wang W, Xiao Y, Liu D, Yin W, Tong H*, and Chu C* (2022). POLLEN STERILITY, a Novel Suppressor of Cell Division, is Required for Timely Tapetal Programmed Cell Death in Rice. SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences 65(6):1235-1247.

13. Liu D^#, Yu Z^#, Zhang G^#, Yin W, Li L, Niu M, Meng W, Zhang X, Dong N, Liu J, Yang Y, Wang S*, Chu C*, and Tong H* (2021). Diversification of plant agronomic traits by genome editing of brassinosteroid signaling family genes in rice. Plant Physiology 187(4):2563-2576.

14. Yin W^#, Xiao Y, Niu M, Meng W, Li L, Zhang X, Liu D, Zhang G, Qian Y, Sun Z, Huang R, Wang S, Liu C, Chu C, and Tong H* (2020). ARGONAUTE2 Enhances Grain Length and Salt Tolerance by Activating BIG GRAIN3 to Modulate Cytokinin Distribution in Rice. The Plant Cell 32(7):2292-2306.

15. Xiao Y^#, Zhang J, Yu G, Lu X, Mei W, Deng H, Zhang G, Chen G, Chu C, Tong H*, and Tang W* (2020). Endoplasmic reticulum-localized PURINE PERMEASE1 regulates plant height and grain weight by modulating cytokinin distribution in rice. Frontiers in Plant Science 11:618560.

16. Dong N^#, Yin W, Liu D, Zhang X, Yu Z, Huang W, Liu J, Yang Y, Meng W, Niu M, and Tong H* (2020). Regulation of brassinosteroid signaling and salt resistance by SERK2 and potential utilization for crop improvement in rice. Frontiers in Plant Science 11:621859.

17. Xiao Y^#, Zhang G^#, Liu D, Niu M, Tong H*, and Chu C* (2020). GSK2 stabilizes OFP3 to suppress brassinosteroid responses in rice. The Plant Journal 102(6):1187-1201.

18. Yin W^#, Dong N^#, Niu M, Zhang X, Li L, Liu J, Liu B, Tong H* (2019) Brassinosteroid-regulated plant growth and development and gene expression in soybean. The Crop Journal 7:411-418.

19. Xiao Y^#, Liu D, Zhang G, Gao S, Liu L, Xu F, Che R, Wang Y, Tong H* and Chu C* (2019) Big Grain3, encoding a purine permease, regulates grain size via modulating cytokinin transport in rice. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology 61(5):581-597.

20. Tong H^# and Chu C* (2018) Functional specificities of brassinosteroid and potential utilization for crop improvement. Trends in Plant Science 23(11):1016-1028.

21. Xiao Y^#, Liu D^#, Zhang G, Tong H*, and Chu C* (2017) Brassinosteroids regulate OFP1, a DLT interacting protein, to modulate plant architecture and grain morphology in rice. Frontiers in Plant Science 8:1698.

22. Tong H^# and Chu C* (2017) Physiological analysis of brassinosteroid responses and sensitivity in rice. Methods in Molecular Biology 1564:23-29.