O-GlcNAc and phosphorylation modifications on qHtL1/FBA10 regulate wheat vernalization for flowering (PRJCA043889)
Vernalization-regulated flowering is vital for wheat yield and geography distribution, and the diversity of flowering time genes is essential for the breeding of climate-resilient varieties. Sugars have long been recognized in regulating flowering, however, the intrinsic connection between carbohydrate metabolism and vernalization response remains largely unexplored. Here we identified a fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) encoding gene, qHtL1/FBA10, as a modulator of heading time variation based on a genome-wide association study utilizing wheat core germplasm collections. Evolutionary analyses showed a decrease in the proportion of haplotype-2 of qHtL1, linked to delayed flowering, in Chinese and American wheat varieties compared to landraces. Vernalization reduces qHtL1/FBA10 phosphorylation levels while increasing its O-GlcNAcylation, which in turn enhances its enzyme activity and facilitates VERNALIZATION 1 (VRN1) transcription by regulating histone acetylation at VRN1. Our findings provide new insights into the interplay between glucose metabolism and the epigenetic regulation of vernalization in winter wheat.