title: A natural variant of NAL1, selected in high-yield rice breeding programs, pleiotropically increases photosynthesis rate.
abstract: Improvement of leaf photosynthesis is an important strategy for greater crop productivity. Here we show that the quantitative trait locus GPS (GREEN FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) controls photosynthesis rate by regulating carboxylation efficiency. Map-based cloning revealed that GPS is identical to NAL1 (NARROW LEAF1), a gene previously reported to control lateral leaf growth. The high-photosynthesis allele of GPS was found to be a partial loss-of-function allele of NAL1. This allele increased mesophyll cell number between vascular bundles, which led to thickened leaves, and it pleiotropically enhanced photosynthesis rate without the detrimental side effects observed in previously identified nal1 mutants, such as dwarf plant stature. Furthermore, pedigree analysis suggested that rice breeders have repeatedly selected the high-photosynthesis allele in high-yield breeding programs. The identification and utilization of NAL1 (GPS) can enhance future high-yield breeding and provides a new strategy for increasing rice productivity.
authors.affiliation: 1] NARO Institute of Crop Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8508, Japan [2] National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan [3].
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taguchi-Shiobara
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sanoh-Arai
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iwasawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshinaga
authors.forename: Sakiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Yojiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Utako
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yamanouchi
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikka
authors.forename: Tsuyu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: Sachie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Ayahiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shomura
authors.forename: Taiichiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ookawa
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirasawa
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Motohiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001947:Breeding; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D023061:Gene Order; D007700:Kinetics; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D013472:Sunlight
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide