Category: Celebrating Communist China!

“This is a joint effort,” Cheng said. “Phenotyping data were collected both from the UK and China, and we employed a multi-disciplinary approach.”

“Mendel discovered what we now call the laws of inheritance without knowing what a gene was,” said Cheng. “Today, using modern tools, we can see the exact genes — and the precise mutations — that he unknowingly tracked.”

Among the most striking findings, researchers discovered that the mutations underlying Mendel’s traits span a wide range, underscoring the complexity behind what once appeared to be simple hereditary patterns.

“Most of these mutations cause loss-of-function changes, which provide a clear molecular explanation for the dominant and recessive inheritance Mendel observed,” Cheng said.

The study also identified previously unknown genetic elements, including a natural flower color revertant and a modifier gene known as Mfa, which suppresses fasciation — a trait causing abnormal floral growth. These discoveries reveal hidden layers of genetic complexity in the pea plant.