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Major publications：

• 2026
  1. Yu Zhao, Pan Wu, Yulin Huang, Sumin Guo, Xiaofen Yu, Donald Grierson, Lei Gao^*, Shan Li. 2026. SlERF.F4 negatively regulates tomato fruit susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea independently of ripening traits. Postharvest Biology and Technology ,237:114286
  2025
  2. Enhui Lai, Sumin Guo, Pan Wu, Minghao Qu, Xiaofen Yu, Chenlu Hao, Shan Li, Haixu Peng, Yating Yi, Miao Zhou, Guodong Fu, Xingnuo Li, Huan Liu, Yi Zheng^*, Xin Wang^*, Zhangjun Fei^*, Lei Gao*. 2025. Genome of root celery and population genomic analysis reveal the complex breeding history of celery. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 23: 946-959.
  3. Shan Li, Yulin Huang, Yu Zhao, Pan Wu, Sumin Guo, Xiaofen Yu, Benzhong Zhu, Kunsong Chen*, Donald Grierson^*, Lei Gao^*. 2025. Ripening-induced defence signalling in Botrytis cinerea-infected tomato fruits involves activation of ERF.F4 by a MYC2-NOR/RIN protein complex. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 23: 4126-4139.
  4. Xiaofen Yu, Minghao Qu, Pan Wu, Miao Zhou, Enhui Lai, Huan Liu, Sumin Guo, Shan Li, Xiaohong Yao^*, Lei Gao^*. 2025. Super pan-genome reveals extensive genomic variations associated with phenotypic divergence in Actinidia. Molecular Horticulture, 5: 4.
  5. Xiangrong Fan, Minghao Qu, Nancy Rybicki, Lynde L. Dodd, Jie Min, Yuanyuan Chen, Lei Gao^*. 2025. Genomic resequencing unravels species differentiation and polyploid origins in the aquatic plant genus Trapa. The Plant Journal, 123: e70463
  2024
  6. Shan Li, Yu Zhao, Pan Wu, Donald Grierson^*, Lei Gao^*. 2024. Ripening and rot: How ripening processes influence disease susceptibility in fleshy fruits. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 66: 1831–1863.
  7. Xue-Mei Lu, Xiao-Fen Yu, Guo-Qiang Li, Ming-Hao Qu, Huan Wang, Chuang Liu, Yu-Ping Man, Xiao-Han Jiang, Mu-Zi Li, Jian Wang, Qi-Qi Chen, Rui Lei, Cheng-Cheng Zhao, Yun-Qiu Zhou, Zheng-Wang Jiang, Zuo-Zhou Li, Shang Zheng, Chang Dong, Bai-Lin Wang, Yan-Xiang Sun, Hui-Qin Zhang, Jie-Wei Li, Quan-Hui Mo, Ying Zhang, Xin Lou, Hai-Xu Peng, Ya-Ting Yi, He-Xin Wang, Xiu-Jun Zhang, Yi-Bo Wang, Dan Wang, Li Li, Qiong Zhang, Wen-Xia Wang, Yongbo Liu^*, Lei Gao^*, Jin-Hu Wu^*, Yan-Chang Wang^*. 2024. Genome assembly of autotetraploid Actinidia arguta highlights adaptive evolution and enables dissection of important economic traits. Plant Communications, 5: 100856.
  8. Pan Wu, Shan Li, Xiaofen Yu, Sumin Guo, Lei Gao^*. 2024. Identification of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase gene family reveals that SlLACS1 is essential for cuticular wax biosynthesis in tomato. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 277: 134438.
  2023
  9. Xiaofen Yu, Mengyun Qin, Minghao Qu, Quan Jiang, Sumin Guo, Zhenghai Chen, Yufang Shen, Guodong Fu, Zhangjun Fei, Hongwen Huang^*, Lei Gao^*, Xiaohong Yao^*. 2023. Genomic analyses reveal dead-end hybridization between two deeply divergent kiwifruit species rather than homoploid hybrid speciation. The Plant Journal,115: 1528-1543.
  2022
  10. Xiaofen Yu, Minghao Qu, Yanna Shi, Chenlu Hao, Sumin Guo^*, Zhangjun Fei^*, Lei Gao^*. 2022. Chromosome-scale genome assemblies of wild tomato relatives Solanum habrochaites and Solanum galapagense reveal structural variants associated with stress tolerance and terpene biosynthesis. Horticulture Research, 9: uhac139.
  2021
  11. Ning Guo, Shenyun Wang, Lei Gao, Yongming Liu, Xin Wang, Enhui Lai, Mengmeng Duan, Guixiang Wang, Jingjing Li, Meng Yang, Mei Zong, Shuo Han, Yanzheng Pei, Theo Borm, Honghe Sun, Liming Miao, Di Liu, Fangwei Yu, Wei Zhang, Heliang Ji, Chaohui Zhu, Yong Xu, Guusje Bonnema^*, Jianbin Li^*, Zhangjun Fei^*, Fan Liu^*. 2021. Genome sequencing sheds light on the contribution of structural variants to Brassica oleracea diversification. BMC Biology,19: 93.
  12. Hui Zhou, Ruijuan Ma, Lei Gao, Jinyun Zhang, Aidi Zhang, Xiujun Zhang, Fei Ren, Weihan Zhang, Liao Liao, Qiurui Yang, Shengli Xu, Collins Otieno Ogutu, Jianbo Zhao, Mingliang Yu, Quan Jiang, Schuyler S. Korban, Yuepeng Han^*. 2021. A 1.7-Mb chromosomal inversion downstream of a PpOFP1 gene is responsible for flat fruit shape in peach. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 19: 192-205.
  2020
  13. Xin Wang, Lei Gao, Chen Jiao, Stefanos Stravoravdis, Prashant S. Hosmani, Surya Saha, Jing Zhang, Samantha Mainiero, Susan R. Strickler, Carmen Catala, Gregory B. Martin, Lukas A. Mueller, Julia Vrebalov, James J. Giovannoni, Shan Wu^*, Zhangjun Fei^*. 2020. Genome of Solanum pimpinellifolium provides insights into structural variants during tomato breeding. Nat. Commun, 11: 5817.
  2019
  14. Lei Gao, Itay Gonda, Honghe Sun, Qiyue Ma, Kan Bao, Denise M. Tieman, Elizabeth A. Burzynski-Chang, Tara L. Fish, Kaitlin A. Stromberg, Gavin L. Sacks, Theodore W. Thannhauser, Majid R. Foolad, Maria Jose Diez, Jose Blanca, Joaquin Canizares, Yimin Xu, Esther van der Knaap, Sanwen Huang, Harry J. Klee, James J. Giovannoni^*, Zhangjun Fei^*. 2019. The tomato pan-genome uncovers new genes and a rare allele regulating fruit flavor. Nature Genetics, 51: 1044-1051.