title: Natural variation at the DEP1 locus enhances grain yield in rice.
abstract: Grain yield is controlled by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) derived from natural variations in many crop plants. Here we report the molecular characterization of a major rice grain yield QTL that acts through the determination of panicle architecture. The dominant allele at the DEP1 locus is a gain-of-function mutation causing truncation of a phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein-like domain protein. The effect of this allele is to enhance meristematic activity, resulting in a reduced length of the inflorescence internode, an increased number of grains per panicle and a consequent increase in grain yield. This allele is common to many Chinese high-yielding rice varieties and likely represents a relatively recent introduction into the cultivated rice gene pool. We also show that a functionally equivalent allele is present in the temperate cereals and seems to have arisen before the divergence of the wheat and barley lineages.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Centre for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xianzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Zhengbin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hongying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Shuyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Guangmin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Chengcai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Jiayang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiangdong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D012275:Oryza / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D054631:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 3 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D010940:Plant Proteins; D054631:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 3