1
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Li H, Hua M, Tariq N, Li X, Zhang Y, Zhang D, Liang W. EPAD1 Orthologs Play a Conserved Role in Pollen Exine Patterning. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8914. [PMID: 39201600 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The pollen wall protects pollen during dispersal and is critical for pollination recognition. In the Poaceae family, the pollen exine stereostructure exhibits a high degree of conservation with similar patterns across species. However, there remains controversy regarding the conservation of key factors involved in its formation among various Poaceae species. EPAD1, as a gene specific to the Poaceae family, and its orthologous genes play a conserved role in pollen wall formation in wheat and rice. However, they do not appear to have significant functions in maize. To further confirm the conserved function of EPAD1 in Poaceae, we performed an analysis on four EPAD1 orthologs from two distinct sub-clades within the Poaceae family. The two functional redundant barley EPAD1 genes (HvEPAD1 and HvEPAD2) from the BOP clade, along with the single copy of sorghum (SbEPAD1) and millet (SiEPAD1) from the PACMAD clade were examined. The CRISPR-Cas9-generated mutants all exhibited defects in pollen wall formation, consistent with previous findings on EPAD1 in rice and wheat. Interestingly, in barley, hvepad2 single mutant also showed apical spikelets abortion, aligning with a decreased expression level of HvEPAD1 and HvEPAD2 from the apical to the bottom of the spike. Our finding provides evidence that EPAD1 orthologs contribute to Poaceae specific pollen exine pattern formation via maintaining primexine integrity despite potential variations in copy numbers across different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanjun Li
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Miaoyuan Hua
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Naveed Tariq
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xian Li
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yushi Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Dabing Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wanqi Liang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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2
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Sánchez-Gerschon V, Martínez-Fernández I, González-Bermúdez MR, de la Hoz-Rodríguez S, González FV, Lozano-Juste J, Ferrándiz C, Balanzà V. Transcription factors HB21/40/53 trigger inflorescence arrest through abscisic acid accumulation at the end of flowering. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:2743-2756. [PMID: 38669447 PMCID: PMC11288733 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Flowers, and hence, fruits and seeds, are produced by the activity of the inflorescence meristem after the floral transition. In plants with indeterminate inflorescences, the final number of flowers produced by the inflorescence meristem is determined by the length of the flowering period, which ends with inflorescence arrest. Inflorescence arrest depends on many different factors, such as the presence of seeds, the influence of the environment, or endogenous factors such as phytohormone levels and age, which modulate inflorescence meristem activity. The FRUITFULL-APETALA2 (FUL-AP2) pathway plays a major role in regulating the end of flowering, likely integrating both endogenous cues and those related to seed formation. Among AP2 targets, HOMEOBOX PROTEIN21 (HB21) has been identified as a putative mediator of AP2 function in the control of inflorescence arrest. HB21 is a homeodomain leucine zipper transcription factor involved in establishing axillary bud dormancy. Here, we characterized the role of HB21 in the control of the inflorescence arrest at the end of flowering in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). HB21, together with HB40 and HB53, are upregulated in the inflorescence apex at the end of flowering, promoting floral bud arrest. We also show that abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation occurs in the inflorescence apex in an HB-dependent manner. Our work suggests a physiological role of ABA in floral bud arrest at the end of flowering, pointing to ABA as a regulator of inflorescence arrest downstream of the HB21/40/53 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Sánchez-Gerschon
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Irene Martínez-Fernández
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - María R González-Bermúdez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Florenci V González
- Departament de química inorgànica i orgànica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Jorge Lozano-Juste
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Cristina Ferrándiz
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Balanzà
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
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3
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Thirulogachandar V, Govind G, Hensel G, Kale SM, Kuhlmann M, Eschen-Lippold L, Rutten T, Koppolu R, Rajaraman J, Palakolanu SR, Seiler C, Sakuma S, Jayakodi M, Lee J, Kumlehn J, Komatsuda T, Schnurbusch T, Sreenivasulu N. HOMEOBOX2, the paralog of SIX-ROWED SPIKE1/HOMEOBOX1, is dispensable for barley spikelet development. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:2900-2916. [PMID: 38366171 PMCID: PMC11358255 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The HD-ZIP class I transcription factor Homeobox 1 (HvHOX1), also known as Vulgare Row-type Spike 1 (VRS1) or Six-rowed Spike 1, regulates lateral spikelet fertility in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). It was shown that HvHOX1 has a high expression only in lateral spikelets, while its paralog HvHOX2 was found to be expressed in different plant organs. Yet, the mechanistic functions of HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 during spikelet development are still fragmentary. Here, we show that compared with HvHOX1, HvHOX2 is more highly conserved across different barley genotypes and Hordeum species, hinting at a possibly vital but still unclarified biological role. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation, DNA-binding, and transactivation assays, we validate that HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 are bona fide transcriptional activators that may potentially heterodimerize. Accordingly, both genes exhibit similar spatiotemporal expression patterns during spike development and growth, albeit their mRNA levels differ quantitatively. We show that HvHOX1 delays the lateral spikelet meristem differentiation and affects fertility by aborting the reproductive organs. Interestingly, the ancestral relationship of the two genes inferred from their co-expressed gene networks suggested that HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 might play a similar role during barley spikelet development. However, CRISPR-derived mutants of HvHOX1 and HvHOX2 demonstrated the suppressive role of HvHOX1 on lateral spikelets, while the loss of HvHOX2 does not influence spikelet development. Collectively, our study shows that through the suppression of reproductive organs, lateral spikelet fertility is regulated by HvHOX1, whereas HvHOX2 is dispensable for spikelet development in barley.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatasubbu Thirulogachandar
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
- Research Group Abiotic Stress Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Crop Plant Research (IZN), Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Geetha Govind
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Götz Hensel
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Sandip M Kale
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Markus Kuhlmann
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
- Research Group Abiotic Stress Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Crop Plant Research (IZN), Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Twan Rutten
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Ravi Koppolu
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Jeyaraman Rajaraman
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Sudhakar Reddy Palakolanu
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Christiane Seiler
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Shun Sakuma
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Plant Genome Research Unit, Tsukuba 3058602, Japan
| | - Murukarthick Jayakodi
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Justin Lee
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Weinberg 3, D-06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Jochen Kumlehn
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Takao Komatsuda
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS), Plant Genome Research Unit, Tsukuba 3058602, Japan
| | - Thorsten Schnurbusch
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
- Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences III, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Nese Sreenivasulu
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, OT Gatersleben, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
- Research Group Abiotic Stress Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Crop Plant Research (IZN), Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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4
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Huang Y, Maurer A, Giehl RFH, Zhao S, Golan G, Thirulogachandar V, Li G, Zhao Y, Trautewig C, Himmelbach A, Börner A, Jayakodi M, Stein N, Mascher M, Pillen K, Schnurbusch T. Dynamic Phytomeric Growth Contributes to Local Adaptation in Barley. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae011. [PMID: 38243866 PMCID: PMC10837018 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Vascular plants have segmented body axes with iterative nodes and internodes. Appropriate node initiation and internode elongation are fundamental to plant fitness and crop yield; however, how these events are spatiotemporally coordinated remains elusive. We show that in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), selections during domestication have extended the apical meristematic phase to promote node initiation, but constrained subsequent internode elongation. In both vegetative and reproductive phases, internode elongation displays a dynamic proximal-distal gradient, and among subpopulations of domesticated barleys worldwide, node initiation and proximal internode elongation are associated with latitudinal and longitudinal gradients, respectively. Genetic and functional analyses suggest that, in addition to their converging roles in node initiation, flowering-time genes have been repurposed to specify the timing and duration of internode elongation. Our study provides an integrated view of barley node initiation and internode elongation and suggests that plant architecture should be recognized as a collection of dynamic phytomeric units in the context of crop adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyu Huang
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Andreas Maurer
- Faculty of Natural Sciences III, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Ricardo F H Giehl
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Shuangshuang Zhao
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Guy Golan
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | | | - Guoliang Li
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Yusheng Zhao
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Corinna Trautewig
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Axel Himmelbach
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Andreas Börner
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Murukarthick Jayakodi
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Nils Stein
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martin Mascher
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Pillen
- Faculty of Natural Sciences III, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Thorsten Schnurbusch
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Seeland, Germany
- Faculty of Natural Sciences III, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, 06120 Halle, Germany
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5
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Zhang Y, Shen C, Shi J, Shi J, Zhang D. Boosting Triticeae crop grain yield by manipulating molecular modules to regulate inflorescence architecture: insights and knowledge from other cereal crops. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:17-35. [PMID: 37935244 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
One of the challenges for global food security is to reliably and sustainably improve the grain yield of cereal crops. One solution is to modify the architecture of the grain-bearing inflorescence to optimize for grain number and size. Cereal inflorescences are complex structures, with determinacy, branching patterns, and spikelet/floret growth patterns that vary by species. Recent decades have witnessed rapid advancements in our understanding of the genetic regulation of inflorescence architecture in rice, maize, wheat, and barley. Here, we summarize current knowledge on key genetic factors underlying the different inflorescence morphologies of these crops and model plants (Arabidopsis and tomato), focusing particularly on the regulation of inflorescence meristem determinacy and spikelet meristem identity and determinacy. We also discuss strategies to identify and utilize these superior alleles to optimize inflorescence architecture and, ultimately, improve crop grain yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueya Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Chaoqun Shen
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jin Shi
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jianxin Shi
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai 200240, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Dabing Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai 200240, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya 572025, China
- School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5064, Australia
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6
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Lindsay P, Swentowsky KW, Jackson D. Cultivating potential: Harnessing plant stem cells for agricultural crop improvement. MOLECULAR PLANT 2024; 17:50-74. [PMID: 38130059 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Meristems are stem cell-containing structures that produce all plant organs and are therefore important targets for crop improvement. Developmental regulators control the balance and rate of cell divisions within the meristem. Altering these regulators impacts meristem architecture and, as a consequence, plant form. In this review, we discuss genes involved in regulating the shoot apical meristem, inflorescence meristem, axillary meristem, root apical meristem, and vascular cambium in plants. We highlight several examples showing how crop breeders have manipulated developmental regulators to modify meristem growth and alter crop traits such as inflorescence size and branching patterns. Plant transformation techniques are another innovation related to plant meristem research because they make crop genome engineering possible. We discuss recent advances on plant transformation made possible by studying genes controlling meristem development. Finally, we conclude with discussions about how meristem research can contribute to crop improvement in the coming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope Lindsay
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | - David Jackson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
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7
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Abbai R, Golan G, Longin CFH, Schnurbusch T. Grain yield trade-offs in spike-branching wheat can be mitigated by elite alleles affecting sink capacity and post-anthesis source activity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:88-102. [PMID: 37739800 PMCID: PMC10735541 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Introducing variations in inflorescence architecture, such as the 'Miracle-Wheat' (Triticum turgidum convar. compositum (L.f.) Filat.) with a branching spike, has relevance for enhancing wheat grain yield. However, in the spike-branching genotypes, the increase in spikelet number is generally not translated into grain yield advantage because of reduced grains per spikelet and grain weight. Here, we investigated if such trade-offs might be a function of source-sink strength by using 385 recombinant inbred lines developed by intercrossing the spike-branching landrace TRI 984 and CIRNO C2008, an elite durum (T. durum L.) cultivar; they were genotyped using the 25K array. Various plant and spike architectural traits, including flag leaf, peduncle, and spike senescence rate, were phenotyped under field conditions for 2 consecutive years. On chromosome 5AL, we found a new modifier QTL for spike branching, branched headt3 (bht-A3), which was epistatic to the previously known bht-A1 locus. Besides, bht-A3 was associated with more grains per spikelet and a delay in flag leaf senescence rate. Importantly, favourable alleles, viz. bht-A3 and grain protein content (gpc-B1) that delayed senescence, are required to improve grain number and grain weight in the spike-branching genotypes. In summary, achieving a balanced source-sink relationship might minimize grain yield trade-offs in Miracle-Wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragavendran Abbai
- Research Group Plant Architecture, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - Guy Golan
- Research Group Plant Architecture, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany
| | - C Friedrich H Longin
- State Plant Breeding Institute, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 21, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Thorsten Schnurbusch
- Research Group Plant Architecture, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, 06466 Seeland, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Faculty of Natural Sciences III, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, 06120 Halle, Germany
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8
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Gallagher JP, Man J, Chiaramida A, Rozza IK, Patterson EL, Powell MM, Schrager-Lavelle A, Multani DS, Meeley RB, Bartlett ME. GRASSY TILLERS1 ( GT1) and SIX-ROWED SPIKE1 ( VRS1) homologs share conserved roles in growth repression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2311961120. [PMID: 38096411 PMCID: PMC10742383 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311961120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Crop engineering and de novo domestication using gene editing are new frontiers in agriculture. However, outside of well-studied crops and model systems, prioritizing engineering targets remains challenging. Evolution can guide us, revealing genes with deeply conserved roles that have repeatedly been selected in the evolution of plant form. Homologs of the transcription factor genes GRASSY TILLERS1 (GT1) and SIX-ROWED SPIKE1 (VRS1) have repeatedly been targets of selection in domestication and evolution, where they repress growth in many developmental contexts. This suggests a conserved role for these genes in regulating growth repression. To test this, we determined the roles of GT1 and VRS1 homologs in maize (Zea mays) and the distantly related grass brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon) using gene editing and mutant analysis. In maize, gt1; vrs1-like1 (vrl1) mutants have derepressed growth of floral organs. In addition, gt1; vrl1 mutants bore more ears and more branches, indicating broad roles in growth repression. In brachypodium, Bdgt1; Bdvrl1 mutants have more branches, spikelets, and flowers than wild-type plants, indicating conserved roles for GT1 and VRS1 homologs in growth suppression over ca. 59 My of grass evolution. Importantly, many of these traits influence crop productivity. Notably, maize GT1 can suppress growth in arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) floral organs, despite ca. 160 My of evolution separating the grasses and arabidopsis. Thus, GT1 and VRS1 maintain their potency as growth regulators across vast timescales and in distinct developmental contexts. This work highlights the power of evolution to inform gene editing in crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P. Gallagher
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003
- Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Corvallis, OR97331
| | - Jarrett Man
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003
| | | | | | | | - Morgan M. Powell
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA01003
| | | | - Dilbag S. Multani
- Corteva Agriscience, Johnston, IA50131
- Napigen, Inc., Wilmington, DE19803
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9
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Doll NM. Modulating apical tip degeneration of the barley inflorescence: A potential target for grain yield increase. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:3918-3919. [PMID: 37364163 PMCID: PMC10615200 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas M Doll
- Assistant Features Editor, The Plant Cell, American Society of Plant Biologists
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center of Plant Systems Biology, Ghent 9052,Belgium
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