Overexpression of OsDof12 affects plant architecture in rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Dof (DNA binding with one finger) proteins, a class of plant-specific transcription factors, are involved in plant growth and developmental processes and stress responses. However, their biological functions remain to be elucidated, especially in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Previously, we have reported that OsDof12 can promote rice flowering under long-day conditions. Here, we further investigated the other important agronomical traits of the transgenic plants overexpressing OsDof12 and found that overexpressing OsDof12 could lead to reduced plant height, erected leaf, shortened leaf blade, and smaller panicle resulted from decreased primary and secondary branches number. These results implied that OsDof12 is involved in rice plant architecture formation. Furthermore, we performed a series of Brassinosteroid (BR)-responsive tests and found that overexpression of OsDof12 could also result in BR hyposensitivity. Of note, in WT plants the expression of OsDof12 was found up-regulated by BR treatment while in OsDof12 overexpression plants two positive BR signaling regulators, OsBRI1 and OsBZR1, were significantly down-regulated, indicating that OsDof12 may act as a negative BR regulator in rice. Taken together, our results suggested that overexpression of OsDof12 could lead to altered plant architecture by suppressing BR signaling. Thus, OsDof12 might be used as a new potential genetic regulator for future rice molecular breeding.
Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China ; State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
Qi
Q
Wu
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
Dayong
D
Li
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Rubber Tree, Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences Danzhou, China.
Dejun
D
Li
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
Xue
X
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
Xianfeng
X
Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
Xiaobing
X
Li
Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
Shigui
S
Li
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China.
Lihuang
L
Zhu
Dof transcription factor; OsDof12; plant architecture; rice (Oryza sativa L.)