title: A phosphate starvation response regulator Ta-PHR1 is involved in phosphate signalling and increases grain yield in wheat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Phosphorus deficiency is a major limiting factor for crop yield worldwide. Previous studies revealed that PHR1 and it homologues play a key role in regulating the phosphate starvation response in plants. However, the function of PHR homologues in common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is still not fully understood. The aim of the study was to characterize the function of PHR1 genes in regulating phosphate signalling and plant growth in wheat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wheat transgenic lines over-expressing a wheat PHR1 gene were generated and evaluated under phosphorus-deficient and -sufficient conditions in hydroponic culture, a soil pot trial and two field experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three PHR1 homologous genes Ta-PHR1-A1, B1 and D1 were isolated from wheat, and the function of Ta-PHR1-A1 was analysed. The results showed that Ta-PHR1-A1 transcriptionally activated the expression of Ta-PHT1.2 in yeast cells. Over-expressing Ta-PHR1-A1 in wheat upregulated a subset of phosphate starvation response genes, stimulated lateral branching and improved phosphorus uptake when the plants were grown in soil and in nutrient solution. The data from two field trials demonstrated that over-expressing Ta-PHR1-A1 increased grain yield by increasing grain number per spike.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TaPHR1 is involved in phosphate signalling in wheat, and was valuable in molecular breeding of crops, with improved phosphorus use efficiency and yield performance.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jinghan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Jinkao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Zhanliang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Mingqi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xueqiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fangpu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Zhensheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis; D018533:Biomass; D015870:Gene Expression; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D010758:Phosphorus
keywords: PHR1; Triticum aestivum; grain yield; lateral root; phosphate starvation response; phosphorus uptake