title: The tae-miR408-Mediated Control of TaTOC1 Genes Transcription Is Required for the Regulation of Heading Time in Wheat.
abstract: Timing of flowering is not only an interesting topic in developmental biology, but it also plays a significant role in agriculture for its effects on the maturation time of seed. The hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most important crop species whose flowering time, i.e. heading time, greatly influences yield. However, it remains unclear whether and how microRNAs regulate heading time in it. In our current study, we identified the tae-miR408 in wheat and its targets in vivo, including Triticum aestivum TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION-A1 (TaTOC-A1), TaTOC-B1, and TaTOC-D1. The tae-miR408 levels were reciprocal to those of TaTOC1s under long-day and short-day conditions. Wheat plants with a knockdown of TaTOC1s via RNA interference and overexpression of tae-miR408 showed early-heading phenotype. Furthermore, TaTOC1s expression was down-regulated by the tae-miR408 in the hexaploid wheat. In addition, other important agronomic traits in wheat, such as plant height and flag leaf angle, were regulated by both tae-miR408 and TaTOC1s. Thus, our results suggested that the tae-miR408 functions in the wheat heading time by mediating TaTOC1s expression, and the study provides important new information on the mechanism underlying heading time regulation in wheat.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.).
authors.forename: Xiang Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.).
authors.forename: Po
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.).
authors.forename: Ji Yun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1560-7935
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.).
authors.forename: Xiang Bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.).
authors.forename: Xing Guo
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.).
authors.forename: Yan You
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.).
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, China (X.Y.Z., P.H., J.Y.W., X.B.C., Y.Y.P., J.W., X.S.Z.); andThe National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Triticeae Crops of Agricultural Ministry, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (X.G.Y.) zhangxs@sdau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xian Sheng
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3129-5206
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011123:Polyploidy; D034622:RNA Interference; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D014908:Triticum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant