Barley FASCIATED EAR genes determine inflorescence meristem size and yield traits  

作　　者：Chengyu Wang Xiujunan Yang Yueya Zhang Chaoqun Shen Jin Shi Chongjing Xia Taohong Fang Qiang Tu Ling Li Xinli Zhou Dabing Zhang Gang Li 

机构地区：[1]School of Life Sciences and Engineering,Southwest University of Science and Technology,Mianyang 629000,Sichuan,China [2]School of Agriculture,Food and Wine,Waite Research Institute,The University of Adelaide,Adelaide 5005,SA,Australia [3]School of Life Science and Biotechnology,Shanghai Jiao Tong University,Shanghai 200240,China [4]Department of Plant Pathology,College of Plant Protection,Nanjing Agricultural University,Nanjing 210095,Jiangsu,China

出　　处：《The Crop Journal》2023年第3期679-691,共13页作物学报（英文版）

基　　金：financially supported by the Science and Research Grant of Southwest University of Science and Technology(19zx7146);the start-up grant from Nanjing Agricultural University(to Gang Li);the Australia–China Science and Research Fund Joint Research Centre grant(ACSRF48187);the Australian Research Council(DP170103352);the Waite Research Institute(WRI)of the University of Adelaide。

摘　　要：In flowering plants,the inflorescence meristem(IM)provides founder cells to form successive floral meristems,which are precursors of fruits and seeds.The activity and developmental progression of IM are thus critical for yield production in seed crops.In some cereals,such as rice(Oryza sativa)and maize(Zea mays),the size of undifferentiated IM,which is located at the inflorescence apex,is positively associated with yield traits such as spikelet number.However,the relationship between IM size and yieldrelated spike traits remains unknown in the Triticeae tribe.Here we report that IM size has a negative correlation with yield traits in barley(Hordeum vulgare).Three FASCIATED EAR(FEA)orthologs,HvFEA2,HvFEA3,and HvFEA4,regulate IM size and spike morphogenesis and ultimately affect yield traits.Three HvFEAs genes are highly expressed in developing spikes,and all three loss-of-function mutants exhibit enlarged IM size,shortened spikes,and reduced spikelet number,which may lead to reduced grain yield.Natural variations identified in HvFEAs indicate selection events during barley domestication.We further reveal that HvFEA4,as a transcription factor,potentially targets multiple pathways during reproductive development,including transcriptional control,phytohormone signaling,and redox status.The roles of barley FEA genes in limiting IM size and promoting spikelet formation suggest the potential of increasing yield by manipulating IM activity.

关 键 词：Inflorescence meristem Yield traits FASCIATED EAR genes Gene expression BARLEY 

分 类 号：S512.3[农业科学—作物学]