苹果轮纹病是我国苹果主要病害之一，严重危害苹果安全生产。因此，轮纹病抗性苹果品种的改良和培育具有重要的应用价值和科学意义。MicroRNA在植物病原菌防御响应中发挥重要作用，为分子育种提供了基因资源，但目前针对苹果轮纹病的MicroRNA研究相当匮乏。湖北海棠是我国特有苹果属野生种质，有很强的轮纹病抗性，而富士苹果对轮纹病的抗性较差，因此它们是研究苹果轮纹病抗性调控机制的理想材料。本课题组已经鉴定出一个响应于苹果轮纹病浸染的microRNA（novel-miR137），并验证其目标基因为AP2/ERF家族转录因子ERF14。在此基础上，本项目拟研究novel-miR137对ERF14的调控作用，明确它们在苹果轮纹病抗性中的功能，筛选可能的下游基因，进而揭示novel-miR137调控ERF14介导苹果轮纹病防御响应的分子调控机制，同时为应用miRNA资源选育优良抗病苹果新品系提供科学依据。

Apple ring rot disease is one of the major diseases of apple in China, which seriously endangers the apple production safety. Therefore, the improvement and cultivation of apple ring rot resistant apple varieties has important application value and scientific significance. MicroRNA plays important roles in the plant defense response to pathogens, and provides gene resources for molecular breeding. However, the current research of miRNAs on apple rot disease is rather deficient. Malus hupehensis is an endemic wild apple germplasm in China, which has strong resistance against apple ring rot disease, while Fuji apple has poor resistance. Thus, they are ideal materials for studying the regulatory mechanism of resistance to apple ring rot disease. We have identified a miRNA( novel-miR137) that responds to apple ring rot disease, and its target gene is an AP2/ERF family transcription factor ERF14. Based on the above results, we will identify the regulation of novel-miR137 to ERF14; clarify their function in the apple ring rot disease resistance; and screen possible downstream genes. And then, we will further reveal the molecular regulation mechanism of novel-miR137 mediated defense response against apple ring rot disease through regulating ERF14, which can provided a scientific basis for to breed new excellent disease-resistance apple lines.