A tiny rice gene switch boosts grain size and delays sprouting
Zhao Y, Li Y, Li Z, Du K, Li G
Crop Improvement
Rice that sprouts on the stalk before harvest is a costly problem for farmers worldwide, and this discovery points to a genetic dial that could breed sturdier, more productive rice plants.
Rice plants have a tiny molecule called miR1866 that normally suppresses a gene named OsUBP7. Researchers found that when they turned off miR1866, or otherwise boosted OsUBP7 activity, the rice produced heavier grains and the seeds stayed dormant longer instead of sprouting prematurely. The trick works through the plant's stress hormone abscisic acid, and the same gene interacts with two other proteins to separately control grain size and seed sleepiness, giving breeders two useful levers in one package.
Key Findings
Knocking out miR1866 increased rice grain weight and strengthened seed dormancy, and overexpressing its target gene OsUBP7 reproduced the same effects
OsUBP7 protein interacts with OsDA1 to control hull cell division (affecting grain size) and with OsUCE1 to regulate abscisic acid signaling (affecting dormancy)
Plants with altered miR1866-OsUBP7 activity accumulated more abscisic acid and were more sensitive to it, alongside shifts in genes for sucrose and starch metabolism
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found a small genetic switch in rice that, when disabled, makes grains heavier and gives seeds stronger dormancy, meaning they're less likely to sprout too early on the plant before harvest.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
The miR1866-OsUBP7 regulatory module promotes grain yield and seed dormancy through abscisic acid signaling in rice.
Higher grain weight and stronger seed dormancy are key objectives for improving rice (Oryza sativa) yield and inhibiting pre-harvest sprouting. Therefore, identifying genes that coordinately regula...
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