Before initiating the submission process, the instructions below should be read carefully to ensure that the article complies with Molecular Plant standards. Even if authors have previously read them, it is strongly recommended that these pages be reread in their entirety, as they are updated periodically.

Authors should submit manuscripts online at http://submit.mplant.oxfordjournals.org/. The Bench>Press submission system will prompt authors through the process. Help is also available from http://submit.mplant.oxfordjournals.org/submission/submissionhelp and from the editorial office (Tel: +86 21-54922858 or +1 415 338-6193; Email: staff-mplant@sibs.ac.cn). For manuscript submission, a manuscript file in Microsoft Word (or some other word processing form) is required and will be automatically converted to a PDF by the Bench>Press submission system. Alternatively, authors may create and submit their own PDF which will not be subjected to any conversion. Although there are no file size limitations, note that large files will take longer to upload and convert to PDF depending on the Internet connection. Please try to keep the maximum combined PDF file size to less than 5 MB.

If you are not satisfied with the final conversion results when the submission is proofed, the complete manuscript can be reloaded as a PDF file.

Each author must have contributed substantively to justify inclusion as an author; any other contributors should instead be acknowledged appropriately in the Acknowledgments section. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all authors have made bona fide, substantive contributions to the research and have seen and approved the manuscript in final form prior to submission.

Back to top

Large-scale experiments. In evaluating large-scale experiments such as transcript profiling, we will consider whether there is a clear and complete description of each experiment; whether biological and/or technical replicates should have been used; what statistical analysis has been performed. Large-scale data sets must be made available for review at the time of submission and must be deposited in an accepted format to a permanent public repository with open access (e.g., GEO http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov or Array-Express http://www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress.

Quantification of molecules, including DNA, RNA, and proteins. Methods for quantification of levels or differences in levels of molecules in biological samples must be described fully and shown to be quantitative and reproducible, using true biological replicates. Any conclusion that levels differ between samples must be supported by presentation of methods and data shown to be reliable; supporting information demonstrating reliability of an assay may sometimes be provided as Supplementary Information rather than in the body of the manuscript, subject to the approval of the handling editor. Use of the term ‘semi-quantitative’ is not acceptable in Molecular Plant; instead, assays must be shown to be sufficiently quantitative to support a conclusion of changes in levels.

Molecular phylogenetic analyses. Methods used for sequence analysis must be reported in full with citations and software and parameter values (even if only default values were used) in a separate section of Methods entitled "Phylogenetic Analysis". Please note that CLUSTAL does not produce an acceptable phylogeny; use a true phylogenetic analysis program (e.g., PHYLIP, MEGA, MR. BAYES). Alignments used to produce phylogenies should be produced with an appropriate alignment program (e.g., CLUSTAL), then manually adjusted to optimize alignments. Alignments must be provided as a Supplementary Table or Figure (preferably as a .doc file). Statistical support for nodes in phylogenetic tree figures must be reported (e.g., posterior probabilities or bootstrap values from a minimum of 1000 trials). Authors are encouraged to consult with an expert in molecular phylogenetics if they do not have such expertise themselves.

Accession numbers. Novel nucleotide and amino acid sequences must be deposited in a public repository such as the GenBank database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). Accession numbers for genes must be specific for each gene; accession numbers for BAC clones or chromosomes are not acceptable substitutes. In the case of Arabidopsis, the AGI locus identifier ("At number") must be provided for each gene described (see http://www.arabidopsis.org). If a new function or mutation is found to be associated with a previously known DNA sequence (i.e., an existing GenBank entry), authors are encouraged to create a new GenBank entry in order to link the sequence and the gene symbol/function in the database. In the case of (partially or completely) sequenced vectors and constructs, accession numbers should be provided. All data necessary to validate protein structure determinations, including x-ray amplitudes and phases and the derived atomic coordinates, should be submitted to the Protein Data Bank (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb).

Accession numbers should be provided as the last paragraph of Methods (just before Acknowledgements) with the heading "Accession Numbers" for any genes or new sequence data discussed in the article. Insert the following statement and provide accession numbers: "Sequence data from this article can be found in the EMBL/GenBank data libraries under accession number(s) XX000000." In the case of Arabidopsis, the AGI locus identifier ("At number") must be provided for each gene described (see http://www.arabidopsis.org). If a list of accession numbers is provided in a table or figure, that can be stated in this section, rather than listing all of the numbers. Accession numbers must also be provided for any supplementary data that is placed in a permanent public repository (e.g., GEO http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo, Array-Express http://www.ebi.ac.uk/arrayexpress, or Protein Data Bank (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb)). If an accession number has not been assigned at the time of submission, please use Xs as placeholders to be updated later. In general, accession numbers should be provided only in the Methods, not elsewhere in the manuscript, unless needed for clarity.

Supplementary Data
We encourage authors to include all necessary data in the manuscript body. If large data sets are necessary and cannot be accommodated in the text body, supplementary data can be submitted according to the instructions for Supplementary Data Submission.

Figure legends
Figure legends should be concise and should not repeat information presented in the text. Figure numbers should be given in Arabic numerals and figure parts in upper case letters (eg 1A, 1B).
Include:
• all symbols and abbreviations that are used in the figure
• bar graph error bars and sample sizes
• scale, unless already indicated in the picture
Accession numbers should not be included in figure legends.
A separate typewritten, double-spaced list of legends of all figures must be supplied and included in the text file. Please be aware that figure legends are used by search engines for figure searc

References
You can download the current reference style for Molecular Plant from EndNote's website.

Cite references in the text by name and date of publication and not by number. List only articles that are published or in press. Cite in the text all unpublished results, including personal communications and submitted manuscripts (for example, R. Goldberg and K. Jofuku, unpublished results). A permission letter from each person cited as a personal communication will be required upon acceptance. Permission is also required from the authors of unpublished information cited in the text if those authors are different from the article's authors. Citations for web sites (other than for primary literature) should be handled parenthetically in the text and not included in the reference list. Authors should test all URLs and links.

It is expected that all cited publications have been read and determined to be appropriate by the authors, not merely identified by database searches. Reference to specific results should be to original research articles, not to more recent articles or reviews.

References should contain complete titles and inclusive page numbers. If you are citing an article that only exists as an online pre-issue version, use the ‘doi’ (unique identifying number) and publication date, as follows:

Author, A.B., and Author, B.B. (2007). Title of article. Molecular Plant Advance Access published March 5, 2003, doi:10.1093/mplant/msg013

The ‘doi’ is the long number typically given at the end of the reference in the online contents.

Authors are expected to proofread every citation in their reference list against the PDF or photocopy of the cited work so that the reference list is accurate with respect to spellings, symbols, italics, subscripts/superscripts, and accents.

Back to top

Color figures. Colour figures should be converted to CMYK (Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black). "Adobe (1998)" should be selected as the ICC profile to ensure that we can reproduce the color accurately. RGB figures will be converted to CMYK on receipt, resulting in slight colour changes, therefore authors should convert before submission so that any adjustment in contrast is made at this stage to the author's satisfaction.

Observe the following guidelines to ensure that all readers, reviewers, and editors will be able to comprehend your data:
• In fluorescent double-staining micrographs and DNA chips, use magenta and green instead of red and green.
• For micrographs with triple or more channels, additionally show either a grayscale image of each channel, or the combination of the two most important channels in magenta and green.
• For graphs and line drawings, label elements on the graph itself rather than making a separate color-coded key.
• Do not try to convey information in color only, but use BOTH color and shape (solid and dotted lines, different symbols, various hatchings, etc.; however, avoid pattern fills if creating PowerPoint files). For more information, see the following website: http://jfly.iam.u-tokyo.ac.jp/color/.

Back to top

Authors are encouraged to follow the widely accepted conventions of nomenclature and terminology of genes and proteins.

Accepted manuscripts are copyedited for grammar and journal style before proof is generated. In an effort to facilitate rapid publication, after authors have reviewed proof and corrections are made, the article will be posted online as part of the publication Molecular Plant Advance Access. Articles are posted anywhere from a few days to a few weeks prior to the full online issue of the journal. Any subsequent final corrections to the paper will appear in the final published version (and will suppress any earlier version) both in print and online. If an author does not want to have an article posted online ahead of final publication, it should be specified on the checklist provided at acceptance. The official date of publication is the date that the article first appears online as part of Molecular Plant Advance Access.

Back to top

The publishers supply the URL upon electronic publication. Offprint order forms are available to purchase printed offprints, however, all must be completed and returned with the proofs to Oxford University Press. Late orders submitted after the journal is printed are subject to increased prices.

Back to top

Author self-archiving/public access policy For information about this journal's policy, please visit our Author Self-Archiving policy page. It is a condition of publication in the Journal that authors grant an exclusive license to the Institute of Plant Physiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Society for Plant Physiology. This ensures that requests from third parties to reproduce articles are handled efficiently and consistently and will also allow the article to be as widely disseminated as possible. Authors may use their own material in other publications provided that the Journal is acknowledged as the original place of publication, and Oxford University Press is notified in writing and in advance.

Conflict of interest Molecular Plant policy requires that each author reveal any financial interests or connections, direct or indirect, or other situations that might raise the question of bias in the work reported or the conclusions, implications, or opinions stated - including pertinent commercial or other sources of funding for the individual author(s) or for the associated department(s) or organization(s), personal relationships, or direct academic competition. When considering whether you should declare a conflicting interest or connection please consider the conflict of interest test: Is there any arrangement that would embarrass you or any of your co-authors if it was to emerge after publication and you had not declared it?

Ethics Molecular Plant is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and strives to adhere to its code of conduct and guidelines. Authors are encouraged to consult http://www.publicationethics.org.uk/guidelines for more information.

Materials Distribution Policy Publication in Molecular Plant implies that the authors agree to provide materials that are integral to the results presented in the article, including whatever would be necessary for a skilled investigator to verify or replicate the claims. Authors are generally expected to take advantage of public repositories or commercial vendors to the extent possible. Authors should refer to the Materials Distribution Policy in these instructions for explanation of the journal's expectations of authors and requestors.
Further information.

• The sentence should begin: ‘This work was supported by …’
• The full official funding agency name should be given, i.e. ‘National Institutes of Health’, not ‘NIH’ (full RIN-approved list of UK funding agencies) Grant numbers should be given in brackets as follows: ‘[grant number xxxx]’
• Multiple grant numbers should be separated by a comma as follows: ‘[grant numbers xxxx, yyyy]’
• Agencies should be separated by a semi-colon (plus ‘and’ before the last funding agency)
• Where individuals need to be specified for certain sources of funding the following text should be added after the relevant agency or grant number 'to [author initials]'.

An example is given here: ‘This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [AA123456 to C.S., BB765432 to M.H.]; and the Alcohol & Education Research Council [hfygr667789].