| DEDICATION | 第8-9页 |
| Acknowledgements | 第9-17页 |
| List of Figures | 第17-20页 |
| List of Tables | 第20-21页 |
| List of Abbreviations | 第21-23页 |
| 摘要 | 第23-27页 |
| ABSTARCT | 第27-30页 |
| Chapter 1 Literature review | 第31-55页 |
| 1.1 Brief overview of dormancy | 第31-34页 |
| 1.2 Seasonal cycle of dormancy in plant and cell level | 第34-35页 |
| 1.3 Ecological and physiological factors involved in dormancy | 第35-37页 |
| 1.4 Dormancy development | 第37-38页 |
| 1.5 Models to study dormancy | 第38-41页 |
| 1.6 Dormancy and fruit production | 第41-42页 |
| 1.7 Artificial methods used to break dormancy | 第42-43页 |
| 1.7.1 Dormancy breaking agents (DBAs) application | 第42-43页 |
| 1.7.2 Cultural practices | 第43页 |
| 1.8 Biochemical changes during dormancy and dormancy release | 第43-46页 |
| 1.8.1 Carbohydrate changes | 第44-45页 |
| 1.8.2 Enzymatic changes | 第45-46页 |
| 1.9 Molecular aspect of dormancy | 第46-55页 |
| 1.9.1 LEA proteins and their classifications | 第47-49页 |
| 1.9.2 LEA group 2 (Dehydrins) | 第49页 |
| 1.9.3 Structural composition and characteristics of DHNs | 第49-50页 |
| 1.9.4 Expression and function of DHNs in response to different stresses | 第50-55页 |
| Chapter 2 Biochemical changes in dormant pear buds and bark tissue in response tochilling: Possible role of chilling in floral and leaf bud dormancy release | 第55-70页 |
| 2.1 Materials and methods | 第57-60页 |
| 2.1.1 Plant materials and treatments | 第57页 |
| 2.1.2 Assessment of chilling effect on floral and vegetative budbreak | 第57-58页 |
| 2.1.3 Mean time to budbreak (MTB) | 第58页 |
| 2.1.4 Determination of sugar and starch contents | 第58-59页 |
| 2.1.5 Determination of enzyme activity | 第59-60页 |
| 2.1.6 Statistical analysis | 第60页 |
| 2.2 Results | 第60-66页 |
| 2.3 Discussion | 第66-69页 |
| 2.4 Conclusion | 第69-70页 |
| Chapter 3 Effects of hydrogen cyanamide and thiourea on carbohydrate metabolism andpoline contents during dormancy release in buds and bark of pear cultivar 'Wonhwang'cuttings | 第70-88页 |
| 3.1 Materials and methods | 第71-74页 |
| 3.1.1 Plant materials | 第71页 |
| 3.1.2 Experimental design and treatment | 第71-72页 |
| 3.1.3 Mean time to budbreak | 第72页 |
| 3.1.4 Determination of sugar and starch contents | 第72-73页 |
| 3.1.5 Determination of enzyme activity | 第73页 |
| 3.1.6 Free proline determination | 第73-74页 |
| 3.1.7 Statistical analysis | 第74页 |
| 3.2 Results | 第74-84页 |
| 3.2.1 Dormancy release | 第74页 |
| 3.2.2 Mean Time to Budbreak (MTB) | 第74-75页 |
| 3.2.3 Carbohydrates concentrations | 第75-78页 |
| 3.2.4 Enzyme activities | 第78-81页 |
| 3.2.5 Invertases activity | 第81-83页 |
| 3.2.6 Free proline content | 第83-84页 |
| 3.3 Discussion | 第84-87页 |
| 3.4 Conclusion | 第87-88页 |
| Chapter 4 Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of thedehydrin gene family in pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) | 第88-105页 |
| 4.1 Materials and methods | 第90-93页 |
| 4.1.1 Plant materials and treatment | 第90页 |
| 4.1.2 Identification and characterization of pear DHN gene family members | 第90-91页 |
| 4.1.3 RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and cloning of full-length cDNA | 第91页 |
| 4.1.4 Multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic, conserved motif and structural analyses | 第91-92页 |
| 4.1.5 Real-time quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) and hierarchical cluster analysis | 第92-93页 |
| 4.2 Results | 第93-98页 |
| 4.2.1 Identification and classification of the dehydrin gene family in pear | 第93-95页 |
| 4.2.2 Multiple sequence alignment, structure and phylogenetic analysis | 第95-96页 |
| 4.2.3 Expression profile of pear DHN genes in different tissues | 第96-98页 |
| 4.2.4 Differential expression pattern of pear DHN genes in response to low temperature | 第98页 |
| 4.3 Discussion | 第98-104页 |
| 4.4 Conclusion | 第104-105页 |
| Chapter 5 Study on the expression of dehydrin genes and activities of antioxidativeenzymes in floral buds of two sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) cultivars requiringdifferent chilling hours for budbreak | 第105-120页 |
| 5.1 Materials and methods | 第107-110页 |
| 5.1.1 Plant materials | 第107页 |
| 5.1.2 Monitoring of temperature | 第107-108页 |
| 5.1.3 Assessment of chilling requirements | 第108页 |
| 5.1.4 Determination of dormancy status | 第108页 |
| 5.1.5 RNA extraction and quantitative PCR analysis | 第108-109页 |
| 5.1.6 Antioxidant enzyme assays | 第109页 |
| 5.1.7 Hydrogen peroxide determination | 第109页 |
| 5.1.8 Statistical analysis | 第109-110页 |
| 5.2 Results | 第110-115页 |
| 5.2.1 Chilling requirements of two pear cultivars | 第110页 |
| 5.2.2 Dormancy status in floral buds of pear cultivars | 第110页 |
| 5.2.3 Seasonal expression pattern of dehydrin genes in floral buds during the dormancy | 第110-111页 |
| 5.2.4 Changes in antioxidant enzymes in floral buds of pear cultivars during dormancy | 第111-114页 |
| 5.2.5 Changes in H2O2 content in floral buds of pear cultivars during dormancy | 第114-115页 |
| 5.3 Discussion | 第115-119页 |
| 5.4 Conclusion | 第119-120页 |
| Chapter 6 Major findings and future perspectives | 第120-122页 |
| 6.1 Major findings | 第120-121页 |
| 6.2 Future perspectives | 第121-122页 |
| References | 第122-147页 |
| List of Publications | 第147页 |
