PRJNA681303
Sorghum bicolor Raw sequence reads
Leaf angle, the inclination between the leaf blade midrib and main stem, is an important plant architecture trait that affects plant density, light interception efficiency, photosynthetic rate, and yield. In cereals, the proposed leaf angle ideotype is called smart canopy, where leaves are more vertical in the top plant layers and more horizontal in the middle and lower canopy, maximizing overall conversion efficiency and photosynthesis. This ideotype would optimize light interception, increase conversion efficiency by minimizing the light saturation at the upper canopy, and also increase the carbon fixation capacity of lower leaves. This study characterized the canopy-layer specific transcriptome for five sorghum genotypes contrasting in the auxin transporter gene, Dw3 haplotype, known to control leaf angle (two functional and three nonfunctional). Differential gene expression was examined between canopy layers (lower, middle, and upper layers) and candidate genes for manipulation to improve leaf angle at specific layers or throughout the canopy proposed.