Abstract

Grain number per panicle (GNP) is a major determinant of grain yield in cereals. However, the mechanisms that regulate GNP remain unclear. To address this issue, we isolate a series of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] multiseeded (msd) mutants that can double GNP by increasing panicle size and altering floral development so that all spikelets are fertile and set grain. Through bulk segregant analysis by next-generation sequencing, we identify MSD1 as a TCP (Teosinte branched/Cycloidea/PCF) transcription factor. Whole-genome expression profiling reveals that jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthetic enzymes are transiently activated in pedicellate spikelets. Young msd1 panicles have 50% less JA than wild-type (WT) panicles, and application of exogenous JA can rescue the msd1 phenotype. Our results reveal a new mechanism for increasing GNP, with the potential to boost grain yield, and provide insight into the regulation of plant inflorescence architecture and development.

Details

Title
MSD1 regulates pedicellate spikelet fertility in sorghum through the jasmonic acid pathway
Author
Jiao, Yinping 1 ; Young, Koung Lee 2 ; Gladman, Nicholas 1 ; Chopra, Ratan 3 ; Christensen, Shawn A 4 ; Regulski, Michael 5 ; Burow, Gloria 3 ; Hayes, Chad 3 ; Burke, John 3 ; Ware, Doreen 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zhanguo Xin 3 

1  U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Unit, Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Lubbock, TX, USA; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA 
2  Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA; Division of Biological Sciences and Institute for Basic Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, South Korea 
3  U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Unit, Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Lubbock, TX, USA 
4  Chemistry Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Gainesville, FL, USA 
5  Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA 
6  Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA; U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, NEA Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA 
Pages
1-9
Publication year
2018
Publication date
Feb 2018
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03238-4
ProQuest document ID
2008351694
Copyright
© 2018. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.