Xu Penghui, Khan Najeeb Ullah, Wang Haozhen, Zhao Yong, Xu Bingxia, Hu Qianfeng, Pan Yinghua, Li Danting, Li Junzhou, Sun Xingming, Li Jinjie, Zhang Hongliang, Li Zichao, Zhang Zhanying
Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Rice Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China.
Sci Adv. 2025 Sep 12;11(37):eadx9815. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adx9815. Epub 2025 Sep 10.
Grain size substantially influences rice quality and yield. In this study, we identified (), a quantitative trait locus encoding an F-box protein that enhances grain length by promoting cell proliferation. The transcription factor OsbZIP35 represses expression, while COR1 interacts with OsTCP19, leading to its degradation. Knockout of either or results in increased grain length, confirming their regulatory roles in grain development. The OsbZIP35-COR1-OsTCP19 module controls the expression of the cell cycle gene , thereby modulating cell proliferation and ultimately determining grain size. Five haplotypes of were identified, with -Hap1 and -Hap3 being elite alleles associated with longer grains. Field plot trials demonstrated that the near-isogenic line NIL- increased yield by ~6.6% compared to NIL-. These findings elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying grain size regulation and offer promising strategies for improving rice yield.
籽粒大小对水稻品质和产量有重大影响。在本研究中，我们鉴定出（），这是一个编码F-box蛋白的数量性状基因座，通过促进细胞增殖来增加籽粒长度。转录因子OsbZIP35抑制（）的表达，而COR1与OsTCP19相互作用，导致其降解。敲除（）或（）都会导致籽粒长度增加，证实了它们在籽粒发育中的调控作用。OsbZIP35-COR1-OsTCP19模块控制细胞周期基因（）的表达，从而调节细胞增殖并最终决定籽粒大小。鉴定出了（）的五种单倍型，其中-Hap1和-Hap3是与较长籽粒相关的优良等位基因。田间小区试验表明，近等基因系NIL-比NIL-增产约6.6%。这些发现阐明了籽粒大小调控的遗传机制，并为提高水稻产量提供了有前景的策略。
