Journal Article

Genetic variations in ARE1 mediate grain yield by modulating nitrogen utilization in rice

Yang, Xiaolu, Dong, Guojun, Hu, Jiang, Li, Jiayang, Zhang, Jian, Xie, Xianzhi, Feng, Jian, Yu, Hong, Wang, Qing, Zuo, Jianru, Xie, Qingjun, Qian, Qian, Bai, Bo, Chen, Fan, Nian, Jinqiang, Bai, Jiaoteng, Chen, Lichao, Peng, Juli

2018

Overview

In crops, nitrogen directly determines productivity and biomass. However, the improvement of nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) is still a major challenge in modern agriculture. Here, we report the characterization of are1 , a genetic suppressor of a rice fd-gogat mutant defective in nitrogen assimilation. ARE1 is a highly conserved gene, encoding a chloroplast-localized protein. Loss-of-function mutations in ARE1 cause delayed senescence and result in 10–20% grain yield increases, hence enhance NUE under nitrogen-limiting conditions. Analysis of a panel of 2155 rice varieties reveals that 18% indica and 48% aus accessions carry small insertions in the ARE1 promoter, which result in a reduction in ARE1 expression and an increase in grain yield under nitrogen-limiting conditions. We propose that ARE1 is a key mediator of NUE and represents a promising target for breeding high-yield cultivars under nitrogen-limiting condition. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of nitrogen assimilation is crucial for developing crop cultivars with improved nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE). Here the authors identify a new negative regulator of NUE and mutation of this gene increases 10–20% rice grain yield under nitrogen-limiting field conditions.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 14/1 / 14/63 / 38/1 / 38/22 / 38/70 / 38/77 / 38/88 / 38/89 / 38/90 / 631/449/1870 / 631/449/447/2312 / 631/61/447/8 / Biomass / Cereal crops / Constraining / Crop yield / Cultivars / Edible Grain - chemistry / Edible Grain - genetics / Edible Grain - metabolism / Fertilizers - analysis / Genetic diversity / Genetic suppression / Genetic Variation / Grain / Humanities and Social Sciences / multidisciplinary / Mutation / Nitrogen / Nitrogen - metabolism / Oryza - chemistry / Oryza - genetics / Oryza - growth & development / Oryza - metabolism / Oryza sativa / Plant breeding / Plant Proteins - genetics / Plant Proteins - metabolism / Rice / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Seeds - genetics / Seeds - growth & development / Seeds - metabolism / Senescence