Green revolution: a mutant gibberellin-synthesis gene in rice.
The chronic food shortage that was feared after the rapid expansion of the world population in the 1960s was averted largely by the development of a high-yielding semi-dwarf variety of rice known as IR8, the so-called rice 'green revolution'. The short stature of IR8 is due to a mutation in the plant's sd1 gene, and here we identify this gene as encoding an oxidase enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of gibberellin, a plant growth hormone. Gibberellin is also implicated in green-revolution varieties of wheat, but the reduced height of those crops is conferred by defects in the hormone's signalling pathway.
Sasaki
A
A
Bioscience Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. makoto@nuagr1.agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Ashikari
M
M
Ueguchi-Tanaka
M
M
Itoh
H
H
Nishimura
A
A
Swapan
D
D
Ishiyama
K
K
Saito
T
T
Kobayashi
M
M
Khush
G S
GS
Kitano
H
H
Matsuoka
M
M
D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D005523:Food Supply; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D005875:Gibberellins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D012275:Oryza / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype
D005875:Gibberellins