GSE183651
Mutation of BrKAO2, encoding ent-kaurenoic acid oxidase, mediates leafy head formation by affecting GA biosynthesis in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis)
Leafy head is the main product of Chinese cabbage, and also is the primary character to determine its yield and quality. Cloning and characterizing key genes involved in leafy head formation is imperative for varietal improvement in Chinese cabbage. From an EMS mutagenesis population of a heading wild-type 'FT' of Chinese cabbage, we identified two allelic non-heading mutants, nhm3-1 and nhm3-2. Genetic analysis showed that the mutant character was controlled by a single recessive gene. MutMap and Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR genotyping results revealed that BraA05g012440.3C encoding an ent-kaurenoic acid oxidase 2 which functions in the GA biosynthetic pathway, was the causal gene for leafy-head formation, and we named it as BrKAO2. Two kinds of non-synonymous mutations in the second exon of BrKAO2 were responsible for the nhm3-1 and nhm3-2 mutant phenotype, respectively. BrKAO2 was expressed at all stages of leaf development, and there was no significant difference between the wild-type 'FT' and the mutants nhm3-1 and nhm3-2. The mutant phenotype was restored to the wild-type through the application of exogenous GA3. RNA-Seq was performed on the rosette leaves of wild-type 'FT', nhm3-1 and nhm3-1+GA3 plants, and a number of key genes involving in GA biosynthesis, signal transduction and leafy head development were identified. These findings indicated that BrKAO2 is responsible for leafy head formation of nhm3, and a new mechanism of the leafy head formation in Chinese cabbage was proposed. Overall design: The RNA from the rosette leaves at the same position of wild-type 'FT', nhm3-1 and nhm3-1+GA3 in Chinese cabbage were sequenced by RNA-Seq, in triplicate.