title: Blocking miR396 increases rice yield by shaping inflorescence architecture.
abstract: Strategies to increase rice productivity to meet the global demand have been the main concern of breeders around the world. Although a growing number of functional genes related to crop yield have been characterized, our understanding of its associated regulatory pathways is limited. Using rice as a model, we find that blocking miR396 greatly increases grain yield by modulating development of auxiliary branches and spikelets through direct induction of the growth regulating factor 6 (OsGRF6) gene. The upregulation of OsGRF6 results in the coordinated activation of several immediate downstream biological clades, including auxin (IAA) biosynthesis, auxin response factors, and branch and spikelet development-related transcription factors. This study describes a conserved microRNA (miRNA)-dependent regulatory module that integrates inflorescence development, auxin biosynthesis and signalling pathways, and could potentially be used in engineering high-yield crop plants.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Yunping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Pian
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Physiology &Ecology, SIBS, CAS.
authors.forename: Zhenying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Genetic Crop Improvement, Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Daqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Fengfeng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Yingguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
authors.forename: Shaoqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins